U.S. Captain William “B.J.” Blazkowitz returns in Wolfenstein: The New Order to do what he was born to do: kill Nazis. The game takes place after Blazkowitz attempted to topple the Nazi regime in the 2009 Wolfenstein, but failed. In The New Order, our protagonist wakes up in a Polish mental institution 14 years later in a world ruled by Nazis. What players have appreciated the most about his return is that the character still remains true to his personality from the previous games—nothing about how he perceives the world and his missions has changed. More importantly, the game is not just a sequel and the only World War II setting that takes place in 1946 lasts only as long as the prologue, and then the player dives right into a transformative storyline.

The New Order’s world is a surreal and sci-fi setting that takes place in the 1960s where the environment is transformed into dictatorial cities showing the swastika on every corner, and the streets are patrolled by Nazi mechs. The newest series by MachineGames continues to uphold a first-person shooter genre but it uses the firstperson shooter designs of 2014; the protagonist still depends on health and armor to stay alive and he can carry all his weapons with him. This includes dual-wielded weapons, grenades and a number of different tactics or shooting pieces to take down bosses.

One aspect of The New Order that viewers enjoyed were the brutal animations. There is a large number of Nazi body parts flying around from time to time, usually depending on the weapon that the player uses, and it stays true to that old-school type of action that players want to see: more gore. To their surprise, character combat is much less complicated and refreshing compared to the previous Wolfenstein. A plus of The New Order is a more personalized play style where Blazkowitz unlocks both combat and stealth capabilities, thus keeping up with the latest generation’s level of combat difficulty.

A vital part of the gameplay itself is the player’s ability to empathize with characters; from old combat buddies to grandmothers and families. Though the majority of the game focuses on combat, stealth takedowns and gruesome imagery, it still contains a more emotional and deeply set narrative that allows the player to follow other characters throughout their hardships and get a more clear understanding on how the outcome of the war has changed their lives. Another “stroke of genius”, as many have called it, is Blazkowitz’s inner thoughts regarding who he’s fighting and why.

It allows players to not only get into the head of their character but to feel more connected to the game itself and the missions they undertake. Wolfenstein: The New Order is now available on PS4 as well as PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC. The detailed graphics, engaging storyline, deep narrative and dialogue, the personalized game play and the level of difficulty has made this a truly engaging and challenging game for players.

Rating – 9.3