Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

You can curb stomp old man Hitler, so I think I'm morally obligated to recommend this game.

Doom, but with Nazis instead of Demons.

this is what would happen if nazis took over the world some american guy would say fuck it we going to mars to find hitler

Back in the '60s
Released 3 years after its predecessor, The New Order, BJ's story continues right after he rid the world of Deathshead. Well, this is not entirely true as he undergoes a life-saving operation first which requires him to recuperate for several months. The prologue immediately sets the tone for the sequel: BJ, now bound to a wheelchair, has to wake up and assist the resistance by fighting off Nazis at their new base of operations which is a submarine this time.
Doing a takedown in our wheelchair is as fun as it gets. We welcome back Frau Engel who is now joined by her obese daughter (for a short period of time, that is). Instead of Europe the focus will be on America - we visit locales such as Manhattan (this is the area where the atomic bomb was dropped) and look for new tech in Roswell (no, not in Area 51 but in 52!). The creators' favourite film is still Iron Sky but in order not to repeat themselves we go to Venus instead of the Moon this time.
Familiar game mechanics
Not much has changed here. Dual wielding is still a good way to kill many enemies in a short period of time. We have some new guns, of course, and collectibles now include looking for upgrades for our guns. The upgrade kit is not for a specific weapon - we decide which one we wish to use it for. I recommend that you add the suppressor to the pistol so that you can make your stealth approach significantly easier.
By playing in a varied way we unlock perks and we can also upgrade these (all come with additional ranks). The difference from the previous episode is that this does not come in the form of a skill tree - you don't have to complete one to unlock another. The system now is way more streamlined. Some items are missing but this is story-related.
Semi-open world approach
I played this episode almost twice as long as I did its predecessor. This is partly due to the fact that we now have additional DLC campaigns instead of having a separately released expansion title which was Old Blood in 2015. The second reason for this is the Enigma Machine introduced by the developers. By eliminating enemy generals we can collect their punch cards (referred to as enigmas). Then using the aforementioned machine on our submarine we can complete a minigame to unlock locations for Übercommanders. These are generals (a bit stronger, though) whose death cards are part of the many collectibles we have in New Colossus.
The game basically unlocks the previously completed stages that are once again populated by enemy combatants. There is no story here (no cutscenes); it's all about finding the commanders and looting their dead bodies. Some of the other collectibles we can only find on these levels as some offer new sections we previously didn't have access to. Employing this machine is an interesting concept; not necessarily original but we can always return and do some murdering in order to acquire the highest level of those nasty perks.
Themen und Drama
I liked the story and the new characters offered by the sequel. Some of them are simply unforgettable: there's Grace who looks like Pam Grier - a very strong African-American leader BJ recruits from their hiding location in the Empire State Building. His partner slash husband, Super Spesh, is a crazy conspiracy-theorist who believes in aliens. The cutscene taking place in his diner in Roswell is one of the best New Colossus has to offer.
There is more emphasis now on the crew Blazko has as part of the resistance. The main group is still relatively small but there are a lot of others we can talk to at the base and for some reason the creators decided to pick different nationalities here - the crew consist of French, Italians or even Finnish. It's worth listening to their discussions - we might get an extra side mission we have to complete here. I also liked listening to the various accents they have.
One of the main criticism against the sequel is the nonsense story it has. It has its unrealistic moments while at the same time it tries to be really funny. With Grace and her crew the creators introduced the counterculture of the '60s (hippies!) but I think it is too early to have them here. Also, enemies now include dogs shooting lasers from their eyes (simply called Laserhund) or the ÜberSoldat that looks similar to a T-800 robot from the Terminator franchise. Only several months have passed, yet, it is as if technology advanced by a decade or two at least. But hey: you can take down Arnold with just a press of a button! How cool is that?
There is a lot of cutscenes showing Blazko's past; the time he spent with his abusive father while growing up in Texas. His dad, Rip, is given voice acting by Glenn Morshower - he is a regular when it comes to roles of senators, colonels or other high-ranking officials in US blockbuster films. Fans of Battlefield 3 will immediately recognise his voice. The voice acting for Hitler (no, not a spoiler, he was in the trailers) is also top-notch!
Zusammenfassung
I had fun with the next instalment of the new Wolfeinstein franchise concocted by MachineGames. There's no multiplayer, no coop just pure single-player fun with lots of shootouts all taking place in a retrofuturistic era. It has great characters and a solid story (minus some of the nonsense technological approaches) and proves that it's still a great pastime using those machine guns in dual-wielding mode.

