22 years ago something incredible happened, something that would change the face of gaming forever, something that led on to make one of the most influential and popular genres in videogame history. That something was Wolfenstein 3D. There haven't been many Wolfenstein games, the most notable ones were Wolfenstein 3D, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and Wolfentein (2009) because they were the only ones that had a singleplayer (excluding Wolfenstein 3D's Spear of Destiny expansion). But after 5 years Machine Games (with a little help from creators of Wolfenstein 3D, id Software) have given us a new Wolfenstein in hope of breathing new life into the series that laid the foundations for the FPS genre.
Reboot's have been a bit of a thing recently so it only seems fitting that the forerunner of FPS' gets another shot at us right? Well luckily for us, The New Order busts out the largest gun it can find and riddles us with bullets...all in the right places.
The year is 1946 and WWII is still in full swing, the allies are losing and the Nazi's are overpowering us with technology they are stealing from us; killing us with our own weapons and combining it with their own scientific research to create super-weapons. When our old pal B.J. Blazkowicz has a close encounter with nemesis General Deathshead he escapes barley alive with shrapnel to the brain and in a vegetative coma.
14 years later and it's the 1960's, Blazkowicz has been kept alive in a psychiatric asylum in Poland by a woman named Anya and her family. When Nazi's attack the asylum you escape with Anya and you learn that the world is a very different place since WWII, now under Nazi rule with Deathshead being one of the most powerful men on the planet. From there on out you make it your mission to revive the underground resistance movement and topple the Nazi empire.
Reboot's have been a bit of a thing recently so it only seems fitting that the forerunner of FPS' gets another shot at us right? Well luckily for us, The New Order busts out the largest gun it can find and riddles us with bullets...all in the right places.
The year is 1946 and WWII is still in full swing, the allies are losing and the Nazi's are overpowering us with technology they are stealing from us; killing us with our own weapons and combining it with their own scientific research to create super-weapons. When our old pal B.J. Blazkowicz has a close encounter with nemesis General Deathshead he escapes barley alive with shrapnel to the brain and in a vegetative coma.
14 years later and it's the 1960's, Blazkowicz has been kept alive in a psychiatric asylum in Poland by a woman named Anya and her family. When Nazi's attack the asylum you escape with Anya and you learn that the world is a very different place since WWII, now under Nazi rule with Deathshead being one of the most powerful men on the planet. From there on out you make it your mission to revive the underground resistance movement and topple the Nazi empire.
The New Order has one hell of an ambitious story to deliver; an alternate timeline where the Nazi's won the war has been done a few times before, but Machine Games have pulled it off better than most iterations because of the level of world building they have imbued the game with. They have looked at the history from WWII up to 1960 and re-written it to fit under a Nazi led regime. You'll find references to pop bands and films that are considered classics today redesigned had they been made under German rule. Newspaper cuttings of significant events re-written to suit the game. Wolfenstein: The New Order manages to create one of the most believable worlds in gaming history, but still manage to have that crazy Wolfenstein vibe about it. This time around that vibe takes the form of robotic and bio-engineering, much like what they were up to in the real world, but this time they got to finish what they set out to do. If you allow The New Order to suck you in to its alternate history, you'll be surprised and shocked as to how it could have turned out.
So how does the franchise that effectively started the FPS genre make its mark on today's industry? By being retro in some areas and modern in others to create an interesting hybrid genre that doesn't feel new, but doesn't feel old either. The most notable retro aspects are non-regenerative health, meaning you'll have to rely on health kits and armour pickups to get you through fights. You can carry all the weapons in the game at one time, meaning that you can actively switch out your tactics on the fly and not be caught short if you didn't have the right weapon for the job. Then finally by smacking you like the little bitch you are and giving you a reasonably difficult game; don't get me wrong, it's no Dark Souls, but you will die in The New Order and it will happen often. This is easily one of the games worst points, though it's nice to see a game come around that challenges players whilst not having its main appeal being that it is difficult. It can become occasionally irritating due to a hit & miss checkpoint system. Luckily though the game will never feel impossible and is still very welcoming to newer FPS players on its lower difficulties.
