Wolfenstein: The New Order review - A B movie romp where the Nazis won is ridiculous, fun
£59.99; PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The videogame industry’s unwillingness to let a franchise fade into obscurity is a dual edged blade. To the cynical eye, a brand name is there to sell copies, but some franchises carry a legacy that deserves to be remembered.
The granddaddy of the modern first person shooter, Wolfenstein’s last outing was the decidedly mediocre 2009 reboot which leaves Wolfenstein: The New Order the task of reigniting interest in the venerable series.
Set in an alternate version of the 1960s where the Nazi war machine has gained victory over the allied forces by harnessing impossibly advanced technological and scientific power, the series’ stalwart hero B. J. Blazkowicz fights alongside a dwindling resistance faction in a final counter-offensive against the Third Reich.
With hackneyed mysticism, space travel and a penchant for sudden appearances of clanking robot dogs, on the surface, Wolfenstein: The New Order has all the B-movie trappings of a silly, carefree romp, however it suffers from a wildly inconsistent tone.
The chapters set between combat excursions are excruciatingly dull, as stereotype characters offer mundane fetch-quests and attempt to forge an incongruous emotional narrative. Thankfully, these sections – as well as the infrequent moments of grindhouse-horror gore and Blazkowicz’s irritatingly nihilistic, portentous voice over – fail to derail an otherwise entertaining and generous campaign.
When The New Order reaches its stride the non-intrusive cover system, unexpectedly enjoyable stealth mechanics and satisfying gunplay coalesce with smart level design that eschews the restrictive corridor shootouts and scripted set-pieces of its peers in favour of connected, open-plan battle zones in a variety of extraordinary environments.
While some may bemoan the lack of multiplayer, this is a bold, accomplished debut from Swedish developer MachineGames that proves you can still teach an old wolf new tricks.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments