Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a 2017 action-adventure and first-person shooter game developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks. The eighth main entry in the Wolfenstein series and the sequel to 2014's Wolfenstein: The New Order, the game is set in an alternate history which takes place in 1961 following the Nazi victory in the Second World War. The story follows war veteran William "B.J." Blazkowicz and his efforts to fight against the Nazi regime in the United States. Gameplay mechanics are largely similar to that of The New Order, though the team introduced improvements such as allowing players to dual-wield any combination of weapons in the game. A binary choice in the prologue alters the game's entire storyline; some characters and small plot points are replaced throughout the timelines.
The game was developed using id Tech 6; the technology and animations required a complete overhaul from The New Order, which used id Tech 5. The goal for the team was to retain the feel of combat in The New Order, and to further refine and polish it, as well as introduce more freedom of movement for players. As the game is set in a Nazi-occupied America, the team was intrigued by the juxtaposition of America, which was "founded on the idea of freedom", to be under totalitarian control, and wanted to explore how Germany would have attempted to subvert American culture. Continuing from The New Order, the development team aimed to characterize Blazkowicz for players to adopt his personality. Mick Gordon returned as the game's composer, and is joined by Martin Stig Andersen. Both Brian Bloom and Nina Franoszek returned to provide voice and motion capture for Blazkowicz and Frau Engel, the game's primary antagonist.
It was released in October 2017 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. The Nintendo Switch version, developed by Panic Button, was released in June 2018. Its marketing campaign attracted controversy for leaning into real-life events. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus was released to a positive critical response. Particular praise was directed at the characters, narrative, cast performance, and gunplay, as well as the general presentation of the game, though its level design and gameplay received a mixed response from critics. The game was nominated for multiple year-end awards, winning "Best Action Game" at The Game Awards 2017. Following the game's launch, MachineGames released Freedom Chronicles, which is a collection of three downloadable content packs. A spin-off game, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, was released in 2019.
Gameplay
Like its predecessor, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a first-person shooter. Once again, the player assumes control of the series protagonist William "B.J." Blazkowicz, who must venture into a Nazi-occupied America to ignite a revolution against the Nazi regime. Blazkowicz has a large arsenal of gadgets and weapons, such as shotguns, submachine guns, pistols, and assault rifles, as well as grenades to fight against his enemies. Players can freely mix weapons for dual wielding, giving them an advantage over enemies by dealing twice as much damage. At the beginning of the game, the player needs to choose between two timelines involving two characters named Fergus and Wyatt. This decision will result in alterations to the game's story and cutscenes. Choosing Fergus allows players to access the "LaserKraftWerk", an energy weapon that can be used to disintegrate enemies and obstacles while choosing Wyatt grants players the "DieselKraftWerk", which acts similarly to a grenade launcher. These weapons run on fuel or electricity, which can be refilled in dispensers found throughout a level. Also running on fuel and electricity are heavy weapons, which are typically looted from fallen soldiers. These weapons, while being immensely powerful, slow down the player's movement and attract hostile attention.
Both stealth and confrontations are viable combat tactics in the game. Players can lean around, over, and under cover, which can be used as a tactical advantage during shootouts and stealth levels. Blazkowicz is equipped with a hatchet that allows him to perform melee attacks. He can use it to silently take down enemies without being detected, or execute an enemy up close during combat. The hatchet can also be thrown at distant enemies. Some areas in the game are patrolled by Nazi commanders, who may call in reinforcements if Blazkowicz's presence is alerted. Midway through the game, players can also choose from one of three "contraptions". The "Constrictor Harness" compresses Blazkowicz's torso and allows him to squeeze into narrow areas; the "Ram Shackles" allows Blazkowicz to break down doors and obstacles and tackle enemies when he sprints. The "Battle Walkers", which are a pair of stilts, allow him to reach high areas that are otherwise inaccessible. The game utilizes a health system in which players' health is divided into separate sections that regenerate; if an entire section is lost, players must use a health pack to replenish the missing health. Blazkowicz can consume more health packs than what is necessary, entering an "overcharged" state, though his health will eventually drop to that of his maximum health. Players can also collect armor by defeating armored enemies or collecting helmets and vests scattered in a level. Armor will not regenerate, and functions as a shield that reduces the amount of damage received. Depending on player's playstyle, they will earn Perks that are divided into three categories: Stealth, Mayhem, and Tactical once they have completed certain objectives and challenges, granting them further combat advantages.
