- Publisher: Activision
- Developer: Raven
- Also On: PS3
- ESRB Rating: “M” for Mature
- Genre: FPS
- Pros: Fun single-player; some great set pieces
- Cons: So-so presentation; awful multiplayer
While Wolfenstein is set during World War II and you are fighting Nazis, this is not a realistic, historically accurate love letter to the Greatest Generation. This is a WWII game with a sci-fi twist that sort of explores the Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark question of “What would happen if Hitler got his hands on powerful historical artifacts?” In this particular game, the Nazis have discovered a mystical force called the Black Sun that can open cross-dimensional rifts and it is up to you as soldier B.J. Blaskowicz to stop them.
The game takes place in the city of Isenstadt and the city serves as a hub from which you can access the other levels in the game. Unfortunately for the citizens of Isenstadt, not only is their town overrun with Nazis but a mine down the road and a farm on the other side of town (among other destinations) have become the centerpiece of Hitler’s plans to harness the powers of the Black Sun. As you explore the town and the levels that branch off from it, you meet up with resistance fighters, cults, and more. The single-player is an interesting mix of straightforward shooter, survival horror, and a number of surprisingly good set pieces and just plain neat stuff to see.
While the content of the single-player is interesting, the gameplay itself is pretty standard and generic. Nothing bad about it – mechanically it is as good as any shooter we’ve played lately – but it doesn’t really do anything new or special. It tries to add some spice by introducing a medallion that gives you powers that slow down time or even create a shield around you. It fits the story fine, but we have seen all of these exact same powers in other games before so it doesn’t really shake the generic feel to the gameplay. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t bad, but it isn’t great, either. One definite compliment I can give the gameplay is that you are given new powers and weapons and are constantly upgrading your stuff so there is a decent amount of variety to the game. It is pretty short, but entertaining throughout and well worth playing once. And it must be noted that it gets better the further into it you get.
Multiplayer
On the other end of the spectrum is the multiplayer. While the single-player isn’t terribly fresh, it is at least on par with more modern shooters. The multiplayer, on the other hand, is decidedly last-gen in terms of features, modes, and performance. The graphics take a huge hit and look plain ugly compared to the SP. The game is also incredibly laggy online. Other games do online MP 100% better. A bit of a shame, really, because most of the Achievements are for multiplayer but no one is going to actually be playing so you can’t get them.
Graphics & Sound
The presentation is also a bit of a mixed bag in Wolfenstein. The game uses a modified version of the id Tech 4 engine, and you can definitely see its Doom 3 roots showing. It looks good, but not next-gen “wow” good. Nice lighting and special effects make up for it a little bit.The sound is similarly so-so. The music is okay and the sound effects are actually quite good, but the voice acting is pretty poor.
Bottom Line
