It is a bad time for America. Nazis have conquered the United States and it seems that a resistance might be on the verge of collapse. Luckily, this is also the time when William “B.J.” Blazkowicz decides to wake up from his coma and continue his war on the Third Reich. Welcome to Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, a game that is action-packed, funny, brutal and a great sequel that makes its gameplay better by upping the stakes and using America as the battleground.
Published by Bethesda, Wolfenstein: The New Order showed us an alternative timeline where the Nazis won World War II. Blazkowicz fought against one of the most powerful Nazis but was left in a coma at the end. Colossus picks up the story fourth months later, with Blazkowicz and his team deciding that the next course of action will be to liberate the former USA. Their mission takes them from Manhattan to Texas. They have to stay ahead of Frau Engel, a villain who you will despise immediately, and an America full of Nazis. As Blazkowicz fights and reconnects, we start to wonder if he is in worst shape then he is letting on.
I sometimes wondered if Nazi’s are too easy of a villain. The developers seemed to recognize this and have taken pains to show that these are nasty little people. You will hate the villains and take great pleasure in killing them. One of the most uncomfortable moments is when Blazkowicz reunites with his father. Anyone who thinks that a great bonding reunion is about to take place is going to be disappointed. As his father spits out some of the most disgusting dialogue I have ever heard in any media, I was actively waiting to take back control so I could shoot him. There are several moments like this, but also great moments where you will be cheering. For a game that makes the Nazis have control over America, you will be surprised how good you feel playing the game.
Weapons are a big part of this reason. Colossus bucks a video game tradition of limiting how many weapons you can pick up. There is no limit in this game, allowing the player to have all the weapons. It is not just weapons found on dead characters or picked up as part of the story, weapons that are found to be mounted can be picked up. Duel wielding, one of the most fun parts of New Order is back and you could spend hours making different combinations. While it might not be realistic, it sure is a lot of fun. The combat is both satisfying and ludacris. The first stage is Blazkowicz fighting in a wheelchair. There were a lot of moments where I was wondering what was going on and how was this supposed to work. This is not to say that the developers skimped on realism, in fact, the graphics and sound are very realistic.
Creating an America that never was might seem that it would give the developers more freedom, but it is harder to create a world that is both new and realistic. As you walk through the bombed-out remains of Manhattan, it looks like the city. This provides both familiar and new experiences. It was jarring to see Nazi flags in what looked like Any Town USA. the sounds, from the blasts of weapons to the grunts of fighting soliders. Blazkowicz still has the worse German accent of all time and I loved every minute of it.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a bold new chapter in the Wolfenstein series. Who would have thought that one of the first FPS games will still be going strong all these years later? Bethesda has been on a roll this year and I can’t wait to see what’s next. So bring your A-game and help America fight the Second Revolution.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is available for Xbox, PS4, PC, and soon for Nintendo Switch.