'Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (2017)' is the sequel to 'Wolfenstein: The New Order (2014)', a franchise revival that took the series back to its roots. This game carries on where the previous left off, introducing extra elements to its gameplay and generally refining things even more than before. However, it is an inferior experience for a couple of key reasons. Firstly, the game doesn't strike a great balance between plot and gameplay, with long cut-scenes constantly interrupting the flow of play. Secondly, it doesn't have a very good tonal balance, which makes the story difficult to become engaged with. Finally, it takes a long time to get fully underway and feels like it's stopped short because of it. The story really is quite silly, told mainly by over-the-top characters spouting long, uninteresting speeches. It isn't compelling in the way you'd expect, especially since its predecessor's narrative really is quite good. Having said all that, the game still is a really fun time when it gets out of its own way. The best aspects of it are actually optional side-tasks that see you returning to previously explored locations in order to assassinate a Nazi official. These segments focus wholly on gameplay and are all the better for it. On the higher difficulty settings, the piece becomes decidedly less enjoyable than it ought to be because you simply aren't afforded the health or ammo to 'run and gun' the way it wants you to. It can be really challenging at times - frustrating, even. Ultimately, though, the game is still an entertaining time. Its shooting is refined and its extra mechanics are typically successful. Its flaws don't prevent you from playing or, even, massively reduce its overall effect. Hopefully, the developers manage to find a balance between the gameplay of this title and the storytelling of its predecessors. 8/10
22 Reviews
Incredibly Well Designed Short Film
snappingotter25 October 2019
Wolfenstein II is a game about executing Nazis with a hatchet and talking to yourself after performing literally any action. It has great gameplay, graphic / character design, story writing, and (usually) gameplay. It does however suffer from relatively bland gameplay at times, (I thought the first level being played entirely in a slow wheelchair was a stupid idea) and a playtime shorter than that of an indie RPG. Cutscenes drag on for a loooooooong time and skipping them could leave you confused. The humor also feels a bit off and writing isn't always the best. The worst thing though is probably the repetition of the level design, with it basically always boiling down to "find commander, execute, kill soldiers, move to next area, repeat" which usually leaves you wondering when the game's gonna end.
TL;DR game good, suffers from short runtime and bland gameplay
TL;DR game good, suffers from short runtime and bland gameplay
Great graphics and story but to linear
85122227 May 2019
Greetings from Lithuania.
"Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus" (2017) is a better game then its predecessors, and those where pretty good. This one has better story and storytelling but hey, you don't play "Wolfenstein" for great storytelling - you do it for shooting and some more shooting. And on that this game is very good. There are plenty of guns, and even more plenty perks for you to unlock them all. But for my taste this franchise is a bit to linear - i prefer more open worlds and exploration.
Overall, "Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus" is a highly solid shooter with cool story and good storytelling. It features great game play and its only downsize is that it was to linear for my taste.
"Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus" (2017) is a better game then its predecessors, and those where pretty good. This one has better story and storytelling but hey, you don't play "Wolfenstein" for great storytelling - you do it for shooting and some more shooting. And on that this game is very good. There are plenty of guns, and even more plenty perks for you to unlock them all. But for my taste this franchise is a bit to linear - i prefer more open worlds and exploration.
Overall, "Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus" is a highly solid shooter with cool story and good storytelling. It features great game play and its only downsize is that it was to linear for my taste.
Slick Gameplay, Innovative Plot
zotjet14 September 2018
Wolfenstein 2 is the only game like it on the market. It tackles the sickest, ugliest aspects of tyranny while laughing at how stupid tyrants actually are and the pointless, rippling horrors just a few men's insanity metastasizes like a cancer on humanity. The characters and themes may not be for you if you're looking for a more standard CoD soldier plot, but if you love over-the-top characters, alternate history, fresh representation of social movements, and vicious gunplay, then this game is for you. And if you just love killing nazis and watching genocidal tyrants miss pissing in buckets and cry out for their mothers, this game is also for you.
The gameplay builds upon and polishes that found in The New Order. It's pretty Doom-like in its fast pace, satisfyingly huge guns, and heaps of ammo, yet still contains stealth and cover mechanics that work well. You're almost always given the option on how to approach an encounter, and on the higher difficulties, skillful cover and memorization of level design are rewarded. The gunplay feels slick and AAA, with variety between combat sections, a few vehicle-ish moments, and a steady trickle of new guns and perks to unlock based on your playstyle.
