Three years after the legendary epilogue and face to face with Wilhelm Strasse, Blazkowicz returns to us with Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. Taking a small step back, it is only right to acknowledge the merits of the progenitor of the license plate series Machine Games, aka The New Order. The latter was a truly engaging title, a diamond in the rough that, from a narrative point of view, laid a solid foundation for the development of the series.
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Introspection and emotion
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus maintains many ties with its predecessor in both playful and narrative terms. Blazko's adventures have their roots in the cliffhanger of the frightening emotional charge of The New Order finale. The initial sequences guide the player into a picture that is anything but rosy and that will evolve over time in unexpected and spectacular ways. The New Colossus collects and refines the narrative legacy of the first chapter by offering a title whose narrative fabric elegantly unfolds on multiple tracks.
The references to the events of Blazkowicz in his parenthesis against the fearsome General Deathshead, in fact, are shown on several occasions through documents and dialogues and blend well with the events of the present. It also returns lo exquisite introspective cut of the first chapter. In fact, Blazko will celebrate his accomplished or future work with numerous monologues. Words, affections and memories are the most powerful tool from which he, once again, draws the strength to move forward. The introspective sections and flashbacks fill the figure of the loved one with charm and empathy Blazing. And it is precisely in these moments that the writing is exalted and excites the player, making him forge a strong bond with Blazkowicz.
The films, more than ever than in the past, are able to communicate the emotions of the moment in no uncertain terms. The rawness of some scenes is unsettling but it turns out to be the perfect means of communicating clearly and with great force to the player what the plot has in store. This also helps to catalyze attention and hatred towards the villain on duty and what he represents. This artifice makes the player's feelings overlap with those of Blazkowicz, thereby raising the immersion rate to a higher stage.
New history and old acquaintances
The narrative coherence of the title is remarkable and many of the protagonists of The New Order reappear in this chapter. The latter are exquisitely inserted, doing justice to the characterization that was reserved for them in the 2014 title. The same "new" villain is a legacy of the first chapter from the Machine Games series.
Mrs Angel, orphan of her beloved Bubi, returns in this chapter as the main antagonist with the aim of removing everything from the unstoppable “Terror-Billy”. As you have already gotten to appreciate in The New Order, Frau turned out to be a beautifully characterized character. I still have in my mind that night in the bar car of that train to Berlin when I feared the worst ...
Although Deathshead was the cinematic Nazi villain par excellence, Frau Engel does not look bad at all in the role entrusted to her. In The New Colossus, in fact, emerges and exalts himself in the role of fascinating as well as execrable antagonist. The atrocities of which she will become the architect will make her a perfect nemesis for Blazkowicz and will be a fundamental piece of a splendid narrative puzzle. The plot is never trivial and it can offer both hyperbolic, epic and out of the ordinary moments as well as realistic and exquisitely human dramas. Some chapters, strongly narrative, are real gems of the script. The ending is very satisfying but perhaps a pinch of the courage that characterized the rest of the story was missing.
The narrative fabric stands beautifully and it is thanks not only to Blazko and his antagonist, but also to the surrounding characters. The friends of the Kreisau circle will return and we will meet new and excellent characters. Each of them will have an important part in the economy of the narrative, contributing to the realization of a story that sets new standards for the FPS genre.
Atmosphere and technique in a splendid duet
The New Colossus is a fascinating and curated title on multiple levels. Post-World War II America is particularly faithful but other styles and values ​​also coexist in it. Through a work of "reichization", Machine Games offers us a picturesque and fascinating picture. The settings that we will find ourselves visiting will be steeped in the culture of those years with lots of historical quotationism. The documents scattered around the levels will not be simple collectibles, but they will contribute to the enrichment of the game lore. We will in fact be offered references to events such as The Roswell Incident and to very strong themes such as racism towards blacks and Jews.
He thinks about celebrating the atmosphere in the narrative phase and in shooter contexts the excellent soundtrack that adapts in a chameleonic way to various situations. The sound sector, made up of pressing and oppressive industrial tones, is also enriched by a voice acting of considerable depth.
The extra gear in diving is also provided by the game engine. Visually, the title has in fact just another step compared to The New Order, who sinned that he had too much a cross-gen soul. The models of the main characters appear to be more refined and there is a fair amount of care even for the secondary ones. The particles are well crafted and celebrate the slaughter and frenzy offered by Wolfenstein 2.
Unfortunately, The New Colossus is not without its flaws and in its current build on PC it suffers from sporadic graphical glitches and crashes. Overall though, it offers a very enjoyable experience for an at least mid-budget build.
A winning formula cannot be changed
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus gameplay is a more of the same done with skill and sagacity. The gunplay offered by the Machine Games title is almost unchanged and not bad at all. Shooting is rewarding and fun and the desire to jump into the fray with an open face is always great. The weapons are well balanced and the upgrades allow each player to follow the style they like best. It will also be possible to choose one of three particular upgrades that will greatly vary the game experience, each offering a new way to interact with the game environment.
The level design is very inspired (although rarely confusing) and designed to push the player to never stand still for a moment. The game rhythms are in fact very high and during a fight against several enemies it will be necessary to "switch" the weapon and vary your style. They will range from close combat approaches to longer-range solutions in a dynamic and frenetic way, passing through very tense stealth actions. Sometimes though, certain sections are overly punitive and can turn into a sequence of deaths and uploads until you figure out the right approach.
Among the new entries it should certainly be contemplated the side quest system. Through the interaction with the NPCs present in the base and thanks to the Enigma Codes we will have the opportunity to have a substantial amount of extra content. All this contributes to expanding the already excellent longevity of the basic title that took 11 hours of gameplay to complete.
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is a remarkable title from both a playful and a narrative point of view. The story, which moves on multiple levels, is engaging, moving and unpredictable. The gunplay is the same frenetic and pressing seen in the first chapter and is celebrated by an excellent audiovisual sector. Sometimes it has some technical flaws and can be frustrating but, all in all, we are talking about negligible defects in the face of a memorable single player work and worthy heir and evolution of the first chapter. The story is beautifully told, too bad for the ending which is perhaps a little less than that of The New Order.
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