Having left in 2014, Wolfenstein: The New Order It turned out to be undeniable evidence that the old -school corridor jacks have not only gunpowder in powder, but it also bangs so that if you were healthy!
The logical question that remained after passing the game – “And what, in fact, further?” And so, after 3 years we get an answer in the form of a continuation – Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus.
Second coming
It so happened that the series Wolfenstein, Despite its great history, almost never had full -fledged sequels. All the games of the franchise, apart from the addons, were a kind of restart for the new technological platform.
The graphics in the game, although it does not affect the imagination, but keeps on a quite decent level. And all thanks to its ID Tech 6 engine, which has shown itself perfectly in last year’s Doom, where he demonstrated excellent visual and technical indicators.
The only and unchanging qualities in it always remained only: the genre is an action in the first person (not counting the games of 1981 and 1984), the hero – William “Bija” Blaskovitz, and the goal is the extermination of the fascists, in one form or another. So before Machinegames – The developers of the game, there was a serious task: not only to release the debut, during your career, a sequel, but also to make the first logical continuation of the legendary series.
As a result, the authors did not open, sorry for the pun, “America”, but moved events to the United States and continued the history of the alternative 60s, which had begun in the last game, where fascist Germany won in World War II.
The visual-stylistic “face” of the game has not changed, all the same retro-futurism with Nazi flavor.
True, if we say it, we will not notice a special difference between occupied by Europe and the submitted by America, since we still spend most of the game on closed Nazi bases, in secret underground complexes and other secret objects of alternative Germans.
Because of this, it may seem that the game has lost in colors and atmosphere, but, take my word for me, such a move was most likely a forced measure, for the authors, this time, decided not so much to focus on the environment as on the gameplay and plot.
The spirit and atmosphere of captured America can be felt in only two to three locations, and then the most among them will be remembered by a short moment in the city of Roswell.
And this is probably one of the best solutions that could only come to the head. If anyone does not know, Machinegames Almost for most consists of immigrants Starbreeze Studios – authors of masterpiece and atmospheric The Darkness And The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, which at one time bribed both their action-mechanics and amazing script-register work.
Unbearable Blaskovitz
The game begins, where the previous one ended. Blaskovitsa Strongly patted after a fight with the general Skull, as a result of which he flows into a coma again. But here is the story instead of quickly rewind events and drop us into the thick of the action, it starts to thicken the colors sharply, hitting the childhood of the protagonist, where his relationship with his father and mother shows his relationship. At that moment, it begins to seem that before us is no longer a meat dynamic shooter, but a real military drama.
So that Blaskovich can return to Temple Nile Casino his work, his friends will have to sew the hero almost in pieces.
As soon as we get used to the idea that the project has become more serious, it dramatically changes its narrative and the depressive-fiber attitude turns into funny shooters in a wheelchair, with hooting and blood lots. Hyperbolization and cynical ridicule of the problems of modern society occupies the place of the viscous monologues of the protagonist. In general, in short, a uniform grandhouse begins to go on on the screen.
But the authors go even further, starting to juggle with situations and events: here and there, manipulating the mood and playing in the contrast of the narrative. This allows you to hold the player between states of shock and curiosity, because each subsequent iteration is more dramatic or crazy than the previous.
Just a few minutes before this scene, the game pretended to be a military drama, and after a second it shocks so much that your jaw is just dropping your jaw.
And new Wolfenstein All this: she easily manages to first knock out a tear from you, and then again shandarayaras on the head with a truly good black and a great sense of humor, where you catch yourself thinking: ““ ““ “Yes, what the hell?! What else are these psychopaths thrown away now?!“. And most importantly, all these questions are carried in the head with a huge smile on the face and real children’s enthusiasm.
Colossus is new, and the orders are old
A little developers have worked on the gameplay, though adjustments are more pointed, but the devil, as they say, lies in details.
So, for example, the “quick saving” button returned and the complexity of the game has increased significantly. Opponents are now rod in crowds from all sides, forcing to constantly move and maneuver, not forgetting to collect first -aid kits, ammunition and pieces of armor. So that under this process the player does not have a rhythm, to traditional shooting with two hands, from the previous part of the game, added the possibility of combining different weapons. Now the main character can safely take a shotgun in one hand, and in the second machine, easily versed with enemies of both the far and close distance saving time to switch weapons.