A German U-boat named Eva’s Hammer served as the game's hub area where players can talk to other non-playable characters and complete side missions. A fully playable version of Wolfenstein 3D can also be found inside the submarine. Through exploring each level, players may collect weapon upgrade kits, allowing them to modify and upgrade their weapons to suit their playstyle. For instance, a pistol can be customized with a suppressor, letting players eliminate weapons from afar without drawing any hostile attention. Players will also find various collectibles such as star cards, gold, and concept arts scattered throughout a level. Defeated enemy commanders drop enigma codes, which can be decoded by accessing an enigma machine at Eva's Hammer. Once decoded, the location of a high-ranking Nazi officials (named Uberkommandant) will be revealed, and players will be tasked to revisit previously explored levels to assassinate them. There are a total of 16 assassination missions players can complete. The game features six difficulty levels. After the player completes the main campaign, an extra hard level will be unlocked.
Plot
During the final events of Wolfenstein: The New Order, the Kreisau Circle retrieves a critically injured William "B.J." Blazkowicz from Deathshead's fortress before destroying it with a nuclear cannon. Blazkowicz falls into a five-month-long coma. As he fades in and out of consciousness aboard the captured U-boat Eva's Hammer, it is revealed that Anya, Blazkowicz's love interest, is pregnant with twins. The U-boat is attacked by SS-Obergruppenführer Irene Engel, a sadistic Nazi commander who captures Caroline and Fergus or Wyatt (depending on who the player let Deathshead kill in a flashback). Blazkowicz devises a plan to get himself captured and taken to Engel's airship, the Ausmerzer, which is suspending the U-boat above water. Engel tries to have her daughter Sigrun decapitate Caroline, but the former refuses, resulting in Engel killing Caroline herself. Irene then tries to kill the other captive, but Sigrun prevents it by tackling Engel, allowing Blazkowicz to use Caroline's armor. Blazkowicz disconnects Eva's Hammer from the Ausmerzer and flees back to the U-boat with Sigrun and Caroline's body.
After Caroline's funeral, the group decides to carry out what would have been the next step in her plan to end the Nazi regime: liberate America and use it as a central base from which to free the rest of the world. The group sets out to contact a resistance group hiding in the Empire State Building amid the ruins of Manhattan, which was destroyed by a Nazi atomic bomb. Blazkowicz finds and recruits Grace Walker, a passionate, scarred African-American, and Norman "Super Spesh" Caldwell, a lawyer-turned-conspiracy theorist. Grace informs the Circle of her plan to kill the top Nazi leaders by destroying the Oberkommando, in Roswell, New Mexico near the site of an unearthed Da'at Yichud cache. Blazkowicz travels to Roswell with a portable nuclear warhead, before heading to Super Spesh's hideout. Spesh takes him to his bunker and to a tunnel that leads to the Oberkommando, where Blazkowicz deposits the bomb in the base's reactor and detonates it.
After escaping Roswell, he takes a detour to Mesquite, his hometown, to recover an heirloom ring. Blazkowicz's extremely abusive and racist father Rip (Glenn Morshower) appears and chastises him, justifying his abuse of Blazkowicz and his mother, and allowing her to be taken by the Nazis because she was Jewish, and that he intends to hand him over to the Nazis. Blazkowicz kills his father as Engel's forces arrive and he is captured once more while Engel keeps the ring for herself. Super Spesh later visits Blazkowicz under the guise of his lawyer, telling him of their plan to break him out. However, Engel kills Spesh, having known his ruse. After hallucinating a reunion with his mother, Blazkowicz is sentenced to death and beheaded at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. in front of millions in a televised event.
