Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus – Video Game Review

I see bonfires from books. I hear dog barking.

Recently, the genre “Shooter” began to fade away. And everyone who is not lazy has already told about it. Popcorn fighters with history to do unprofitable, and why, if for the same money you can collect a new Battlefront or Call of Duty with outboxes and live on a rainbow. So “Single” becomes (if not) just a pleasant addition, but never the dominant target in the brainstorming of a group of strange people somewhere in a cramped basement and with coffee from Starbucks.

And so, one day on a sunny day (or maybe not), the natives of Starbreeze Studios said: “Is enough!”: organize their studio under the name Machine Games and make one of the best games of all time – Wolfenstein: The New Order. The re-release of the great series, which at one time made an incredible furor in the industry, and paved the way for all the current farcical wounds. And given the enthusiasm with which the players reacted to the first part – Bethesda immediately gave resources and a versta. This is where the story of Wolfenstein II begins: The New Colossus. With all the charms of a full-time game, constantly click on the “F” – so as not to miss something useful from the battlefield; simple gameplay and Tarrantin’s directorial style.

The American people all continue to live in tyranny with their eyes closed, taking it for granted. Hope for a brighter future is almost extinguished – but not for a bunch of crazy heroes trying to get their country back and milkshakes for 29 cents. They decide to start a revolution to show the glorious Americans – the fight is still going on, it’s time to raise their democratic ass and drive away from the usurpers. All this will need one William Blaskovitz (aka Creepy Billy), a pair of nuclear warheads, one black guy playing the clarinet, a bunch of guns and a sea of booze! Pff…

It’s still a story about oppressed and struggle. You can mention Philip Dick’s work “The Man in the High Castle”, only, as a novice of the genre, she does not forget to be absurd, grotesque and politically correct. And helps her in this wonderful directing with the rating “R.” Talk about politics and the people behind a glass of explosive whiskey of the old Horton, under a hail of bullets and accompanied by a wonderful solo on the clarinet. Someone else is sure to be brainwashed in the background. And such ridiculous moments are all over the place, watch for which only with a red face and a sagging jaw.

More importantly, our main character and collector William Blaskovitz got a new role in a play about genocide. On weekdays, he crumbles the Nazis in a shambles, and at the weekend has time to pat Anya on the tummy (Which, by the way, is waiting for twins). And it gives our warrior more confidence to go all the way. Yes, Blaskovitz pulled up – not only in the high polygonal plan but also in scripted. A little more deep thoughts and sentimentality, but in moderation. On this score, do not even worry: the brave rush will not start to shed a tear after each flashback about the trash edges of the past, about the same present and, perhaps, the future.

I insist on studying

Wolfenstein can be different: here will be good for all who came to shoot without asking unnecessary questions. And just as warm and cozy for those who like to collect notes, vinyl records, eavesdrop on conversations and read other people’s diaries. What is one, at first glance, inconspicuous mission in a classic American town? Get out of point A and get to B. Here’s a nuclear warhead disguised as a fire extinguisher, walk as a firefighter among the Nazi army – nothing unusual. But some will surely pass by, leaving behind a huge folio of references and secrets outside the mass audience. That’s their fault!

If you look around the corner, the walk immediately changes its mask. You can meet a tramp who still believes in goodness. Two members of the Ku Klux Klan trying to pronounce “Dankesch’ne” (their version: “Dankishun”). And on the window to look for a new vinyl record of the fictional group “Die k’fer”, which accurately parodies the album “The Beatles: Abbey Road”. That’s why there’s no rush!

Remember that submarine we stole in the first part? Now it serves as an island of hope. And this is another high-profile part of the game with their side quests and booze. Extraordinarily beautiful, bright and lively place, where there is such a homely and sweet atmosphere that you do not want to leave here. And one of her most amazing abilities – she knows how to change, thanks to the psychos living next door. Durachek Max Hass beats a professor in chess and draws on the walls close to expressionism paintings. And no one shouts that this is a brazen profanity of art. Buddy Fergus (Familiar to us on the first part) loses his hand and constant conflicts with the owner of the new body (I’m about a new cyber-hand with his own AI). There live completely different personalities, different nationalities and different psychological portraits. And all of them, one way or another, are in contact with each other. No one forgets to joke about the color of the skin or the tastes of others. In fact, it’s all love. And the characters feel very well alive when they just shout at each other because of the disliked accent in gnarled English. Of course, you can come up and chat almost with each of the crew and ask, “What, dude?!,” and you will be obliquely looked around and bypassed. Or take a couple of quests, like, “Defeat the mutant rat in the armory.” And if they do not give you anything tangible, then, at least, will give a good and intriguing story.