The stuff it takes from modern first person shooters though is ultimately what makes or breaks the game due it needing to survive in a modern FPS market, it's not the 90's anymore after all. You have the ability to aim down your sights, you can regenerate health up to the closest ten, and you have a perks system. What The New Order does is build its foundations on these modern mechanics and then use its retro roots to make itself stand out from the crowd, it also allows it to be accessible to any FPS fan whether they started a few years ago on something like Call of Duty, or whether they started 22 years ago on a DOS computer.
The majority of the game is spent shooting Nazi's in linear environments, however the sheer variety of these environments never makes the game feel like its repeating itself, even if you are just shooting Nazi's for around 14 hours. There are also a couple of vehicle sections to mix things up a little but these never stick around for too long because the limelight is on the shooting, and that's what Wolfenstein has always done better than pretty much any other FPS game. Shooting in The New Order is glorious. The id Tech engine has not only been consistent in providing top of the line visuals, but it also makes excellent shooting mechanics. Most recent examples are Rage and the 2009 Wolfenstein; though as a whole both games had problems, they were not related to the shooting. Guns have a real big kick to them, they feel meaty and as though they could do some major damage. Limbs come flying off enemies, blood spurts all over the walls and floors, and all whilst being fast, smooth, responsive, and tactical. Machine Games knew how good the guns were so used them to full effect by allowing you to use two of the same gun simultaneously. Whether that be pistol, assault rifle, shotgun, or even a humble knife, you can use two at any given time to cause major damage to anyone in your line of fire.
I mentioned perks earlier on, these are an interesting part of the game because you may never even unlock one but getting them significantly aids gameplay and makes it even better than before. You unlock a perk by completing a set challenge such as 'Kill 10 enemies from cover with a handgun', they then get progressively more difficult the further down the tree they are and require you to use every weapon to its fullest ability. There are also a large amount of collectables on offer, these range from gun attachments to items that expand on the lore of the game, to ones that unlock new modes, or simply just items that look nice made from Nazi gold. There are a hell of a lot of collectables and hats off to you if you find them all because they are well hidden too.
So how does the franchise that effectively started the FPS genre make its mark on today's industry? By being retro in some areas and modern in others to create an interesting hybrid genre that doesn't feel new, but doesn't feel old either. The most notable retro aspects are non-regenerative health, meaning you'll have to rely on health kits and armour pickups to get you through fights. You can carry all the weapons in the game at one time, meaning that you can actively switch out your tactics on the fly and not be caught short if you didn't have the right weapon for the job. Then finally by smacking you like the little bitch you are and giving you a reasonably difficult game; don't get me wrong, it's no Dark Souls, but you will die in The New Order and it will happen often. This is easily one of the games worst points, though it's nice to see a game come around that challenges players whilst not having its main appeal being that it is difficult. It can become occasionally irritating due to a hit & miss checkpoint system. Luckily though the game will never feel impossible and is still very welcoming to newer FPS players on its lower difficulties.
The stuff it takes from modern first person shooters though is ultimately what makes or breaks the game due it needing to survive in a modern FPS market, it's not the 90's anymore after all. You have the ability to aim down your sights, you can regenerate health up to the closest ten, and you have a perks system. What The New Order does is build its foundations on these modern mechanics and then use its retro roots to make itself stand out from the crowd, it also allows it to be accessible to any FPS fan whether they started a few years ago on something like Call of Duty, or whether they started 22 years ago on a DOS computer.
The majority of the game is spent shooting Nazi's in linear environments, however the sheer variety of these environments never makes the game feel like its repeating itself, even if you are just shooting Nazi's for around 14 hours. There are also a couple of vehicle sections to mix things up a little but these never stick around for too long because the limelight is on the shooting, and that's what Wolfenstein has always done better than pretty much any other FPS game. Shooting in The New Order is glorious. The id Tech engine has not only been consistent in providing top of the line visuals, but it also makes excellent shooting mechanics. Most recent examples are Rage and the 2009 Wolfenstein; though as a whole both games had problems, they were not related to the shooting. Guns have a real big kick to them, they feel meaty and as though they could do some major damage. Limbs come flying off enemies, blood spurts all over the walls and floors, and all whilst being fast, smooth, responsive, and tactical. Machine Games knew how good the guns were so used them to full effect by allowing you to use two of the same gun simultaneously. Whether that be pistol, assault rifle, shotgun, or even a humble knife, you can use two at any given time to cause major damage to anyone in your line of fire.