The Kreisau Circle recovers his head and Set surgically grafts it onto a bioengineered Nazi super-soldier body. Blazkowicz breaks into a Nazi bunker hidden under New York, stealing a file on New Orleans, which is revealed to be a large ghetto. Blazkowicz travels there to gather several freedom fighters under the command of communist Horton Boone. They break out of the ghetto and escape on Eva's Hammer. The Kreisau Circle considers capturing the Ausmerzer to prevent its use against the group's planned revolution but realizes that it would be nearly impossible due to an automated defense system called ODIN. The group plans to steal the codes to deactivate ODIN by traveling to Venus, where the codes are kept in a Nazi facility. Blazkowicz assumes the identity of an actor and is invited to Venus to participate in a propaganda film audition produced by Adolf Hitler, who is looking for a suitable actor to play Blazkowicz. Blazkowicz retrieves the ODIN codes and returns to Earth to decipher them. The Kreisau Circle mounts an assault on the Ausmerzer, where the resistance members disable ODIN and hijack its command systems. Blazkowicz and his team travel back to the ground, where Engel is on national television in California. Blazkowicz kills Engel and the Kreisau Circle proclaims the start of a revolution to liberate America.
In a post-credits scene, Blazkowicz takes back his heirloom ring from Engel's body and proposes to Anya. The revolution is depicted pictorially during the credits sequence.
Development
MachineGames, the developer of Wolfenstein: The New Order, returned to develop the game, with id Software assisted the game's development. While Wolfenstein II was MachineGames' second major project, several members of the team previously worked at Starbreeze Studios on games such as The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and The Darkness. Jens Matthies served as both the game's director and writer, with Tommy Tordsson Björk co-writing the game's story. Mick Gordon and Martin Stig Andersen served as the game's composers. Gordon mostly composed the soundtracks for the Resistance side of the game, while Andersen contributed to the Nazi side. The game was developed using id Tech 6; the technology and animations required a complete overhaul from The New Order, which used id Tech 5. The Nintendo Switch version of the game was ported by Panic Button.
Gameplay
According to the team, they wanted gunplay to be "very heavy, very physical, and anchored in the physical world". The team created numerous weapon animations to convey to the player the weight of these weapons instead of slowing down the player's movement as the team did not want the guns in the game to be "cumbersome". Senior game designer Andreas Öjerfors added that the ability for players to dual-wield weapons meant that an extensive amount of animations needed to be created to accommodate all possible combinations. Combat animations depend on the situation. For instance, Blazkowicz reloads quickly when he is in the midst of combat. While the game does not feature full environmental destruction, cover may be destroyed. To ensure that this system was fully utilized, the artificial intelligence controlling the enemies were programmed to hide in destructible covers. The team built a full-body model of Blazkowicz, which can be seen from the first-person perspective. This allowed the team to create a more physical game. For instance, a nearby explosive will now push Blazkowicz to the ground. The team initially wanted to add tomahawks into the game, though the game being set in the 1960s meant that an axe will be more period-accurate. As an axe is heavier than a throwing knife (the melee weapon in The New Order), the team initially experimented with forcing players to aim higher to hit distant objects, though this idea was scrapped as they thought it was not enjoyable from a gameplay perspective.
For gameplay, the team wanted to further refine The New Orders combat and movement. The team wanted the experience to have more "intensity and quality", while increasing player's freedom of movement. While the game was often marketed as a "cathartic shooting game", the gameplay was designed to be difficult. Matthies added that the experience would be more enjoyable if it was challenging, as it encouraged players to use creative ways to approach a problem. When players had difficulties completing an area, they were required to re-examine their strategies. The team also wanted to expand options for stealth, though Öjerfors remarked that the time spent on developing it was significantly less when comparing with gunplay and that not enough team members were fully confident in implementing stealth in a Wolfenstein games. The Laserhund was singled out as one of the more poorly-received enemies in the game, partly because it was added fairly late during the game's development. Following the poor reception of the London Monitor battle in New Order, the team decided to move away from massive boss fights.
