~ Wolfenstein, Hands-On Preview ~

[CHEFS]

Publisher: Activision
Developer(s): Raven Software, id Software, Endrant Studios, Pi Studios
Genre: First Person Shooter, Sci-Fi


Wolfenstein, the sequel to the highly successful "Game of the Year" title Return to Castle Wolfenstein will hit shelves August 4th, 2009 for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 console.

After playing through the full “Hospital” Level which has been all over the web since E3, an overall impression of “Fun” comes to mind and even more questions arise after the play session. We’ll get to those soon, but first a quick recap on the Single Player Gameplay.

Single Player
“Hospital” starts with a cinematic of the staff getting murdered by a mysterious Nazi henchman, called a Veil Assassin. They have a glowing blade in each hand, move at lightning speed, and can morph in and out of sight through the use of Veil powers. Kind of like a Nazi ninja so to speak, who is most easily dispatched when enabling the Veil Universe yourself.

The Veil and Mire powers are all located on the D-Pad, each direction providing a different functionality which serve not only offensive purposes, but defensive ones through the use of the Veil Shield (Up D-Pad), and puzzle solving abilities – where Veil Passages appear in a once impenetrable wall. Don’t worry, there are symbols to clue you in, not to mention a compass with a Star that ensures you stay on the right path.

In any regard, the map adequately walks you through the various powers and how to employ them, engages you in the different scenarios that dictate weapon choice, and reveals the familiar treasure hunting component that the Franchise has always been known for. You’ve all seen the Veil weapons, they are indeed a good time and effective against the Scribes and other Nazi undesirables.

Technically speaking, the graphics are good – nothing groundbreaking, they feel like Wolf which is a plus. There’s a nice array of tunnel-like straightforward Gameplay with various multilevel rooms that open up for more intense action – typical of the Franchise and a definite positive. What I did notice, was that the Audio tracks didn’t really kick in or amp you up as they did in the predecessor, the Title track used to crescendo and make your heart pound – hopefully we see a similar implementation on other levels.

Onto controls, some took a little getting used to and are listed below, Xbox 360:

Left Analog: Sprint
B: Crouch (no prone)
X: Reload
Y: Activate/Pick-Up
A: Jump
LT: ADS
LB: Grenades (5 second cook, no clicks)
RT: Fire
RB: Weapon Cycle

The hardest adjustment was the weapon cycling with RB which brings up a weapon window where you can select and set 2 Favorites for quick switching. The Y-B cycling is no more, so you can pull nades while your MP40 is still in hand. Is that good or bad – I don’t know, haven’t really played enough to make a determination or seen if and how this relates to the Multiplayer Theater.

Many aspects of the Single Player Campaign reminded me of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which not coincidentally was also developed by Raven Software in Madison, WI. The Veil echoes Feral Senses, the Ogre’like end-boss resembles Leviathans in Wolverine, Veil Assassins mirror the disappearing Weapon X henchmen, etc. Personally, I thought the Wolverine campaign was a blast, so I don’t view the similarities as a negative – but, it is certainly noteworthy and requires mentioning.

Did the SP Level feel like Wolfenstein, I was directly asked this question. With a gun to my head, I’d have to say no - certainly not entirely. There are indeed many similarities that make you feel at home, but are also some aspects that make it feel quite different, which should not be surprising for anyone given it’s a different game. The one head scratcher is jumping, which feels almost like there’s a hitch in the step? As if you push off from one foot and then the next which further propels you in the air – RTCW was much more parabolic. That will certainly take some getting used to, especially if the mechanics find their way into Multiplayer. Speaking of which…

Multiplayer
As we all know, little to nothing is known of the Multiplayer aspect being developed by Endrant Studios which the Wolfenstein & ET Franchises are so popular for. Instead of pounding the rant drum, we’re going to take a different approach here and address what we do know. There will be, “Maps, Gametypes, Weapons or Guns, Teams, Classes, & Veil/Mire Powers.”

That said, what determinations can we make of this? The Veil will be in Multiplayer, it’s there so shut up and deal – no amount of complaining will change that. Why not speculate on how this introduction can be positively incorporated in Multiplayer Gametypes and Character Classes. Personally, I see an array of opportunities… perhaps the “docs” this time around are in a doc room that has a Veil door?

What would this mean… well, you’d need to have Veil Energy to blindly chuck nades through the door, or else they’d bounce back at you. You’d need to be in the Veil Universe in order to enter the room and grab the docs. Maybe the Medic Class can give Veil energy given it’s now Health Regeneration in SP? I don’t know, but these are all adequate questions to be asked. Instead of chucking med-pacs everywhere they are tossing Veil Capsules so everyone can stay in that Universe?

How does this relate to the Classes, how does it affect various Gametypes – these are all questions to be speculated on and answered. Having only slept on it for a night, you can all look forward to a separate article in the coming days on this subject offering informed conclusions based on the knowledge of the Franchise, Gametypes, Veil/Mire Introduction, and countless hours of RCTW hands-on experience.

So in conclusion, Wolfenstein Single Player is a FUN experience - isn't that what we all look for in gaming? The speed is still present, it’s a fast paced game that the introduction of weapon sights does not negatively affect. It’s a new Wolfenstein game, is it RTCW – No, then again how could it be? We’re all eagerly awaiting the Multiplayer reveal, hopefully it comes soon.

I for one look forward to Single Player and the developing Storyline with its treasure hunting, upgradable weapons, and puzzle solving in this high octane run ‘n gun Nazi slayfest.

CHEFS

[JuggaJugga]

Nice write up xCHEFSx

[cannonsimp]

Nice preview thanks! The single player sounds interesting, but I like many others spend almost all my time playing multiplayer. I'm very very very concerned now that I've learned that the MP is in the hands of a totally different developer. I've had nothing but bad experiences in games when the SP/MP has been divided up between two developers. This being said i'm not giving up on Wolfenstein just yet, although a demo on the XBL Marketplace would go along way in deciding if it's worth a purchase or a rent. Needless to say Wolfenstein has not secured itself as a must buy for me yet. If there's no demo I'll give it a rent. From there I'll judge the MP and if it's above average I will be willing to devote my $60. So to make a long story short it all comes down to the quality of the MP for me.

[MaTtKs]

Good read. I'm confused yet somehow more intrigued than before reading. I just may have to check this one out.

[Vosty3]

Great read can't wait for the game as well! With a little luck hopefully Activision will send us this game earlier than they sent Prototype!

Im game for some RTCW sometime i actually paid $20 bux for a used copy lol. Hit me up CHEFS

[carbonfibah]

As always, a very good and extensive writeup Jeremy. I will definitely have to check this game out.

[Gosu71]

Quality write up Chefs

Like Cannon says, i'm hoping to play a demo of this before I decide to buy it.

[RoG_Carbine_RV]

Good read, the nazi ninja thing sounds cool