Let us count the ways
Coming off of E3 this year, I started to notice something. Every time I logged on to Steam or PSN somebody I knew was playingWolfenstein: The New Order. Every single time. Who could blame them?
After all, Bethesda had just shown off the Nazi killing, acid-fueled trailer for Machine Games second swing at the franchise,Wolfenstein: The New Colossus. It seems a whole lot of people walked away from E3 2017 with the same notion.Carter gave it a 7.5and the improved expansion an8.5. Sure, not a perfect score, but a good score for a story-heavy shooter lacking any multiplayer. That 2014Wolfensteingame was pretty damn good. I should play that again.
Confession time: I never finished it. I couldn’t help but wonder, “what stopped me”? For the past few days, I’ve been working my way throughThe New Orderover onmy Twitch channel. Boy, does that game hold up.
This video showcases the insane violence and dark sense of humor that makes this game such a gem
Games likeTeam Fortress 2have kept a thriving community after all these years, despite new and improved multiplayer games likeOverwatchcoming along. Games likeBioShock(one of my personal favorites) could only get better with age, yet the HD collection for that particular series, released only one year ago sits in the shrink wrap on my bookcase. It’s important not to forget games as time passes.
How doesWolfensteinhold up though? Like I said, pretty damn good. It still looks great, running at 60 FPS on the right hardware, shooting feels tight, and it’s just plain fun. Nothing beats mowing down a group of mechanized Nazi’s while duel wielding two massive machine guns.
I still feel like I’ve yet to address the most important question here, why didn’t I finish this game the first time around? It wasn’t a lack of interest, though I do remember dropping off around the level set in the sewers beneath Berlin. Underwater levels rear their ugly head, but on my second playthrough, I couldn’t help but notice the redeeming qualities in that section. While spending most of your time traveling through mundane sewage tunnels, you’re treated to audio diaries recounting Anya’s cousin’s time seducing and murdering Nazi soldiers.
I also may have lost a few months of my life to a little game calledDestinyshortly after picking this game up in 2014.
There’s value in replaying games. I only wish there were enough hours in the day togo backto them all. The resurgence in popularity of a series likeWolfensteincan’t help but make you smile. If you have the time, there has never been a better time to pick upWolfensteinagain. You’ve got time to get it off your backlog, asWolfenstein: the New Colossusreleases on October 27.
It’s insane to think that in 2017, two of the games I’m most looking forward to areWolfensteinandQuake. How about you?
