Wolfenstein has problems, its a console fps, but having already successful alternate world war 2 first person sci-fi shooter with Insomniac's 2006 PS3 launch title Resistance, does the console space need another? Wolfenstein is not just a world war 2 shooter with Nazis, with limbs being blown, and '40 era weaponry, it aims to become much more. It is a world where Nazis found a way to a dark dimension and takes an American spy to reign them back in. All science fiction material, games, books or movies need a lively backdrop, which Wolfenstein has, but fails to tell the human side of the story.
Wolfenstein for the 360, PS3 and PC is Raven Software latest and likely last entry of their long partnership with id games. Raven's farewell piece comes as a good start to the flood of shooters the industry will see for the 09 holiday season.
JuanTip: A few GFWL games have achievements, and can double dip, Wolfenstein does not...
At first, playing as B.J. Blazkowicz, Wolfenstein feels lackluster at best. The early levels is a similar wash and repeat of shooting, throwing grenades and using cover mechanics while being flooded by countless of Nazi foot soldiers. The game, at times, especially the AI behavior feels like a Quake 4 mod, but that goes away after the first hour or so. Then we are introduced to the veil.
The veil brings a layer of three wrinkles to the mentioned gameplay mechanics, first it works as a simple blue hue screen pointing to secret passageways and highlighting Naaahtzees in red. Secondly, there is a slow mo feature to pass environmental puzzles (ala Dead Space) or super Nazis who either teleports constantly, attacking with invisible deadly blades or bull rushes with upper cuts. Third is the ability to shoot through shields and deal extra damage. The fourth feature, which wins cool graphics effect of the month, is the shield ability (ala Prey) . The PS3 framerate took a noticeable drop while bullets were bouncing off the shield or changing into the veil during firefights. Ramming Nazis with the veil shield shocked any enemies inside your bubble. The downside of the veil is the color scheme, I was turned off when entering to the veil because the screen would automatically turn to a blue hue. Similar to Batman AA detective mode, but not as forgiving nor as cool to play in.
JuanTip: These blue Nazi assisins can only be killed using the Veil power "mire"
The story presentation was difficult to follow. The presentation was all too similar, there are "intel reports" peppered throughout the game, when one was found, the game would give the option to stop and read. The "intel reports" give the back story, yet did not give a reason to wait and listen to the audio. Why not go the Bioshock way, and have the books read out loud while the player continues with the mission?
As with all games - it seems to happen more often than it should - major players are introduced and later forgotten or their reason for being is never explained. As for BJ, he's an American spy, in a world when in cut scenes he blends in as a spy should, but during gameplay he is always a target.
The mission level layout is similar to the Darkness, where BJ travels through the city to meet mission givers. In doing so - in the Darkness traveling was done by subway metro - BJ has either the path of a shootout or use the veil to find a secret route. Never does the silencer work, if a Nazi dies expect a ten fold to find retribution.
Being a spy in the game ends at the cut scene. Ultimately, BJ is a spy, but his route to solve all problems was either guns blazing or use the veil to find a secret spot to hide.
Wolfenstein is a good shooter, having the ability of the veil adds gameplay wrinkles, yet the short story mode (under six hours), makes this shooter a good entry for fps fans for the upcoming holiday season.
Shooter Evaluation will be an ongoing column of reviewing every FPS console game released in the 09 Holiday season. Up next, Halo 3 ODST.