Sum up
+ Have one of the best stories in the genre of FPS.
+ The comedy is excellent and the situations that can happen in the course of story can be mind-blowing.
+ Beautiful graphics with rich detail, even in low settings the game can be a looker-on tunnel section and cities. Optimization is well done.
+ Good level design that features lots of options for the player to take, from breaking walls to reaching high places, squishing through tight places and more.
+ Weapons are fun to use, and their upgrades are very useful. Adding a suppressor or doubling the electric gun charge capacity. The gameplay is very enjoyable.
-Endgame content can get repetitive, not the game's strongest point.
- Side missions feature the same cutscene over and over, which is not too bad but can be annoying.
- Loses some of the charms from the previous entry, while the comedy and situations are still there is not the same.
Introduction
Wolfenstein II The New Colossus is an FPS game that continues the story of the previous game. It is one of the most interesting titles in the genre, featuring a mix of fast-paced action with multiple actions to take at a given moment. The weapons each have their purpose for dealing with specific types of enemies and the player must choose which equipment they want to use. In some instances, choosing an option will lock you out of the others, making the decision matter more. With its crazy combat and dynamic levels, is an experience that FPS player should consider getting their hands on.
Gameplay
You point and you shoot Nazis. Simple enough no? What makes Wolfenstein II more unique versus its peers is that the enemy design makes you think about how you want to face and play out a given situation. Is it better to be stealthy or go guns blazing? Search for an advantage point from which enemies won't reach you as easily or maybe an alternate route to avoid confrontation altogether. This is thanks to enemies being a threat as opposed to simple soldiers.
You have mechanical dogs that breathe fire, colossal titans that can kill you in seconds, army lieutenants that will keep reinforcements coming, terminators who will get in your face and more. It is a spectacle to see the wide variety of enemies mixed and how they are divided across the level. Another thing is that it makes you think, say you are lacking ammo for a certain weapon and ironically enough that is the only weapon that can effectively get rid of a powerful enemy. You would consider avoiding that confrontation in that instance.
It is a game of getting from point A to point B as many shooters are, but the environment is interactive. The player can break boxes in search of ammo. Go underwater or reach high places or take different paths that connect towards the same destination. The game also lacks health regen, meaning that you will have to be careful about taking damage.
One of the biggest challenges FPS might present in their design is that they must give the player, a reason to abandon cover. Wolfenstein II manages to do this since weapons, in general, will not have a lot of use in long-range due to the lack of sniper rifles and limited distance of weapons effective range. On top of that enemies will swarm the player if they stay quiet for too long and explosives can be devastating if one stays in a corner. The game wants the player to be in a state of constant movement, that they are moving but that they don't stop shooting.
Strong points
I would say the strongest point the game has going for it is that as an FPS-single player game it manages to set itself apart from its peer. The story is one of the more polished aspects and while it is not a masterpiece, it does bring a lot of comedic and unique situations to the table. Gameplay-wise it offers more options on how to tackle problems and exploring parts of the level or ranking up perks is satisfying.
features over six different difficulties, collectibles to be found, alternate timelines to play, side missions and some tense moments. The game is a lot of fun, I enjoyed my time playing it and there was never a dull moment overall (Also, there is an alligator in New York). There are types of incredulous situations that could only happen in a world like that of Wolfenstein II. The sound and music are also top quality, with songs blending in with the action and sounds are important not only to gameplay such as recognizing enemies base on them but also, adding more layers to the game.
Story
Wolfenstein II The New Colossus follows the events of the previous entry. The protagonist Blazkowicz finds himself in a crippled state and unfit for taking on the battlefield. As he is recovering from his injuries the ship in which he resides is attacked by general Irene Engel is fixated on capturing Blazkowicz after the events of the first game and this is where the story continues.
The story doesn't quite have the same atmosphere as in the first game and both games have different narratives to some extent. While the first game was more centered in the conflicts and action of the game, the second entry is more geared towards giving glimpses into backstories and the journey of a hero to recover his strength.
Some Notes
The game is very well optimized. Runs without problem on a GTX 1060. The graphics are pretty and there is a lot of detail to it. Some endgame content can get repetitive and extensions (DLC or games of similar names) such as the Wolfenstein Youngblood are vastly different experiences. This can give a player who has beaten the game an idea that they might be similar games but ultimately is another type of game.
Side missions are not as good as the main ones, but they can still be fun to do. Especially when you keep in mind that you can get other equipment for doing them. The game can take from 10 hours to 20 just on the main story depending on how you play, but I would say that on average it should be around 15 hours.
Conclusion
Wolfenstein II The New Colossus is one of the best titles in the FPS genre as a single-player game. It has a good amount of content and features some sort of replayability once the story has been finished. Machine games did a good job on this title and the overall quality of the first game is preserved in this sequel. I would recommend this game to any player who enjoys FPS's and doesn't mind the lack of multiplayer modes. If you find yourself enjoying action-stealth titles you can also certainly add this title to the list of things you might enjoy.
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Half Jew starts killing nazis on wheelchair (5/5)

