It isn't very often that I come away from a first person shooter feeling bad for the character I'm playing as. Don't get me wrong here: I find FPS games to be really entertaining. I've played a good number of them, and some of them would make a list of favorite and/or best video games of all-time! Typically though, when it comes to the story and characters, they can have a habit of feeling a bit lackluster.
At first glance, a Wolfenstein game should be just another military shooter. Going back to replay Wolfenstein 3D, it's hard to argue otherwise. You play as this big, Schwartzenneger-esque action hero - except an American, naturally - named William "BJ" Blazkowicz. You basically just run around, killing Nazis. The Wolfenstein games separate from normal World War II shooters by placing you in an alternate history timeline. The Nazis always have futuristic, advanced technology that comes straight out of a sci-fi movie.
It's something of a silly change of pace, but it makes a world of difference. Even though at its core, it's just the same as any other WWII-era shooter, it never feels like it. They specifically avoid trying to do what everyone else is doing. Visually, it is more interesting in that way, and even though realism was never the point, they still include some of those classic "war is hell" moments found in every post-Saving Private Ryan games. It also goes a long way to making the game a lot of fun. Right off the bat, you find yourself against robot attack dogs, and you know this isn't just another WWII shooter clone.
Wolfenstein: The New Order has very smooth controls and gameplay, which is the most important part of any game, really; especially fast-paced action shooters. The number of weapons you get access to is somewhat limited, but they make up for it by allowing you to dual wield anything. Few things are more fun than running through an area with two shotguns in hand! Still, it might have been nice to allow players to mix and match. Running through with a rifle in one hand and a shotgun in the other would have been really fun too.
What's really helpful, and a mechanic that seems to be increasingly popular in first person games lately, is the ability to lean. I know, I know. It sounds like such a minor thing, but it does make a difference. A lot of third person shooters incorporate some sort of cover mechanic. You can hide behind objects, peak over, and fire. With a lot of first person shooters though, you're restricted to ducking behind cover where you can't see anything. The only thing to do is pop out of it, exposing yourself to enemy fire. The ability to lean doesn't prevent you from taking damage, but it reduces the chances of being hit. Leaning from cover, and being able to shoot from that position, is hugely helpful.
The game also includes a few choices, as is popular in modern gaming. While some of the decisions are tough - and impact the unraveling of the timeline in several ways - it isn't particularly a shining example of the mechanic. They're fine and interesting, but it rarely feels like it matters much. The first big decision you make near the beginning isn't really about who to save; it's really about whether you want health upgrades or armor upgrades, which kind of detracts from the emotion a bit.
Perhaps the most surprising element of the game though is its narrative. Blazkowicz looks like your stereotypical FPS protagonist, but he behaves very differently. While he's completely capable of kicking ass and killing Nazis, he frequently whispers to himself about how much he hates the war. He is there because he has to be, not because he wants to be. At times, it drives him into more a much more traditional hero archetype, but it's still refreshing to play a war game as someone who doesn't actively enjoy it.
The story isn't perfect, but it's still pretty good. Some plot elements happen far too quickly (like Blazkowicz's relationship with Anya), but eventually it evens out. I must admit, there was a good stretch of the game near the end where I was starting to legitimately worry that she was long dead. And the ending is one of the more bittersweet conclusions to a game in a while. Traditional wisdom says to leave the players feeling totally empowered, heroic, and satisfied, yet there's been a stretch of games lately that specifically avoid doing that. The Last of Us, BioShock: Infinite, Mass Effect 3, and yes, Wolfenstein: The New Order. It's not as complex an ending as those ones, but it's in a similar vein.
Anyway, as someone who never cared all that much about this franchise, Wolfenstein: The New Order was an extremely fun game with some really interesting story elements and fast-paced action. By no means perfect, it's still one of the better FPS games of the past few years, especially if you love sci-fi historical fiction which pits you fighting Nazis on the moon!
Oh yeah, and there's totally tons of little nuggets to find about this alternate history. The best things often involve things like a German version of the Beatles, or the German who was the first to land on the moon. They really do a good job filling out that world. It adds to the fun.
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