This is a place holder post for my rolling review, which will be posted as comments. Each time I play, I will add a comment detailing my thoughts and feelings as well as some screenshots and other information.
Feel free to join me as I play.
Wolfenstein®: The New Order reignites the series that created the first-person shooter genre. Under development at MachineGames, a studio comprised of a seasoned group of developers recognized for their work creating story-driven games, Wolfenstein offers a deep game narrative packed with action, adventure and first-person combat.
Intense, cinematic and rendered in stunning detail with id® Software’s id Tech® 5 engine, Wolfenstein sends players across Europe on a personal mission to bring down the Nazi war machine. With the help of a small group of resistance fighters, infiltrate their most heavily guarded facilities, battle high-tech Nazi legions, and take control of super-weapons that have conquered the earth – and beyond.
The Action and Adventure
Wolfenstein’s breath-taking set pieces feature storming a beachfront fortress on the Baltic coast, underwater exploration, player-controlled Nazi war machines, and much more – all combined to create an exhilarating action-adventure experience.
The Story and Characters
Hi-octane action and thrilling adventure weaved together into a tightly paced, super immersive game narrative featuring memorable characters.
The History and Setting
Set against a backdrop of an alternate 1960s, discover an unfamiliar world ruled by a familiar enemy—one that has changed and twisted history as you know it.
The Arsenal and Assault
Break into secret research facilities and heavily guarded weapon stashes to upgrade your tools of destruction. Experience intense first-person combat as you go up against oversized Nazi robots, hulking Super Soldiers and elite shock troops.
MINIMUM:
OS: 64-bit Windows 7/Windows 8
Processor: Intel Core i7 or equivalent AMD
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: GeForce 460, ATI Radeon HD 6850
Storage: 50 GB available space
In mid-2017 I decided that I should play some of the games I had in my Steam library. I had said this before, hadn’t we all?, but I was going to do it this time. I suppose like most people, I’m pretty busy but I felt I could play for at least 1 hour per week. I know that 1 hour is not very much but if I stick to that I should be able to finish 5 or 6 games per year – way better than zero.
Each time I play, I make a comment on the game’s post, detailing my thoughts and feelings. I am hoping that other people will follow along, but recognise that most people play more than I do.
All the text describing the game is taken from the Steam Store page.
So, here we go. Plenty to say.
Firstly, I have decided to use new keybindings. People have been telling me for years that the ones I use are bad and I have to be honest and say they are probably right. For this game, I’m going to stick with standard WASD. It’s about as hard as I expected. One unexpected issue was with Q being used for last used weapon and I was pressing it without knowing and thinking the game was selecting the best weapon for me! SILLY PHILLY.
I was and am a little upset that the intro videos can’t be jumped. I suppose people just start the game and finish the washing up or painting the house, but I find it annoying.
My initially impressions of the game are that the cutscenes are like a movie. They seem incredibly well done but having played so much Half-Life, the idea that control is taken away from me and switching between first and third person is wrong. Not happy about this at all.
The game crashed twice in the aeroplane at the beginning but a complete restart solved that.
I had a lot of trouble with a jumping slide and died quite a few times.
Which reminds me. Why do games have to treat their customers in such a macho fashion? I am playing on the easiest level and the image is of the playing character dressed as a baby. Each time I want to leave the game it asks me if I am a “weenie”. Pathetic. I wrote about something similar to these points over ten years ago. Have we really not matured?
The actual game seems fun so far and I feel I am still becoming accustomed to the new keybindings as well as the movement etc.
The level of detail is great but it got me wondering whether there can be too much detail. Sometimes I just want to play not feel obligated to notice each and every detail. Perhaps that’s why players replay games?
The part where the dog enemies attack you was pretty cool at first but the second and third times it feels as though you have little control of what happens. I almost feel as though it’s just key mashing.
Having serious doubts about the save system too but I’ll play more before I write about that.
I didn’t take any screenshots as I couldn’t find a way to bind a key but then today realised I could use Steam to do it, so expect some next time I play.