Based on this, I highly recommend more walking! Of course, if you miss a dialogue or another quest simply because “I’m lazy, I want to shoot” – no one will punish you for it, and you will get no fewer impressions. But lose not just a few pleasant meetings and a couple of good stories, which are not nearly worse outlined in the text, and almost half the game.

Pew-Pew!

As soon as you arrive at the new location, the invisible voice inside you asks the question: “How do you want to spend this evening?!” And there are two turns of events to choose from Stealth or Dumgay. Whatever you choose, one way or another, styles will intersect with each other.

The stealth here has never even tried to make more enchanting: without amulets turning back time and other things. Thank you – calmly wipe the sweat from the face. If earlier the style of “ventilation war” was almost the most important detail, now, objectively, it is absolutely non-binding detail. It’s rather nailed here to the glory of the new (for this series) gameplay “Ideas.” Each location has several officers in caps and latex cloaks. It is desirable to eliminate them in the first place, and then you can do the rest. “But why would I do that if I can get two shotguns out of my pocket and go to all the heavy?” But there is one caveat – if the alarm rises, and the gentlemen officers will still be alive, they have the right to call for reinforcements. “Does that mean endless enemies?”

And you can not hesitate to run with cries of freedom justifying his middle name. This includes “Dumgay” – no matter how you come to it. Everything about “Piu-piu” successfully repeats the first part. Fun, beautiful and unforgettable. Enemies still do not know how to miss, and the first aid kits are getting smaller with each location. And familiar to all the story with a pair of weapons as never saves the situation: in one hand a shotgun, in the other … Yes, another shotgun, of course. It’s a matter of your taste, style, and perverted imagination. Are you out of ammunition? You’ve changed the layout and you’re on! But this is not the game where from a huge arsenal you find your pet and travel for the handle only with him. But there’s chemistry between us!? But I don’t care!

Just so to rest and lick the wounds, without unnecessary problems, no one will give you – for such a genre usually punishes, especially Wolfenstein. That’s why mobility is life. And the whole arsenal, which you so cleverly hide in the pockets of your jacket, one way or another, will have to put into use. This is good, but depends solely on the level of difficulty!

Yes, shooting has become even more pleasant in terms of aesthetics. Saving the game from annoying skill branches and menu tabs. Now here is an “Automatic Esoteric System of Progress” (A little immersed sim!). Kill enemies without attracting too much attention – self-pumped the skill of stealth. Well, you like to throw axes, nothing to do about it – growing the allowable number of these crumbs (I still say axes?). What’s incredibly correct is the game design solution – fewer distractions. As well as small customization of weapons, for the sake of a tick. Here he put on a silencer, here increased firepower, put a sight, hung a keychain – now your “Boomstick!” looks as ominous and majestic, and deals with the villains according to the style that you have picked him up.

Among other things, to diversify your style of play and open a couple of roundabout paths will help a few completely optional things. This is for people whose sense of “incompleteness” still bothers. You will be able to get them only by performing side tasks, which are a set of already passed locations (but not always), where it is desirable to sneak into the territory, kill the next officer and gracefully escape. Also, for the most curious, everywhere scattered various Lorov pieces: newspapers, notes, etc. If you missed something, then at any convenient moment for you can return.

Things are following! Squeezing corset – true, compresses the hero to ridiculous sizes and allows you to penetrate into the most seemingly inaccessible places. Battle Walkers – now kick enemies and jump on the roofs in the order of things. Power Staples – we are not here for the sake of creation! And for the sake of destruction!

Separately, it is worth mentioning the music, which worked on the most resonant duo in the universe. Mick Gordon is the one who created the great “Rip and Tear” for DOOM. He also wrote the soundtrack for The New Order. Martin Stig Andersen is a man known for his love of experimentation. Earlier he managed to record the soundtrack for Inside in a Human Skull, and this time kindly asked for help from the sculptures Ofshe. And Andersen was engaged in “otherworldly” sounds of the environment. And all that concerns the exalted effect of music, which claims to hide behind boxes, forcing to destroy and break – created Gordon. And it sounds great like never before, and on both sides!

Final

Some will say that Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a total pile of cloying clichés and pathetic phrases. And he’ll be right! But in doing so, Wolfenstein is a delightful game, perhaps simply because she’s one of the few in her genre who tries to elevate it to the absolute without going on about the mainstream. And I’m talking about that spiritual genre that we saw many years ago.

It’s certainly not perfect, it has a couple of things that complicate life: like a zero-sum hero’s reaction to the damage, sometimes a curve of AI, etc. Or maybe they didn’t notice it at all.

10/10 – I tried as frankly as possible to justify these figures in the text.

Wolfenstein 2 The New Colossus 15 Minutes of Gameplay + Developer Interviews