Story
The story of the game was described to be "fearless". When creating Wolfenstein II, the team was inspired by the development of Wolfenstein 3D, whose development team had "totally unrestricted creative freedom". As a result, the team did not avoid moments that were "obnoxiously grandiose and crazy", though the team still wanted the game to meet modern sensibilities and without being disrespectful. As with The New Order, The New Colossus, is set in an alternate history, giving MachineGames more freedom in creating the game's narrative and introduce science fiction elements when creating the game's world and enemies. Like The New Order, The New Colossus has a level set in outer space. This was because the team wanted to introduce additional gameplay variety and evoke a sense of adventure. Venus, unlike the Moon or Mars, was also chosen because it was not a common setting for both films and video games. The location was first teased in The New Order. Commenting on the game's nature, Matthies added that the team considered Wolfenstein II to be "much more like a The Last of Us or an Uncharted within a first person context" than a "straight up shooter". The team did not consider adding multiplayer to the game as they felt that it may "dilute" its storytelling.
The story was described to be both "character driven" and "location driven", as the entire development team can propose ideas on possible level locations while the story team decided the game's story beats and character arcs. America was chosen as its setting because it was Blazkowicz's homeland, making the story more personal. The team once considered making America a level in The New Order, though they felt that it would warrant a full sequel to explore the setting in a meaningful way. Ultimately, the team chose locations that were "iconic" but not commonly explored in other medium. Americana imagery and retrofuturism inspired the game's overall aesthetics. The team wanted to explore an America where Nazi Germany had subverted its culture and infiltrated their values into everyday American life. The team intended to show the spectrum of American responses towards Nazi rule. The Roswell level showed an American population who has adapted to Nazi rule, being "a reflection of ordinary society under Nazi oppression". In contrast, New Orleans was transformed into a ghetto used for imprisoning rebel fighters and dissidents. For the Texas level, the team recruited Kevin Cloud from id Software to help modifying the level's script. MachineGames had a hard time casting Rip Blazkowicz, who was racist and abusive. Cinematic performance director Tom Keegan approached Glenn Morshower, whom he previously worked with on Battlefield 3, for the role. Morshower based his performance on his experience interacting with his grandfather.
While the game as a whole was designed to be over-the-top, the team used it to juxtapose with the game's story and characters, which were "more intimate" and "normal". This approach to storytelling was inspired by films such as RoboCop, District 9 and Guardians of the Galaxy. The team continued to evolve Blazkowicz from a "1980s action hero" to a distinct character with his personality and struggles. Early segments of the game see Blazkowicz in a crippled, broken state. The opening scene, which involves Blazkowicz killing Nazi while controlling a wheelchair, was described by Matties as a "testament to B.J.'s willpower". Midway through the game, Blazkowicz was beheaded by Frau Engel. This was an idea Matthies had since working with Arkane Studios on Dishonored (2012). The scene served as a culmination to the first part of the game and demonstrates how tough he is, being able to "survive his own beheading". In The New Colossus, while Blazkowicz is proficient in killing Nazi, he is exhausted by the war. Writer Tommy Tordsson Björk compared Blazkowicz to John McClane from the Die Hard franchise, noting how he must endure treacherous scenarios to reunite with his family and friends. As with The New Order, his inner thoughts are featured prominently in the game. According to voice actor Brian Bloom, these inner voices are softer, more contemplative, and less secure when compared with his spoken dialogue, thus creating a "nice balance" against his tough demeanor.