The appearance of the weapon is now even harder to correlate with real counterparts, but at the same time, due to the simulation of the correct return and high -quality sound, it is tactilely felt much better than in the previous game.
Closer to the middle of the game, our hero will receive something like a super-coat and will be able to choose one of the unusual abilities: to jump high, running to demolish obstacles and opponents, or tightly compressed to get into particularly narrow ventilation places. Skills do not greatly affect the feeling of what is happening and, rather, help it will be determined with the subsequent style of passing to the second half of the game, plus will help to reach inaccessible places to search for all sorts of objects, sketches, cards and other tinsel for collectors and lovers of 100%passage.
The submarine replaced the old resistance base and now it occupies almost half the timing of the game. Here we will get acquainted with the characters and perform small additional quests, gradually plunging into the history and atmosphere of the project.
For lovers of retro gaming, on the same submarine there is an opportunity to play Wolfenstein 3D. And you know what? I went through it with great pleasure! The game is almost 30 years old, and it still serves seriously.
There has not been anywhere and permanent pumping from the last game, only now it affects the gameplay much more. So if you kill enemies quietly, then only skills swing, giving, for example, the opportunity to crawl on karachka faster or increase the number of throwing axes. And if you run a high with weapons in each hand, then the game automatically begins to increase the ammunition of weapons, thereby allowing you to arrange a meat feast without frequent reloading.
Remained in the game and pumping weapons. Only now we need to find sets of improvements at the levels, and after that after spending them on the beloved gun.
Otherwise, this is the same bloody and dynamic shooter, with linear levels and a high degree of cruelty. Where occasionally there are research moments or small primitive stealth mechanics.
But the revolution does not smell
With all the advantages in Wolfenstein only one serious drawback remains – level design. No, there can be no complaints about the locations, they are an order of magnitude higher than most modern shooters. But at the same time, in isolation from the plot and the incorporate insanity in KAT scenes, the game completely loses its charm, turning into a high-quality, but rather monotonous shooter.
The landscape of the destroyed New York looks fascinating, probably even better than similar cities in the Fallout series. Only in fact this is all the decoration and the level is essentially the same linear corridor.
You wait for the whole game that something grandiose is about to begin, with a real American revolution, rolls on robots, explosions, special effects and other popcorn attributes. But instead, you continue to wet the Fritz, collect documents and solve some very local problems. And when it seems that now a real epic should begin, the game breaks off and demonstrates the final credits.
For decryption of Enigma cards, we are still familiar with The New Order, access to additional missions is opened. But in isolation from the plot, there is no desire to reproduce the same locations. And this best demonstrates the main problem of the game.
And not to say that this is the drawback for which it is worth scolding the project. Especially when you see what emphasis was on all other elements of the game. But all the same, you, as a spoiled user, are haunted by the feeling that they did not give something or somewhere a little short. Still, in 2017, you wait a little more than just a traditional first-person shooter, with a wonderful narrative.
The problem is from the 90s: the game is just a nightmare indicator of damage. Understand at what point you are sheated and from which side you can’t get right away. The hero simply does not react to damage. Given the rather serious level of the complexity of the game, shootings turn into real torture. I really hope that it will be cured by patch.
In recent years, there are more and more rumors that multi-user projects, luts and other games-services will kill traditional single-user games. But Wolfenstein As in 2014, it proves that these are only the words of populists and panickers.
And let it The New Colossus This is a slight improvement of ideas inherent in tHe New Order. Its authors – Machinegames, For the second time, it was possible to release, if not one of the best jokes in the world, then at least one of the best games of this year.
Pros: Magnificent gameplay, high -class black humor, shocking and at the same time fascinating plot
Cons: Scarious design of locations, poor damage indication
Translation: The game is completely translated into Russian, but the localization is so nightmare that if everything is good with English, then it is better to put the corresponding version of the game.
Verdict: A real hard shooter, with a small influx of military drama, Tarantino dialogues, the level of Robert Rodriguez and accompaniment as in the films of Guy Richie. The project, which, even with a number of small problems, manages to challenge not only the industry and players, but also to its authors, from whom we are now undoubtedly waiting for the continuation.