Lastly, I went into the menu today and looked around. This comes back to my point about “Level of detail”. There’s certainly a lot to this game but I wonder if I’ll ever get all the achievements and find all the secrets.
Overall, I am enjoying it and look forward to playing more but can’t help but feel I am missing something. For example, I found some holes in the wall (well, you just pull two ropes and the stones are removed) but I had killed all the enemies by then. I also wanted to use the fixed turrets but again, I had killed all the enemies.
What am I doing wrong?
TIME PLAYED: 77 minutes
DEATHS: At least 8
PROGRESS: Just after opening a HUGE door.
not discovering everything on your first playthrough is natural (in any game).
I wouldn’t worry about it too much and just enjoy the ride. While it may be unusal for you to have cutscenes, they are pretty much the norm in every game ever. Half-Life is the big exception (although technically it also has “cutscenes”, you can just walk around in them). It has advantages and disadvantages. Doing the way Half-Life did probably also just requires way more development time and playtesting because you have to make sure in every place that the player is looking at the right spot. Not every developer has the luxury to develop a game for six years (and I’m sure most wouldn’t even want that if they could)
Glad you are enjoying it 🙂
I agree that you can’t discover everything on one playthrough but I have two counterpoints to make:
1. I feel as though I could be missing important information
2. I probably will only play through once.
Just installed this and will try to give it a go this weekend. Neat idea, maybe you should do more events like this with old FPSs.
Yes, I almost want to stream as I play but then it’s a completely different experience. Perhaps I can build a library of games in this review format though. I’ll try to alternate between new and old FPS games. Perhaps creating a voting list of what to play next.
btw the cutscenes are also hidden loading screens. If there were no cutscenes, the game would need loading screens. The only loading screens are when you start the game and when you die. That is also why you can’t skip cutscenes immediately, you have to wait for the game to load the next level.
AT the moment, I don’t have any problems with the cutscenes besides swapping between first person and third person. I am hoping that on a reply you can jump at least some of them. I was initially talking about the brand logos at the beginning of the game.
ah those brand logos … yeah they are annoying, in every game :S
There are ways to remove them though with some trickery
“s of the playing character dressed as a baby. ”
Yes, thats a joke, taken from the original Wolfenstein 3D in th early 90s.
Still, it is representative of the mentality of gamers – anybody who is not very good or new is considered less worthy.
I’m still finding the keybindings incredibly hard to get used to. I planned to make an EP2 mod where beginners could practice movements and skills and this is exactly what I need right now. A place to practice without an enemy firing and running at me.
Anyway, onto the game.
SPOILERS AHEAD
I have reached the part where I have the German solider in the basement of the nurse’s parents’ house.
The rest of the last section, in the castle area was pretty cool but as much as I like the idea of choices I almost felt that having to choose which person died was a cheap attempt at getting me to reply after I had finished the game.
I’m not sure I am a fan of the set scene where all I need to do is “Use” an item and a kind of interactive cutsecne happens – like when the dogs attack you.
At the moment, I don’t think I like the save system. I want to go back and replay sections at will but it doesn’t seem possible. I’ll check tomorrow.
I really and I mean REALLY enjoyed the hospital area. It was beautifully lit, fun to play, plenty of cover and angles to use. Exploring proved worthwhile but without seeming tedious. The outdoor section was fun but how did the tank burst through the gates only for them to close and lock perfectly afterwards? Did I miss something?
Anyway, as you would expect from me, I took plenty of screenshots. Here is a selection. The last one is where I stopped playing.
there is an option in the main menu to start from a specific chapter. That is your only way to replay previous sections.
Also, if you just would stick to the established control scheme, you wouldn’t have any problem, because every game uses that control scheme 🙂
But I don’t know why you have to change it, maybe it has an important reason…
I saw the specific chapter option but was worried it would lose my progress.