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a worthy sequel to 2014's terrific first-person shooter (FPS) Wolfenstein: The New Order. Once more, we're presented with a story-heavy FPS that doesn't just consist of a string of shooting sequences like 2015's prequel Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, but with heart, charm and character to enrich the experience.
As far as the action is concerned, a lot of people have said it and it's hard to explain why exactly, but it genuinely feels very satisfying to kill nazis and their robotic constructions in these games. If you're into FPS at all, you owe it to yourself to play The New Colossus, but I strongly advise you play The New Order first because story-wise, The New Colossus is a true sequel.
Note: this game requires almost 50GB of disk space! This is just for the base game, without the DLC. I'm not interested in the DLC as people agree it adds nothing of value to the experience, and all of the DLC have 'mostly negative' reviews.
Story
The modern Wolfenstein games are set in an alternate history related to World War 2 in which the nazis weren't defeated by the allied forces in 1944. The nazis won the conflict due to their amazing technological advancements. Although the nazis have been dealt a serious blow during the events of Wolfenstein: The New Order, they are far from conquered.
On the contrary, they have established a firm grip on the USA. The secondary antagonist of the first game, Irene Engel, is the main antagonist this time. The protagonist is again B.J. Blazkowicz, prominent member of the Resistance. Your task this time, besides killing a thousand or so nazis who'll stand in your way to achieve your goals, is to stop general Engel and to start the second American Revolution. Yet again, this Wolfenstein game will take you to a variety of locations. If you thought the moon base in Wolfenstein: The New Order would be pretty much as far as a Wolfenstein game would ever take you, you're in for a surprise…
Gameplay
This is one of those games that gets it right, although it's hard to describe what 'it' is.
The shooting mechanics are pure, genuine fun. You'll be able to use a small arsenal of weapons, including suppressed pistols for silent kills (so as not to alert all of the surrounding nazis), shotguns for your short-range killing needs, scoped rifles for long-distance precision killing, grenade-launching pistols (yes, really) and even laser cannons.
Most weapons can be dual-wielded, which makes you feel like an even more radical killing machine but it burns through ammo faster. Also, most weapons can be upgraded by finding upgrade kits scattered throughout the game world. I like the fact that you can freely choose which weapon to upgrade and what upgrade to apply every time you find a kit, as opposed to having to wait until you reach the place where that one upgrade you'd like is finally found.
Going in guns blazing is not always the best idea, especially on higher difficulties. You'll want to sneak your way towards the nazi commanders first and kill them silently so they can't sound the alarm and call for reinforcements. You may also want to silently eliminate as much nazis as you can, by using silent weapons like a throwing axe or a suppressed pistol, or by performing a melee takedown on them. Playing like this creates a satisfying tension and a rush when things go right. And if things go wrong, you reload and try again, using the knowledge you gathered from previous attempts.
Like in the other modern Wolfenstein games, B.J. has a list of perks to unlock, which make him an even more efficient killing machine. For example, killing a certain number of enemies while dual-wielding increases your ammo capacity, or sneakily killing nazi commanders increases the time it takes them to sound the alarm when they see you. Each of the 18 perks really add value to your character's abilities, so they're definitely something to go for. You can actually 'farm' these perks because their count carries over if you reload a saved game.
In between hostile areas where action is key, you return to your base, which is a submarine this time. Here, you can interact with NPCs who may give you a side quest or just offer a bit of banter. In the helm of the submarine, you'll find an Enigma machine. By means of a minigame, the Enigma machine allows you to unlock the position of nazi commanders who've moved into areas you've cleared before. You can then return to these areas and you'll find them full of new enemies and collectibles. This is a nice way to add optional content to the game.
After finishing the main quest, you're returned to your base and you can wrap up sidequests and complete the collectibles and perks for their respective achievements.
Graphics and sound
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus's graphics are fine. They aren't the most photorealistic but they're definitely nice enough to make you want to take some screenshots from time to time, if that's your thing. Color banding was often noticeable to the point of annoying, but that issue may be due to my hardware or settings.
The music is simply fantastic. While exploring or sneaking around, the score is very atmospheric and it adds palpable tension. During combat or other action sequences, you're treated to raw industrial metal beats that get your adrenaline pumping.
As for the voice acting, I can't be too generous with my wording. This game has top-notch voice acting, both for the main characters and for the nameless nazis who shout battle cries and instructions in German while you're laying waste to them.
On Steam's extra features
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus has no Steam Trading Cards.
Of the 80 Steam Achievements, only 50 are related to the main game. The DLC isn't worth buying (it has a 'mostly negative' rating), which means 37.5% of the achievements will remain incomplete forever if you only buy the main game. I'm not an obsessive completionist, but still I think that's a bit of a shame. Achievements for DLC should only be set as a target if you actually own the DLC.
Achieving even 62.5% completion, the maximum for the main game, is not an easy feat because of two reasons. First and foremost, there is an achievement for each of the difficulty modes. The 'very hard' and 'ultra hard' modes are very challenging, but the special 'Mein Leben' difficulty means going through the game without saving and with only one life, so perma-death if you will. Nothing is impossible, but not being allowed to make a single mistake is a very unforgiving requirement for a long and challenging game like this, so hats off to anyone who legitimately achieved this one!
Secondly, there's a very grindy achievement i.e. collect 1,000 nazi helmets in one game. As there's no tracker for this achievement, it's impossible to say how many helmets you have collected by playing through the game but people estimate it at 250 to 350. So you need to find a place where there are a couple of helmets lying around, save, pick up the helmets, reload, and repeat that a couple of hundreds of times. Not my idea of a fun or challenging achievement.
Apart from 11 story-related achievements, there is a nice variety of achievements awarded for performing optional tasks, for maxing all of the perks, for finding all of the collectibles, and stuff like that. This bunch of achievements is fun to do, and they add some additional optional challenges to the game.