On October 27th, hardcore gamers and gaming enthusiasts alike will experience the single biggest video game release day of the year when Super Mario Odyssey, Assassin’s Creed: Origins and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus all launch globally at the same exact time. While Mario and Assassin’s Creed are fantastic franchises that will garner the most attention, Sweden based development studio MachineGames is out the prove that Wolfenstein also rightfully deserves its place among this Fall’s list of most anticipated games.
During PAX West 2017, I finally got the opportunity to spend some hands-on time with The New Colossus and was instantly reminded why I fell in love with the previous entry in this action-packed series. The sequel is jam-packed with several elements that will make it a must play title for both new and returning fans of the franchise. With this in mind, I wanted to highlight 5 key reasons why you should also be excited for Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.
Incredible Single-Player Story Campaign
When I reviewed Wolfenstein: The New Order back in May of 2014, I stated that the single-player story campaign was easily the best narrative-driven first-person shooter game currently on the market. The only real criticism that I had was that I didn’t feel MachineGames pushed the concept far enough in emphasizing just how severely the Nazis have impacted America after winning World War II.
As was shown in the recently released gameplay trailer, this issue will be rectified in full for The New Colossus. You gain a deeper sense that the Nazis are invading America, something that is even more apparent if you been following the game’s viral marketing campaign so far right down to how TV shows and American treats like Strawberry Milkshakes take on new meanings within this world. When you combine these elements with the fact that lead protagonist William B.J. Blazkowicz starts the game at a low point, has a new family on the way and aligns with new allies to put an end to Frau Irene Engel’s reign of terror, the overall story has the potential to be both exhilarating and clever from start to finish.
New and Returning Allies
Despite the fact that Blazkowicz is noticeably weaker and in a wheelchair once The New Colossus kicks off, there is absolutely no doubt that the character is still a bonafide badass. With all that said, Blazkowicz is still going to need allies that he can trust in order to take down the Nazis once and for all.
As seen in recent trailers, The New Colossus will introduce us to both new and returning characters that will help make up this American resistance force. While characters like Probst Wyatt III and/or Fergus Reid will be present based on who you chose to save in The New Order, new people like former Black Revolutionary Front Member Grace Walker will also be around to make an impact. Adding new faces and personalities to this dynamic could be interesting and I’ll be curious to see which allies survive until the very end.
New and Improved Enemies
As I alluded to above, Frau Irene Engel is the main antagonist in The New Colossus. This shouldn’t surprise anyone given that she was still alive after Blazkowicz successfully killed both her younger lover Hans Winkle and Wilhelm “Deathshead” Strasse at the conclusion of The New Order.
Once The New Colossus starts, Engel appears much stronger and more dangerous than ever before. Fueled by the rage of losing her boyfriend, Engel’s thirst to kill Blazkowicz has grown and that influence has trickled down into how she runs her entire organization. For this reason, fans can expect newer and improved enemies to contend with. MachineGames hasn’t revealed any concrete details on who these new villains are yet, but fans should be ready for any and everything in regards to this topic.
Various Dual Wielding Weapon Options
Dual wielding weapons are another reason why I loved playing through The New Order campaign. Those experiences were even more exciting thanks largely in part to the fact that every weapon felt incredibly responsive and easy to use.
MachineGames will take things up another notch in The New Colossus by allowing players to mix and match their dual weapon options to their heart’s content. This is something that I think a lot of fans will gravitate towards especially when they come across certain weapons that they love using more than others. There are still more details and specifics that we can expect to hear regarding these options, but this definitely can heighten the overall gameplay experience and let fans truly choose which weapons best suit their needs.
Gruesome Hatchet Kills
While most first-person shooters are predicated on letting players use only the biggest and baddest guns to inflict the most damage on their adversaries, The New Colossus will introduce the option of performing hatchet kills. This is a rather significant improvement over knives that could be used throughout both The New Order and The Old Blood.
These sharp weapons are absolutely ideal in close combat situations and will definitely persuade players to consider using stealth in most scenarios. Given all the unthinkable acts that the Nazis have committed in these games, sometimes these sadistic yet satisfying kills are just whats needed to truly bring justice to the fallen.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus launches on October 27th for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The Nintendo Switch version hits retailers sometime in 2018.
This concludes my article on 5 reasons why you should be excited for Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. Are any of you looking forward to any of the changes I mentioned? Are any of you planning on picking up the game? Please feel free to let me know your thoughts on these topics and more in the comments section below.