“Also, if you just would stick to the established control scheme, you wouldn’t have any problem, because every game uses that control scheme” That’s what I am trying to learn – the standard WASD. Years ago, possibly before you were born, I started with my unusual combination of keys because that felt right. Now, I know that it’s crazy having different digits for forward and back as I will never use those two keys at the same time. I’m trying to change it because I want to become a better player.
when you start from chapter select, you loose your progress in the chapter you were in I think, you would have to restart the latest chapter you unlocked (you don’t loose your unlocks).
I remember playing Half-Life 1 and moving the character with the arrow keys instead of WASD and I remember the first time I encountered a game that forced WASD it was very irritating, but I got used to it 🙂
The chapters seem quite long, I’d be worried I would have to replay to much – anyway, I’ll try it when I can. I’m not trying to diminish your experience but I have been playing with my key binding for almost 15 years, so that makes it a bit harder and of course I am quite a lot older than you and that can have an affect too.
About the key bindings, while I moved to standard WSAD years ago, I still rebind some other keys regularily: USE to SPACE, RUN to ALT and JUMP to SHIFT. Although the later makes crouch-jumping a bit more tricky, I like to have all movement keys in one keyboard area. I also always rebind RELOAD to RIGHT MB and SECONDAY WEAPON to MIDDLE MB, so I have all main weapon stuff in one place too :)!
Phillip, I see by your screenshots that you choose “Fergus”. Remember in my e-mail I mentioned a change in the game that takes place!! I can’t use the WASD keys for movement acct my hands don’t work too well (remember I’m an old man -71 ha-ha) Good luck on your play thru!!!
BTW, I’m on my 4th play thru , and I decided up the anti (I am Death Incarnate)
Love the action brings me back to my Army days!!
Yes, I chose Fergus. On your 4th playthrough, huh? You must have enjoyed it.
I did have time to play this yesterday for a little over an hour, I just got to the ‘choice’ with picking Fergus.
It’s pretty good so far. Although I kind of hate being led around by the nose and this game already gives me that feeling.
There is a way to skip the intro videos, you just have to add this to the Steam launch options: +set com_skipIntroVideo 1
OOO, thanks for that. Going to add it now.
I know what you mean about being lead around by the nose. I haven’t ever felt relaxed enough to enjoy exploring.
It starts off that way, but it does open up once you leave the hospital. It’s never a non-linear game, but it becomes more like Half-Life where you see all these options in front of you and improvise.
That’s kinda weird, literally, I just finished that game 5 mins before I am typing this and I freaking loved it. I can’t wait for the new colossus.
Have you played The Old Blood?
God, I freaking love this game. Killing Nazis and even more Nazis. And it also manages the balance the murder-happiness with the feels like HL2 did. Feel like it was a smarter move to leave all the magic mumbo-jumbo from the previous games behind.
Picked Wyatt the first time (he’s the new guy, so it felt appropriate), and Fergus the second time, both are compelling characters, wish I could get have saved both.
Unfortunately, despite it being an excellent game, its an AAA game. It lacks staying power, the lack of mod support and idTech 5’s bloated filesize are the biggest flaws of the game, imo.
Can’t wait to buy The New Colossus, killing Nazis in a wheelchair. 😀
THIS ROLLING REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS
I’ve played a few times since my last review but not for very long each time.
I am currently at the point where the player has just reached Berlin.
I still feel that just as the fun starts there’s another interruption and story telling scene that ruins the flow.
There’s a nice section on the train with the photos that certainly built tension but the whole cuts scene still feel “forced” to me.
I managed to pickup one of the mounted weapons which was pretty fun while it lased.
Finally, I think I am getting better using WASD but I’m still not comfortable.
The bit in the first few screenshots, where you have to open the gate for the car, was one of the most HL2-ish levels in the game, imo. A neat little layout that wraps around on itself. It wouldn’t feel out-of-place along Highway 17 somewhere.
Yes, it was pretty cool. I suppose there are a few different ways to approach the combat, which is of course related to the layout.
That’s about as “open ended” as this game gets. You come upon a large fighting space and can usually see some patrols, a commander with access to alarms, and so on, and it’s up to you to figure out how you want to engage it, and then improvise once it starts.