But the plot is where Wolfenstein shines. There are a few places where the pacing feels fast or off (flashback sequences especially), but everything else is dripping with style. Some may not enjoy how quickly it shifts from serious to comedic, but the way in which it does so, with movie-level camerawork, acting, and music, was like candy to me. The situations characters find themselves in push the bar of insanity, with invariably brutal payoffs.
The heart of Wolfenstein is still BJ & Anya's story, though, with Anya now a kickass pregnant resistance leader whose lover is still dealing with the events at the end of The New Order. You ache to see BJ survive not only because he's just an endearing character, but a soon-to-be-dad and great partner who has overcome a tragic upbringing. He won't have his kids growing up in a Nazi world, so every stab, headshot, and mindless kill feels personal and righteous.
An example of how the plot gets variety right is BJ's birthday party. After several levels of desperate fighting, tensions get relieved via a drunken submaritime bash that leaves Fergus with a missing arm and everyone with hilarious regrets.
The characters, although a bit heavy handed at times, offer more variety and fresh takes than I've seen in any game short of, say, GTA5. All nationalities, mental capacities, and body types are celebrated, but not in a preachy sjw way. You're the last bastion of beautiful humanity that the nazis want to crush, so it makes sense that so many types of people would wind up in one place. Watching them form a family is gratifying.
The score is fantastic as well, and seamlessly switches from grindy electric battle music (again similar to Doom) to period-appropriate rock and roll with a grungy futuristic twist. Throughout the levels are tons of collectibles, including funny records that imagine what bands like The Beatles would have made under an oppressive fascist regime.
So if you're a fan of great single player stories and polished FPS gameplay, Wolfenstein 2 might be just what you're looking for.
The gameplay builds upon and polishes that found in The New Order. It's pretty Doom-like in its fast pace, satisfyingly huge guns, and heaps of ammo, yet still contains stealth and cover mechanics that work well. You're almost always given the option on how to approach an encounter, and on the higher difficulties, skillful cover and memorization of level design are rewarded. The gunplay feels slick and AAA, with variety between combat sections, a few vehicle-ish moments, and a steady trickle of new guns and perks to unlock based on your playstyle.
But the plot is where Wolfenstein shines. There are a few places where the pacing feels fast or off (flashback sequences especially), but everything else is dripping with style. Some may not enjoy how quickly it shifts from serious to comedic, but the way in which it does so, with movie-level camerawork, acting, and music, was like candy to me. The situations characters find themselves in push the bar of insanity, with invariably brutal payoffs.
The heart of Wolfenstein is still BJ & Anya's story, though, with Anya now a kickass pregnant resistance leader whose lover is still dealing with the events at the end of The New Order. You ache to see BJ survive not only because he's just an endearing character, but a soon-to-be-dad and great partner who has overcome a tragic upbringing. He won't have his kids growing up in a Nazi world, so every stab, headshot, and mindless kill feels personal and righteous.
An example of how the plot gets variety right is BJ's birthday party. After several levels of desperate fighting, tensions get relieved via a drunken submaritime bash that leaves Fergus with a missing arm and everyone with hilarious regrets.
The characters, although a bit heavy handed at times, offer more variety and fresh takes than I've seen in any game short of, say, GTA5. All nationalities, mental capacities, and body types are celebrated, but not in a preachy sjw way. You're the last bastion of beautiful humanity that the nazis want to crush, so it makes sense that so many types of people would wind up in one place. Watching them form a family is gratifying.
The score is fantastic as well, and seamlessly switches from grindy electric battle music (again similar to Doom) to period-appropriate rock and roll with a grungy futuristic twist. Throughout the levels are tons of collectibles, including funny records that imagine what bands like The Beatles would have made under an oppressive fascist regime.
So if you're a fan of great single player stories and polished FPS gameplay, Wolfenstein 2 might be just what you're looking for.
Great game!!
metsguy923 July 2018
An all around enjoyable game would highly recommend! Story is good as well as the gameplay and even after the story is over the game gives more to play with side missions and an arcade machine where you can play the original game.
Awesome game
cheesehead-3360415 July 2018
They screwed up this franchise once again.
lone_virgo28 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Ever since I watched the trailers for this game before it was released, I knew that there was going to be something seriously wrong with it.
Anyone one who played the first game (Wolfenstein: The New Order), will understand what I'm saying. This game has turned the setting and atmosphere of the brilliant first game upside down. It's turned to a comedy show with lots and lots of unfunny, unnecessary characters.
The first game had a great serious tone, with an intriguing villain that made you so damn hooked up to get to at the end. This one? I don't know what it wants, or what the plan is - or what kind of mood it wants to convey.
It's apparent that this game had different writers than those who wrote the first one and its prequel follow-up (The Old Blood). I believe that the producers hired stupid teenagers for this one because the story, characters, and mood are all over the place.