For its depiction of Nazi, Matthies remarked that despite the game's bombastic and pulpy tone, the team "never wanted to undermine or make light of what Nazi ideology is actually about". The team did not want to avoid controversy by sidestepping the Nazi ideology and making them "cartoony". As a result, the game was "political" in nature, though it was not designed to be a "commentary on current topics". Frau Engel served as the game's primary antagonist, with Nina Franoszek returning to voice the character. Franoszek added that the character is desperate to cling to power, and belittles her daughter whom she deemed was not as ruthless. Alyssa Preston voiced Engel's daughter, Sigrun. Despite being "completely absorbed in the Nazi ideology and culture", she was attempting to abandon her past. Matthies described her as a "complicated character" due to her troubled past. Adolf Hitler was featured in the game in the Venus level. MachineGames wanted to use Wolfenstein II as a platform to introduce the character and did not intend for him to become the main antagonist. In the scene, Hitler rehearsed with Blazkowicz, disguised as an actor, for a propaganda film. Matthies described him as being so "powerful" that he lost all kinds of social boundaries. The scene was heavily censored for the game's release in Germany. His mustache was removed, and characters did not address Hitler as their Führer. All swastika symbols were replaced, and Hitler's accused characters in the game of being spies instead of being Jews.
Release
Following the game's reveal, commentators drew parallels between the game's premise and contemporary accounts of the rise of alt-right in the United States, particularly after the events of the August 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia and the murder of counter-protestor Heather Heyer. Bethesda's marketing head Pete Hines stated that the game was "not written to be a commentary on current events, because no one – at MachineGames or at Bethesda – could predict what would happen". Hines further stated that they otherwise made no changes to the game, nor plan to change downloadable content for the game, based on these events. Bethesda opted to use current attitudes towards Nazis from these events in its marketing of the title. Hines stated: "We weren't going to hide from the fact our game is about killing Nazis and freeing the US from their rule, and if we can reference current events as part of talking about the game, so be it. Nazis are evil. We aren't afraid to remind people of that". The game adopted the phrase "Make America Nazi-Free Again", based on Donald Trump's slogan "Make America Great Again", as its primary advertising tagline. Other ads used the phrase "Not My America", a slogan used by groups protesting Trump's policies. Responding to the negative feedback, Hines said, "we don't feel it's a reach for us to say Nazis are bad and un-American, and we're not worried about being on the right side of history here". He also said "people who are against freeing the world from the hate and murder of a Nazi regime probably aren't interested in playing Wolfenstein."
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus was originally teased at Bethesda's press conference during E3 2016. The game was officially announced at the E3 2017 conference in June 2017. The game was released on 27 October 2017 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. To promote the game, Bethesda released a propaganda-filled cartoon featuring a superhero named "Blitzmensch" defeating various American villains, and a game show in which the American contestants are quizzed on German language. A 2018 release for Nintendo Switch was announced during the September 2017 Nintendo Direct presentation. The Nintendo Switch version was released on 29 June 2018. The game's collector's edition includes a Blazkowicz action figure, a steelbook, and a poster. A demo for the game was released on Steam in November 2023. Wolfenstein II was not available for purchase in Israel, though Bethesda did not specify the reason behind such decision.
Three downloadable content packs, collectively titled Freedom Chronicles, were released by MachineGames and Escalation Studios. Each pack introduces a new protagonist who joins the resistance to fight against the Nazi regime in America. Bethesda added that the three DLC packs, alongside the prologue Episode 0, will offer 9 hours of new content to players. The three DLC packs generally received mixed reviews from critics, with critics criticizing their story, recycled environment, and map design.
Reception
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus was released to "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. The game debuted in 4th place in the UK and Australian Sales charts, 5th in the New Zealand Sales charts and 14th in the U.S. sales charts, behind games such as Assassin's Creed Origins and Super Mario Odyssey, which were released on the same day as Wolfenstein II.
