Wolfenstein games are often identified as pioneers of the first-person shooter genre as we know it today. Accompanied by games of the same ilk, like DOOM and Quake, these are some of the most influential titles that molded the FPS genre. The series started with its first title, Castle Wolfenstein, in the 80s. Since then, it has produced numerous games with varying degrees of success.
Most recently, the iconic FPS franchise was helmed by MachineGames, which wowed players with their interpretation of Wolfenstein's action-packed gameplay and narrative.
Although the developer has fumbled with recent entries, it cannot be denied that they have also created some of the best titles in the franchise.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.
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Readers must try these modern Wolfenstein games
5) Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot
Cyberpilot is the series' first venture into virtual reality, and for that, it's commendable. However, the game holds some serious flaws that make it one of the worst entries in the series.
Set alongside Youngblood, Cyberpilot sees users travel to 1980s France to assist the French resistance against the Nazis.
They take on the role of a hacker, who uses their abilities to hack into the Nazi war machines to use against them. The premise sounds fun, but it lacks any gameplay originality that gamers were expecting with the title's move to VR.
It is extremely repetitive, and the narrative barely lends anything towards the series, making it one of, if not the, least impressive entries in the franchise. However, if you're looking for an easy to pickup and play VR game, with Wolfenstein theme, you can't go wrong with Cyberpilot.
4) Wolfenstein: Youngblood
Youngblood is a direct sequel to 2017's Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, which sees players take on the role of B.J. Blazkowicz's twin daughters Jess and Soph, who travel to 1980s France to search for their missing father.
Although the title can be played entirely solo, it also offers a co-op mode that allows users to play through the campaign with one of their friends.
Youngblood's premise starts interesting, but the bland protagonists, who are often annoying, with their penchant for throwing cringe-worthy quips, make the story hard to connect with.
The gameplay is often frustrating as well due to the tacked-on RPG mechanics which feel completely unnecessary and out of place for a Wolfenstein title.
Youngblood also saw the introduction of microtransactions to the single-player title, which alone is reason enough for its poor reception, mixed with its repetitive mission design, as well as the rather confusing and forced implementation of RPG elements into its moment-to-moment gameplay.
3) Wolfenstein: The Old Blood
The Old Blood acts as a prequel to the phenomenal Wolfenstein: The New Order. The game follows the story of series protagonist B.J. Blazkowicz as he attempts to infiltrate a Nazi war prison.
Although only eight chapters long, which roughly lasts about 6-8 hours, it is extremely entertaining throughout its brief runtime.
It also introduces new supernatural enemies like Zombie Nazis, which adds a cool new horror twist to the series. The title retains the signature weapons and shooting gameplay of the previous games, which gamers adored, giving them more of the same Nazi killing experience.
However, the narrative of The Old Blood felt very generic compared to the previous game in the entry, which also had pacing issues due to its brief runtime. The Old Blood is a fun title in the series, but it lags behind its predecessor due to its limited scope and lack of narrative substance.
2) Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus
The New Colossus brings the iconic gameplay and characters of the previous two games and cranks them up to eleven. Featuring an entirely new iteration of the id Tech engine, it looks undeniably gorgeous and performs like a dream on all the platforms on which the title is available.
The narrative is a direct continuation of The New Order and sees tons of twists and turns throughout its brisk 10-12 hours long campaign.
The New Colossus builds on the strong foundation of previous titles while adding some improved and more open levels that allow for more stealth opportunities this time around. The title also adds new side activities for players to indulge in for some cool weapons and upgrades.
All in all, The New Colossus is a fantastic entry in the franchise, one that improves upon the series' core aspects without straying further away from what made the franchise one of the best FPS experiences in the first place.
1) Wolfenstein: The New Order
The New Order is everything users loved about the original Wolfenstein titles and adds a compelling narrative layer on top of it to create one of the best tiles in the franchise. It takes place in an alternate reality where the Nazis won during the second world war due to their highly advanced military tech and weapons.
The game's narrative is one of the best single-player stories of any modern first-person shooter, which sees B.J. Blazkiwicz go toe-to-toe with the Nazi forces while also trying to bond with the various members of the resistance.
Although it shows Blazkowicz mowing down hordes of Nazis by dual-wielding heavy artillery, it also tries to humanize the character by giving him a purpose for his actions and consequences for his failures.
The New Order is quite possibly the best title in the series and one of the best FPS narrative experiences in gaming, alongside behemoths like Half-Life and BioShock.
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