I mentioned perks earlier on, these are an interesting part of the game because you may never even unlock one but getting them significantly aids gameplay and makes it even better than before. You unlock a perk by completing a set challenge such as 'Kill 10 enemies from cover with a handgun', they then get progressively more difficult the further down the tree they are and require you to use every weapon to its fullest ability. There are also a large amount of collectables on offer, these range from gun attachments to items that expand on the lore of the game, to ones that unlock new modes, or simply just items that look nice made from Nazi gold. There are a hell of a lot of collectables and hats off to you if you find them all because they are well hidden too.
Wolfenstein: The New Order uses the new id Tech 5 engine and as such is one of the best looking games on the market at this moment in time. For those of you real tech enthusiasts the game runs at 60FPS across all platforms, including the PS3 & 360 but what changes is the native resolution. The PS4 version is technically speaking the best console version, offering the largest native resolution and fastest loading graphics, however the Xbox One doesn't lag too far behind. The PS3 & 360 version run on what would be equivalent to the lowest settings on PC, or close to it anyway. It sacrifices flashy graphics for a consistent 60FPS, the most notable losses are the particle & smoke effects, however the game still looks very good on these platforms. The PC version of course is the one to opt for if you have a rig that can run the game as well as or better than the new consoles, providing a game that is one of the best looking games in recent memory. The sound in The New Order is equally impressive, the soundtrack is used sparingly but adds drama to the situations it is applied to, whether it be heavy rock music in a large gun battle or a sombre piano medley in one of the games quieter moments. The guns are a mixed bag, some of them crack and roar like a real gun, but some sound like toys and at times detract from the overall atmosphere.
Now I'm well known for slamming id franchises for having bad stories, but The New Order provides one of the best stories so far in 2014 and that is really helped by some top notch voice acting. Though I cant say I recognised any of the voices, each and every character was believable and well acted. Plus B.J's regular inner monologues give the game some real intellectual and emotional depth, which is surprising for a series that is renowned for being about killing Nazi's in an extremely OTT fashion. I fondly remember 2009's Wolfenstein having a quote on the back of the box “The daddy of First Person Shooters is coming to make its new home on the PS3 (or Xbox 360).” and when I finished it, I was left feeling disappointed due to many shortfalls. I can happily say that the daddy of First Person Shooters is coming to make its new home on PS4 & Xbox One as Wolfenstein: The New Order is one of the best FPS games in years. It's hard to fault the game because its few flaws are so insignificant to the overall product. The ending also seems a fitting conclusion to the Wolfenstein saga, but here's hoping that we can see it make a return in a few years as it would be a shame to let such a long standing and well received franchise finish, even if it ended with the best entry in the entire series.
Now I'm well known for slamming id franchises for having bad stories, but The New Order provides one of the best stories so far in 2014 and that is really helped by some top notch voice acting. Though I cant say I recognised any of the voices, each and every character was believable and well acted. Plus B.J's regular inner monologues give the game some real intellectual and emotional depth, which is surprising for a series that is renowned for being about killing Nazi's in an extremely OTT fashion. I fondly remember 2009's Wolfenstein having a quote on the back of the box “The daddy of First Person Shooters is coming to make its new home on the PS3 (or Xbox 360).” and when I finished it, I was left feeling disappointed due to many shortfalls. I can happily say that the daddy of First Person Shooters is coming to make its new home on PS4 & Xbox One as Wolfenstein: The New Order is one of the best FPS games in years. It's hard to fault the game because its few flaws are so insignificant to the overall product. The ending also seems a fitting conclusion to the Wolfenstein saga, but here's hoping that we can see it make a return in a few years as it would be a shame to let such a long standing and well received franchise finish, even if it ended with the best entry in the entire series.
STORY: 9/10
GAMEPLAY: 9/10
PRESENTATION: 8/10
LIFESPAN: 7/10
SCORE: 8/10
The grand daddy of First Person Shooters is back and better than ever. A rejuvenation of retro shooters and the WWII genre.