I have been playing this on and off, just got out of Berlin and off to the next location. Pretty good so far, I like the emphasis on action and movement – but it’s no Doom. Maybe I’ve been spoiled.
I do agree with the flow problem though, constant interruptions are annoying.
That’s why I prefer “The Old Blood”. You start the game as Blaskowicz and you keep playing as Blaskowicz, not third person cutscenes, no jump from location to location and castle Wolfenstein and the village/city of Paderborn are AMAZING locations. But the second half was weaker.
I have 3 questions I’d like to ask!
1-Has anyone played this on Windows 10 ?? if so, any problems?
2-Phillip I was looking at your screen shots and was wondering what kind of video board and how much V-Ram you have?? (I have a GTX970 with 4gb)
3-Crowbar since you live in Germany, does the government censor “The Old Blood & The New Order” ?? I live in the USA (Minnesota) and have heard that they do!! Just wondering!
I have a Radeon RX 460 Graphics with 4GB of RAM
In the past games often got censored for violence (even Half-Life 1 & 2), but these days it’s not that strict anymore. Doom 2016 is completely uncensored for example. But since Wolfenstein is about Nazis, it’s a different topic. If it was a movie there was no problem, because movies are seen as “culture” and “art” as Germany (which get a free pass), but games are not. Because of that they made a “German Edition” for Wolfenstein which has no Swastikas or any reference to Nazi Germany. You can only play in german language where they call the Nazis “das Regime” (The Regime).
I’m on Windows 10, no problems here.
The funny thing about Old Blood is choosing Paderborn as location. There is an actual city of Paderborn in Germany but far away from any high mountains like the alps where I guess Castle Wolfenstein is supposed to be! Isn’t it too hard to google a bit for a reasonable city that doesn’t make any German players laugh all the time ;)?
Thanks for the replies !! Much appreciated ! I’m doing some experimenting on my backup pc!
Finally got round to completing this after dropping it for about a year. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, I just had other commitments.
Played on a higher difficulty than i normally would (I usually go ‘Easy’) and had an absolute blast.
So much so that after the credits rolled i started again. Chose to save Wyatt this time.
I wonder how many people will or have replayed it for the different perspective. One thing I like about Valve is that you can see where people died in maps and how many people completed which chapters etc.
Being a huge fan of open world role playing games, I’m used to games where a certain path will not be available depending on choices you have made previously. One of my all time favourite games is Fallout New Vegas, which features three factions, and a bunch of different companions you can take with you. The faction you chose as well as your relationship with the companion characters often dictates where you can and cannot go, often affecting the main campaign.
Wolfenstein’s choice is fairly early on in the campaign and completely binary, so I don’t imagine I would play it again after the second time, but I really do enjoy being given a choice.
Should HL3 ever see the light of day, I personally hope I get the chance to make at least one meaningful choice that will affect the way the campaign plays out. 😛
Well, it looks like my playing is over. The game has crashed 4 times in the same place. I’ll try again tomorrow and maybe go back to a previous section but if it crashes in the same place, I’ll give up.
Same thing happened right at the beginning but it was only a few minutes in so I just started afresh.
Can’t do that now.
Slightly disappointed.
I tried again today with the game in a window. It crashed in the exact same place. obviously dropped the resolution down too but it made no difference.
I almost feel like asking for a refund.
try reinstalling it it is quite likely that it is a corrupt mega texture can make the game crash
also if you get it working just understand when duel wielding you can toggle upgrade states for both guns IE dual silenced pistols
I made the HUGE mistake of playing and not writing my review down immediately. Below are the screenshots I took.
The area in the prison was fun and the layout felt complicated but wasn’t. The driving section, the one you play not the cinematic, was a disaster for me and I was lucky to pass it. Would have been nice if it gradually got harder rather than a shit storm right from the beginning.
The rebel base was very cool and really well built.
Overall, I felt there were a lot of cutscenes in the last playthrough.
I plan to restart tomorrow and hopefully it will be mostly gameplay.