The gameplay received a generally positive reception. Eurogamers Edwin Evans-Thirlwell commended the game's combat, describing it as "terrific", while Javy Gwaltney from Game Informer described it as "satisfying". Gwaltney felt that the upgrades and contraptions catered to the needs of a wide range of players. The perks system was well-liked by critics, as Blazkowicz became progressively stronger and more efficient in combat. Andy Hartup from GamesRadar added that The New Colossus had successfully captured "the spirit of old-school shooters perfectly", and liked how MachineGames introduced stealth and exploration to add variety to the gameplay formula. He, however, disliked the difficulty spikes that occurred in the game, adding that the game "[punished] players a little too severely in an attempt to up the ante from previous levels". Some critics noticed minor gameplay annoyances, such as issues with leaning and vaulting over cover, difficulty in identifying the location of attacking enemies, and unclear communications to players regarding how much damage they were taking from enemies. Several critics noted that stealth was often not a viable way to approach their objectives, as they were often detected by enemies. Liam Croft from Push Square described the gameplay as "bland, monotonous, and incredibly frustrating", noting that the gameplay annoyances contributed to an unenjoyable experience. Matt Gerardi from The A.V. Club remarked that gameplay, which was "unforgiving", did not align well with the game's narrative which positioned Blazkowicz as "an unstoppable killing machine".
The levels in the game received a mixed response. Sam Machkovech from Ars Technica strongly praised the first level for not conforming to the player's expectations. He remarked that while early sections of the game often funneled players down claustrophobic tunnels and sewers, levels eventually opened up, citing New Orleans and Venus as the best levels in the game. He particularly liked how the levels allowed players to freely choose how they wanted to approach an objective. Gwaltney noted that the game became progressively zany and "more ambitious", "constantly upping the ante" and making full use of various levels in the game. Some critics criticized the levels for being unimaginative. Samuel Roberts from PC Gamer liked the world-building in the game and described the Roswell level as the "most interesting snapshot of everyday life in Wolfenstein 2", though he was disappointed that it was the only level that explored this concept. While Horti still liked the variety of level, he felt that it was less impressive than those from The New Order. Caty McCarthy from USgamer felt that the campaign became stale towards its end, as the game stopped introducing new enemy types. While she remarked the game had a lot of replay value due to the timeline differences and the introduction of the assassination missions, which prompt players to revisit levels, Hartup cited faults in how the game direct players towards their objectives and remarked that repetitive level design discouraged players from revisiting them.
The story of the game received critical acclaim. Kallie Plagge from GameSpot wrote that the cutscenes in the game were beautifully directed and that most of the major characters had "their own story of oppression and marginalization". She remarked that despite the game's bombastic plot, the dynamics of the crew managed to keep players engaged and invested throughout. Horti felt that while the game explored various themes, it did not "dwell on those subjects long enough to have anything to say about them". Gwaltney liked how the team juxtaposed heavy themes with humor and contrasted violent scenes with "heartfelt moments of romance and friendship". Despite disliking the gameplay, Croft concluded that The New Colossus was a "better game to watch than play", praising its unforgettable story and worldbuilding. Hartup found the central story to be incohesive, adding that at times he felt like "playing a series of mood-pieces tied together by the central hero". The portrayal of women in the game, including Anya and Grace, received critical acclaim. The antagonist Frau Engel also received acclaim from critics. Hartup called her "unpredictable, vaguely deranged, and utterly insidious", while Dan Stapleton from IGN wrote that she "steals the show with her absolutely gleeful sadism". Sara Elsam from Eurogamer liked the game's exploration of trauma and abuse, concluding that Wolfenstein II "delivers a hero that's struggling", a feat that is nearly unprecedented in the medium. Bill Lavoy from Shacknews praised Wolfenstein II for showing the human side of Blazkowicz. He went on to describe the game as "one of the best written games this year", and praised the performance of the cast.
Awards and accolades
Entertainment Weekly placed Wolfenstein II at #10 on the list of the "Best Games of 2017", Polygon also placed it at #10 on their list of the 50 best games of 2017, and GamesRadar+ ranked it eighth on their list of the 25 Best Games of 2017, while Eurogamer ranked the game 20th on their list of the "Top 50 Games of 2017". EGMNow also ranked the game at #5 in their list of the 25 Best Games of 2017.
Sequel
On 10 June 2018, Bethesda Softworks announced Wolfenstein: Youngblood, a co-op spin-off serving as a continuation of the series that was released on 26 July 2019, with the story taking place twenty years after the events of The New Colossus.
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