Bottom line - Play or replay "The New Order" and "The Old Blood" again, and skip this bad sequel. They screwed up the Wolfenstein series again, and I do not believe that this game will sell enough to warrant a new one in the future.
Score: 6/10.
Anyone one who played the first game (Wolfenstein: The New Order), will understand what I'm saying. This game has turned the setting and atmosphere of the brilliant first game upside down. It's turned to a comedy show with lots and lots of unfunny, unnecessary characters.
The first game had a great serious tone, with an intriguing villain that made you so damn hooked up to get to at the end. This one? I don't know what it wants, or what the plan is - or what kind of mood it wants to convey.
It's apparent that this game had different writers than those who wrote the first one and its prequel follow-up (The Old Blood). I believe that the producers hired stupid teenagers for this one because the story, characters, and mood are all over the place.
Bottom line - Play or replay "The New Order" and "The Old Blood" again, and skip this bad sequel. They screwed up the Wolfenstein series again, and I do not believe that this game will sell enough to warrant a new one in the future.
Score: 6/10.
Amazing story
o_s_k_r17 April 2022
I only just discovered you can review games here! I actually played this one about a year ago.
The story in this is really incredible. It's almost like an interactive movie at times. I don't ever remember caring about the game characters as much.
I wish it didn't have the venus scene. Everything hung together pretty well until it was suddenly revealed the Nazis have UFOs and can get to Venus in mere hours. What were they thinking? This idea clashes VERY BADLY with the other technology in the game.
The gameplay sometimes is boring, a little too predictable. Step A tends to follow Step B. It doesn't take long to learn whatever sequence is required to beat a tough scenario. And a lot of the scenarios just aren't that tough. Unfortunately just running from room to room shooting guards wears pretty thin.
The exception, and one of the game highlights is the jury room scene, I felt like I could play that over and over, and it was really challenging.
The story in this is really incredible. It's almost like an interactive movie at times. I don't ever remember caring about the game characters as much.
I wish it didn't have the venus scene. Everything hung together pretty well until it was suddenly revealed the Nazis have UFOs and can get to Venus in mere hours. What were they thinking? This idea clashes VERY BADLY with the other technology in the game.
The gameplay sometimes is boring, a little too predictable. Step A tends to follow Step B. It doesn't take long to learn whatever sequence is required to beat a tough scenario. And a lot of the scenarios just aren't that tough. Unfortunately just running from room to room shooting guards wears pretty thin.
The exception, and one of the game highlights is the jury room scene, I felt like I could play that over and over, and it was really challenging.
Somehow They Made Killing Nazis Boring
TheDragonfly4418 May 2019
The story is subpar and it and the characters are cliche as in the 'supposed to be cliche' way and that makes them twice as cliche. Not a single one is inherently likeable, particularly Grace, who is more annoying than Navi tenfold. The gameplay is excessively mundane. You die too quick to play the game fast and hiding behind cover is boring. The game never really picks up either. It's boring all the way through and doesn't let up.
Rating - 35%
Rating - 35%
Great Game
aapikyan-6039222 November 2018
Horrible
lurtujiydi23 November 2017
This game is a joke. It is just so bad on so many levels. I am the type of person who can usually enjoy playing most any video game, no matter what genre or generation the game is from. This, however is one of the very rare games I have played, that I literally got no enjoyment from whatsoever. Avoid at all costs.
The game will be a Classic
retrocadethe13 February 2021
This is the best game i have ever played! The graphic in this game is so insane, story is so excited and BJ is still a badass Nazi killer (he is flawless)! This is a hard game, but one of the greatest Fps so far! The terrible thing is that this game didn't get as much attention as it deserved!
Finally a great FPS linked with a great story
simenbakke31 October 2017
This game takes everything that worked well in the first one, redesigned everything that didn't work that well in the first one, added a way more emotional and character-driven story (as well as A LOT of crazy happenings that will make your jaw drop or you tears run from laughter) and mixed it all into one helluva great game. Slaughtering Nazis have never ever felt this good before!
Thanks to a very good map design and a lot of interesting collectibles (as well as many "readable" newspapers, diaries, letters etc which gives you insight not only into the life of the nazi soldiers but also into the life's of the normal Americans and recently arrived Germans) It took me just about 20 hours from start to end on medium difficulty. The map design and all the collectibles as well as the opportunity to sneak around all enemies to try and take out the officers first (only the officers can raise the alarm and call for reinforcements) makes you actually wanting to find out what happened in the very different cities you're visiting.
