World-wide the people call for yet another dish of Wolfenstein approved glory; is ID software still up to the task?
I am referring to a classic series concerning my most latter statement; Wolfenstein; a word synonymous with much satisfaction, violence-a-plenty, nazi-targets-a-plenty and of course the father of first-person-shooters. Carrying on all the way from the 1980's up until the present date, yet only taking on a first-person point-of-view during the early 90's; the series on the topic at hand is both loved [by gamers] and hated [by lawyers], for it started perhaps the most violent and controversial genre of gaming of all time.
Setting aside history lessons for the younger gamers of today, ID announced an exciting reboot of the "Wolfenstein" franchise back in 2007, which has finally materialized - since late 2009. Entitled simply, "Wolfenstein" - this new installment seeks to both pay tribute to fans, attract new crowds - and satisfy pretty much any bullet-hose thirsty gamer in the audience. First and fore-mostly, I can state that it definitely delivers. At least on the first-stated goal.
Plot and Story Aspects:
Players familiar with previous installments, will be comfortable knowing that they once again are tasked with stepping into the blood-soaked shoes of none other than "B.J. Blazkowitz" himself; World-War-2's preliminary unsung hero. On uncovering a mysterious Nazi-bullet-deflecting artifact, the hardboiled agent receives orders from the O.S.A. [Office of Secret-Actions - as cliche as it gets] to infiltrate Nazi Germany once more, make contact with the local resistance - and, as usual - "Find out what the Nazi's are really up to"...
It's cliche, it's corny - it's even got a cheese-filled crust. Wolfenstein is shameless at conveying an utterly ridiculous plot to make up for it's true "heavy-action" message; it does what it's meant to, and it stays out of the way; the plus-side being that bloodthirsty gamers won't have the obligation to be in any way mentally involved or attached for that matter, with yet another bizarre occult experiment by Hitler's diabolically evil doctors.
GAMEPLAY:
Playing out as a [as strange as it sounds] blatant combination of the 2001's Return To Castle Wolfenstein, Infinity Ward's Call-Of-Duty series - and perhaps Saber Interactive's 2007 time-bending title [as the name suggests] "Timeshift", Wolfenstein takes no prisoners in it's strictly no-nonsense over-the-top shooting action.
Set in a totally non-linear map of a fictional German city named "Isenstadt", to begin with [after the suitably explosive intro level deserving of every every Wolfenstein-game] players are given the ability to roam around the relatively-small city, going from one mission to another in whichever order they wish, in order to unlock the next set and so on.
Plot details are filled in through sparsely integrated cutscenes, vast amounts of intelligence files spread around each mission - and of course the frequent in-game interactions between the player and outside parties, responsible for primarily dishing out new missions.
Perhaps the two most fresh attributes added latest installment, are the black-market store; a function used to upgrade weaponry and using the now "useful" treasure found around each and every map, and the new "veil-power" system.
Veil-powers are a whole new vista, not necessarily for games in general, yet for the franchise itself. Using various ancient Nazi-tablets found throughout different missions, players unlock new heavily effective abilities; more specifically, the power to slow-down time [heads flying: NOW in slo-mo], heavily increase damage, run faster, walk through walls [at given points], vaporize opponents and block incoming bullets. Each power is fully upgradable and can be accessed on the fly - given that your power reserves are full-enough. Each rely on a separate plane from the one we know, and transform the world around players into a slightly greener one. That's right, and there's lots of garbage flying around too. Sweet.
The black-market allows players to spend the gold they find laying carelessly around the various environments [you know, garbage cans, street-corners - the kind of stuff you see every day] on upgrades for both their powers and their weaponry. These individually equipable items range from typical silencers, scopes and larger clip-sizes all the way to the likes of extra-lightning hinges for the tesla-gun, more grenade power - even the abilities to "force-push" opponents backwards. With a total of nine distinct and upgradeable weapons included [that's six real-life armaments, and three mega-nazi-extermination tools] as well as four veil-powers all-together, there's always another way available to any given player to zap a screaming Nazi to kingdom-come itself.
Overall, ID's latest Wolfenstein installment doesn't break any ground on the "gameplay-front"; on the other hand, it's completely solidified in the form of flawless gunplay, exciting explosive missions, heart-racing fantastical powers - and a whole lot more of third-Reich Nazi-Germany just waiting to feel the kick of a rifle-slug, all to yourselves.
VISUALS:
Utilizing an engine suffering from an extremely bad-case of old-age [no matter the settings, it's a given, mainly seeing as the engine made it's first-appearance back in 2004 - over 5 years back from Wolfenstein's release] 2009's Wolfenstein is as artistically conscience as it is frail; a shame in reality - the developers clearly put a lot of blood and sweat into making the game feel both authentic and modern all at once. The lighting is top-notch, the veil looks impressive to be shallow, yet most of this is overshadowed by the dated engine features: it's nothing game-breaking, yet it does become noticeable at specific levels during the course of the game.
ULTIMATE CONCLUSION:
Wolfenstein's hard-as-nails with little-substance action is a dying breed of action game; in fact, many would say it's already quite dead. Hopefully, ID's newest Wolfenstein installment will serve as more than enough to change their minds. There is little to it within all of it's finality; as there is much to it in terms of action and straight-ahead gunplay. For most world-weary shooter fans, it should come across as a been-there done-that scenario; yet for all others [including fans of the series] craving a guns-blazing shooter experience, it should certainly not be missed.