Wolfenstein

I`m confused......
As I live overseas I usually recieve my games and DVD`s slightly later than usual so was obviously dismayed to read some of the reviews this game was being given after pre-ordering it some time ago.
Once I actually recieved the game though the disappointment turned to confusion as it became apparent the version I recieved in the post is quite obviously different to the one most people recieved.
The one I got is an extrememly entertaining and playable version and a good addition to the Wolfenstein franchise.
At the point of writing this reveiw it has to be noted that i have not finished the game but my conclusions so far include the following:

Playability and storyline
From the intro video at the beginning of the game it becomes obvious that this game is a follow-on from the previous titles and not a next gen re-make, so trying to compare it to RTCW is not really relevant, as the two are completely different games, although the concept is the same- Shoot bad guys. The storyline allows you to interact with other characters within the game and the ability to buy upgrades etc brings an element of RPG-ism into the mix too, and with the ability to switch goals using your journal does not make this a one horse race, though I can honestly say the ability to blow the crap out of Nazis will never get boring! The addition of hidden items on each level also bring a certain replayability to the game. These and other elements of playability make it an extrememly entertaining title to play in my opinion.
I have not played, nor am I able to play online so cannot comment on the multiplayer aspect of the game.

Enemy AI
Although not the best example of AI in a game of this sort, it is no where near as bad as is being aluded to in some previous reviews. The enemy DO NOT run at you in a straight line waiting for you to shoot them. They will use squad tactics against you and will use cover for self preservation when available, which is a concept that a lot of other games of this genre do not employ. the NPC`s that you interact with will strike up conversations whilst going about their daily business and when you move as a group, they will cover your movement as well as waiting for you to place down fire before moving themselves. It is fair to say that a lot of work has been put into making this as realistic as possible, and in my opinion it has been acheived.

Graphics
The graphics are well drawn and there are some pretty nifty effects thrown into the game which make it an attractive title with some nice touches. On a minor point, the disappearance of dead enemy once off screen, which is a pet hate of mine, but one that can be looked over, and there is a little bit too much of a shine on some of the clothing and water effects at times. One of the NPC charatcers who takes you around the town, for example, looks like he is wearing a patent leather jacket its that shiny... Apart from that though, they are no way near as bad as some I have seen.

Overall
Although there are always going to be issues, as i have yet to play that perfect game, this title is no way near as bad as some people have made out. As stated i have not played the game through but my first few hours of play have been enjoyable and except for a few minor things such as disappearing bodies and maybe a bit too much shine on some of the graphics there are no major show stoppers in this game. The addition of the upgrading system and almost RPG-ish feel to interaction with the resistance members have brought a very nice touch to an exttremely polished title. The old BJ magic is still there though as this game sees you doing what he does best! maybe its not 5 star material, but its still worth a look!

Blimey, this is about as simple and 'old skool' a game can get these days. Not to say thats a bad thing necessarily, but here and there are hints of how much better it could have been with a little more oomph. So, in many ways hugely similar to the 2001 PC version 'Return to Castle Wolfenstein', you get essentially a very similar set of mechanics here - utterly linear, you'll follow the star on the compass from objective to objective past a host of locked doors and kill a million billion Nazis on the way, all of them spouting complete drivel in hilarious 'Allo 'Allo style accents - "Achtung, Ze Britisher!" etc etc, and on the way you'll take in a variety of environments that you ran through in many other games past - the hospital, the farm, the church, the dig site and so on.

On the face of it then, theres nothing new here - however the combat is kinetic and huge fun, with a decent amount of physics objects to fling around with a well placed grenade, enemies dismember nicely, or clutch their throats and spew blood in entertaining fashion. Guns are noisy and meaty, and in true circa 2000 fashion you can carry about twenty at any one time, rocket launchers, particle guns, MP40's and so on, so tactical progression is often ditched in favour of spamming bullets and rockets about the place, which is no bad thing when the game is clearly designed as a bit of a run 'n gun fest. Despite the slightly dated feel, its hugely fun stuff.

And then theres the hints at something slightly more impressive - the occasional zero G combat caused by exploding supernatural blue stuff, the wonderfully stylish switch between the real world and The Veil, which opens up a whole extra dimension to progress and look for secrets etc, the medallion powers which lend an extra tweak to things and keep each combat encounter fairly fresh. The hub area, whilst nothing new, does at least add a bit of spice to the normal level progression, although the obvious choke points are always filled with respawned Nazis on each visit, leading to a slight touch of annoyance at having to plough through them yet again.

Visually its all nicely acceptable, whilst never quite making you stop in awe. Lighting is nice and colourful, environments have a fairly decent amount of clutter to chuck about, texturing is well done, but the actual levels are fairly boxy with a distinctly dated feel regarding convoluted level design and general forward progression. Overall it's a visually appealing game that is mostly pleasing on the eye, but theres areas where things feel a little flat.

So a bit of a surprise really, the combat is good fun, the story is pure zombie Nazi hokum, but entertaining enough, the levels whilst simply are fairly sprawling. A good fun, simple game, where the delight comes from a well placed grenade flinging a bloody crowd of 'Schnell' shrieking soldiers into the air, or disolving people with the particle cannon. Brain off fun, but sometimes that's precisely what you need.

I bought this game as a fan of the series, going right back to the Snes classic. I was worried though, as the game was released before the various reviewing crowds had a chance to cast their opinion on it - normally this means a game is below par.
However, on the day of release I went out and bought it and upon playing it to death for 4 days I have to report I am quietly smug with the game.
The single player campaign is long, it took me about 9 hours. However, most of the time you spend lost on a huge map, so I suppose replaying it would take less time as you know better where to go/what to do. The unlockable achievements are a bit stingy on the single player campaign if you wizz through it. But if you take you time and find all the hidden items (gold, tombs and info etc) then you are rewarded for that as well.
Online is frustrating, but which shooter isn't? The American servers always make it harder for the UK lads to compete, it always seems harder to drop a Yank online player than it is for him to kill us Brits with one/two shots! The online maps are quite large as well, which is good.
The graphics arn't as bad as some people on here are making out, infact in some places they are really good.
Overall, if you like the COD games and you fancy a change - give this a blast, you won't be sorry!

In my opinion this is probably the best wolfenstein game ever released and so far the best shooter i've played in a very long time, the story is well written, the game is quite big as it has two free roam areas with people who give you side missions walking around. the game itself is fairly long if you play it properly and don't just try and rush through it, and as for the multiplayer yes there are a few bugs and glitches that can be annoying but the developers have already said they are working on fixing the problem and i suspect that will be sorted out in the upcoming weeks. A great well worth the money i spent on it.

If you have played any Wolfenstein game before you will understand what it is all about. Some people will try to compare games such as wolfenstein to call of duty, when they are completely different games. Wolfenstein offers a different outlook to general war games and if you take your time getting to know the game it is definatley worth the money, don't listen to the other bad reviews!!!!!!!!!!!!