Game Review: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Xbox One X)

“Blazkowicz, shut the fuckin’ front door. Before more Nazis come in for milkshakes.”

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is an action-adventure first-person shooter video game developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released on 27 October 2017 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, and is scheduled for release in 2018 for Nintendo Switch. The game is the eighth main entry in the Wolfenstein series and the sequel to 2014’s Wolfenstein: The New Order, set in an alternate history 1961 following the Nazi victory of the Second World War. The story follows war veteran William “B.J.” Blazkowicz and his efforts to fight against the Nazi regime in America.

After the events of the previous game, the Kreisau Circle retrieves the critically injured William “B.J.” Blazkowicz (Brian Bloom) from Deathshead’s fortress before destroying it with a nuclear cannon. Blazkowicz falls into a 5-month long coma and has some of his organs removed to facilitate his survival. As Blazkowicz fades in and out during his coma aboard Eva’s Hammer (a stolen Nazi U-boat commandeered by the Kreisau Circle), it is revealed that Anya, Blazkowicz’s love interest, is pregnant with twins. The U-boat is attacked by Frau Engel, a sadistic Nazi commander who resents Blazkowicz for disfiguring her and killing her lover, Bubi, in the events of the previous game. Blazkowicz, disoriented and handicapped, fights his way to Anya and Set Roth, and the three proceed to the main deck.

Soon after, however, Caroline and Fergus or Wyatt (whoever the player chooses to survive in a flashback sequence) are captured by Engel and her forces. Desperate to save his friends, Blazkowicz devises a plan to get himself captured and taken to Engel’s airship, the Ausmerzer, which is suspending the U-boat above water. There, Frau Engel mocks and beats him, Caroline, and Fergus or Wyatt. She then tries to get her overweight, abused daughter Sigrun to decapitate Caroline, but the former refuses. From then on it’s a tale of loss, freedom, fighting like hell for the ones you love and killing Nazis.

To progress through the story, players battle enemies throughout levels. Players use melee attacks, firearms, and explosives to fight enemies. You can run, jump, and occasionally swim to navigate through the locations. Melee attacks can be used to silently take down enemies without being detected. Alternatively, players can ambush enemies. Which often results in an intense firefight between the two parties. Enemy commanders can call for reinforcements several times.

A cover system can be used in combat as assistance against enemies. Players have the ability to lean around, over, and under cover. This can be used as a tactical advantage during shootouts and stealth levels. A Constrictor Harness is also introduced. It compresses BJ’s body to fit into small pipes and narrow gaps to surprise enemies from unexpected locations. This provides a tactical advantage. Players have the ability to freely mix weapons for dual wielding. This gives them an advantage over enemies by dealing twice as much damage. Players can also customize weapons through the use of upgrades. Scopes and suppressors can also be attached to weapons.

I’m not going to be shy about this, I absolutely loved this game (this entire series). Wolfenstein is a shooter series so it could get away with being lazy story-wise. Simply allowing us the pleasure of mowing down Nazis could be it and I’m sure we’d still all play. But on top of that is a 5 star underdog story. A story of revenge and love and crushing odds that only an absolute hero could survive. And that’s Blazkowicz. He’s your all American, badass hero that you want to be.

All the speeches in this game energize you. They make you want to get out there and slaughter every goddamn Nazi you see. And with William, you can. But also with William you get heart. You have a reason to fight, in this game more than ever. With things more desperate than ever, and with twins on the way. You feel that need to put a stop to it all. By this point I’ve played my fair share of games and I’ve never felt more satisfied with an ending.
I have no negatives. This game had me emotional, in all sorts of ways and I implore you to experience this series. Wolfenstein II is beautiful to look at, a blast to play and emotionally engaging on every level.