Bethesda has gotten a lot of hate lately for the sorry state of Fallout 76 and how they’ve handled that game in general. But we must not forget that they are a talented game developer that has revived many franchises such as Fallout, Doom, and Wolfenstein. Granted, the receptions for some of these revivals have not always been glowing, but one can’t deny that without Bethesda those franchises would probably be long gone.
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus was a surprising release as I wasn’t aware there was such an outcry for Bethesda to make another Wolfenstein game. I never played the first Wolfenstein Bethesda made, as I thought it looked like a Call of Duty game without the multiplayer component. I’m happy to report that Wolfenstein has a lot more to offer than a COD campaign and was glad that I gave the game a shot. However, while Wolfenstein had more of a sandbox nature to its missions, it’s still a very linear game that I find hard to fully appreciate after playing so many amazing open world games.
Bethesda has always struggled with gunplay in my opinion. I loved Fallout 4, but that game had some of the worst shooting I’ve ever experienced in a first person shooter, and I’ve heard that Fallout 4’s gunplay was much better than Fallout 3’s. With the release of Doom and Wolfenstein, it seems Bethesda has finally gotten a grip on it’s shooting mechanics. While it’s not on the level of COD or Halo yet, the shooting in Wolfenstein 2 feels great, making it one of Bethesda’s best games when it comes to real time combat.
There are parts of Wolfenstein 2’s progression that I love and parts that I hate. I loved how you gained access to new perks by completing challenges related to that perk. So if you enjoy playing stealthily and you get a lot of sneak kills, you’ll end up unlocking something that has to do with stealth or melee attacks. The game goes along with how you want to play it, which is something I always appreciate. I did not appreciate the weapon upgrades system. Wolfenstein 2 encourages exploration by hiding weapon parts around the map. You need weapon parts to upgrade your weapons, but wandering around a bunch of hallways isn’t fun. Especially when most of the time all you’ll find are newspaper clippings, old tapes, and other collectibles that are supposed to further encourage exploration. It basically boils down to I didn’t want to explore so my weapons didn’t reach their full potential. Bethesda should have given more incentives to go off the beaten path.
The story is a ridiculous but enjoyable romp. After all, what kind of warm blooded American can’t get behind freeing the United States from the Nazis? You play as the legendary Nazi killer B.J Blazkowicz and rip your way through legions of enemies. There isn’t a single well-grounded, believable character in this game, but they’re certainly memorable. You’ll remember a lot of story moments after playing through this game. Again, it’s not the most thoughtful or well written story, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great time.
I doubt Wolfenstein 2 is on very many people’s top ten lists. The game doesn’t reinvent the wheel in any way and doesn’t really stand out from other first person shooters. I probably wouldn’t pay sixty dollars for it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a quality title. As a free game with game pass, it was a nice 12–15 hour game that I was glad to have played.
FINAL SCORE: 7/10
