Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Review

Wolfenstein, the classic gaming series from 1992, is once again on the minds of fans everywhere after making a comeback with 2014’s Wolfenstein: The New Order. Luckily, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus brings back everything good from its predecessor. And it adds new and exciting ideas to keep things fresh.

Of course, that in no way means Wolfenstein II is perfect. Nor is it something every gamer must play at least once in their lives. That isn’t a bad thing, though. In fact, it essentially works in the game’s favor. Wolfenstein II is very aware of what it is and what kind of player it is meant for. This allows it to indulge in a few factors that make it stand out from the average shooter, particularly in the story department.

Story

The New Order greeted fans of B.J. Blazkowicz’s war on Nazism with a good story. It featured over-the-top action, poignant moments, and finely-crafted, characters you could really care about. Fortunately, these qualities transfer to Wolfenstein II quite well.

This time, however, Blazkowicz is a bit more fragile in a few regards. He has lost a great deal and stands to lose far more. He must be the best soldier he can be, but this isn’t exactly easy. The protagonist is a broken man, mentally, emotionally, and physically.

The story deconstructs the character piece by piece, showing the immense stress that Blazkowicz is under. The game looks back into his childhood for some shocking revelations about how he became the man he is today. None of it is pretty or hopeful. But it does paint this classic character in a light that would have seemed ridiculous years ago.