All in all, this game was a blast! Great gun play with the possibility to upgrade almost every weapon, great level design, very graphically improved from the last game along with new shades and lightning, great character-driven story and a lot of crazy moments that will make you remember this game for a long time makes for an extremely well crafted old school fps in a world filled with multiplayer games and loot boxes. Kudos Machine Games!
Thanks to a very good map design and a lot of interesting collectibles (as well as many "readable" newspapers, diaries, letters etc which gives you insight not only into the life of the nazi soldiers but also into the life's of the normal Americans and recently arrived Germans) It took me just about 20 hours from start to end on medium difficulty. The map design and all the collectibles as well as the opportunity to sneak around all enemies to try and take out the officers first (only the officers can raise the alarm and call for reinforcements) makes you actually wanting to find out what happened in the very different cities you're visiting.
All in all, this game was a blast! Great gun play with the possibility to upgrade almost every weapon, great level design, very graphically improved from the last game along with new shades and lightning, great character-driven story and a lot of crazy moments that will make you remember this game for a long time makes for an extremely well crafted old school fps in a world filled with multiplayer games and loot boxes. Kudos Machine Games!
When you hold back and use some stealth it is so much more enjoyable
Master_Strange12 March 2021
Absolutely loved the story and the characters! The combat system was so much fun and I love that it gave you a choice between stealth or just hardcore killing.
Believe me when you hold back and use some stealth it is so much more enjoyable. This game is a masterpiece. No doubt, it has the best story and gameplay of all wolfenstein games and the soundtrack is amazing and so are the gorgeous graphics. Get the game and enjoy !
Awesome Game!
leonzone17 April 2022
Just played this on the Nintendo Switch and enjoyed every minute of it. I was also impressed by how good the graphics were on the Switch which run smooth and fast. This is probably one of the best FPS type games on the Switch so worth a purchase!
A step back comparing to previous game
olegmaluhin14 May 2021
The positives: bad ass story, great acting and music, dual wielded weapons still feel amazing.
Negatives: bad level design, bare bones stealth mechanics which game constantly pushes you to use, AI is lazy and unfair.
To survive any decent difficulty you have to be constantly on the move but absence of auto pickup makes you stop every time you need to stop and pixel hunt for pickup icon to get any ammo, armor or health.
Aiming is quite rubbish. Many levels have terrible flow, most of the time every NPC will gang up on you in the first two rooms and then you run around empty rooms.
Negatives: bad level design, bare bones stealth mechanics which game constantly pushes you to use, AI is lazy and unfair.
To survive any decent difficulty you have to be constantly on the move but absence of auto pickup makes you stop every time you need to stop and pixel hunt for pickup icon to get any ammo, armor or health.
Aiming is quite rubbish. Many levels have terrible flow, most of the time every NPC will gang up on you in the first two rooms and then you run around empty rooms.
Why?
Jouford31 August 2020
Do you know why I play video games?
Escapism.
It's the same reason I watch movies. When the eternal nanny state gets too much for me, I lock myself away and play video games or I watch movies. Nowadays, however, it's no as easy to escape the nanny state via either of these means, because the nanny state sees to it that their politics has to be rammed down our throats via these two mediums, too.
I gave the game a 5 for the gameplay - which is as good as I've come to expect from this franchise - but I cannot stand the constant leftist agenda injected into my hobbies! And I say this as a mixed race gay male!
Leave our stuff alone!
I gave the game a 5 for the gameplay - which is as good as I've come to expect from this franchise - but I cannot stand the constant leftist agenda injected into my hobbies! And I say this as a mixed race gay male!
Leave our stuff alone!
All I write is my personal opinion
azoozkiller23 November 2019
Hello guys
Look I haven't tried this game but i have see gameplay in youtube and honestly old Wolfenstein is better i am not talking about Castle Wolfenstein or Wolfenstein 3D
I mean Return to Castle Wolfenstein and Wolfenstein 2009 those are better than this game
In the end is my personal opinion
In the end is my personal opinion
Still buggy and broken years later.
vambellj19 May 2023
As the title says. On PS4 trophies are glitches badly and generally there's a lot of unacceptable bugs in a game they released with multiple rounds of dlc. Bethesda has completely become a shadow of its former self. Also this game has an obnoxious amount of collectibles. If you include writings, there's nearly 300 collectibles in the game. Further there's areas in the game that are unfairly difficult. Added to this is the extremely sub par stealth system where one guy seeing you alerts the whole area without even hitting an alarm. There's other issues like how stealth takedowns don't mix with stairs, which feels like amateur hour. If you get it free on PS Plus, sure, but don't pay money for this.
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