Dishonored’s Influence on Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Shows

Knakveey
Games
Games

Earlier this month I was lucky enough to attend a Bethesda gameplay event in San Francisco. Available to play were several Bethesda titles, but to be honest, I was super hyped to play Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. The Wolfenstein series has always provided me with a much needed respite from the rigors of the more competitive, popular titles I reluctantly play sometimes. Which is weird, right? Wolfenstein should and can be a bit stressful, but something about killing Nazis just feels cathartic.

For the first time ever, the Wolfenstein series makes the journey across the pond. Never has a Wolfenstein game taken place outside of Europe, and the change of scenery makes this upcoming title a bit more intriguing.

Set in the year 1961, the Nazis control the United States of America. Picking up where the previous game, The New Order (2014) left off. You return stateside in a stolen U-Boat as the series main protagonist, B.J. Blazkowicz. You’re given an impossible task of leading the second American Revolution against the occupying Nazi forces to reclaim your homeland.

While I only played a short snippet of the game, it did leave a few immediate impressions on me. MachineGames was developing Wolfenstein II long before the controversial Donald Trump was elected President… and with the current rise of white nationalism in the news, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus paints a picture that hits a bit too close to home. You’ll visit locations that you may be familiar with; New Orleans, Roswell, and other iconic American cities that have been transformed by the Third Reich. It’s a frightening thought — something that gave me extra motivation and purpose while I played.

Before I started my playthrough of a mission in a New Orleans ghetto, I was given a sheet of paper explaining several new mechanics:

  • The Constrictor Harness: Basically a macho corset that allows B.J to squeeze through tiny spaces, like air ducts.
  • Battle Walkers: Stilts on steroids. Double tapping the jump key activates the stilts immediately, allowing you to reach elevated places.
  • The Ram Shackles: It’s pretty much steel-toed boots for your entire upper body. You can sprint into enemies killing, stunning, or disabling them.

I was a bit confused by some of these additions. Why would I need to crawl into small spaces? Stilts for getting elevation? I’m playing Wolfenstein, just let me go ham and disregard any notion of strategy other than see-and-shoot.

I forced myself to utilize some of these mechanics and was pleasantly surprised. It felt like I was playing a reckless version of Dishonored — something that may sound blasphemous, but an aspect from that series that I sometimes desired.

Previous iterations of Wolfenstein have been mostly on-rails experiences which I found to be satisfactory. Too much loot searching and map navigation ultimately kills the rhythm and momentum of a game like Wolfenstein II. The way I’ve always played Wolfenstein is with reckless abandonment — and the on-rails style was conducive.

Using these new mechanics transformed my experience with Wolfenstein II. I approached a couple sections of the demo as if I was playing a Dishonored mission. I sought out elevated platforms, ducts, and infiltrated heavily guarded areas with a different perspective. The simple map design changes allowed for different play styles to coexist without sacrificing the vital pacing that makes Wolfenstein so great. Stealth becomes a much more viable option than before. Coupled with adding upgrades to your weapons that promote covertness, the level designs have added a verticality to the game that wasn’t always present in previous ones.

Make no mistake, these changes are subtle. It’s still a very firm on-rails adventure, but utilizing more of the physical environment of a level has breathed new life into the series.

Fans who are hoping for a similar experience to The New Order and The Old Blood need not worry about being forced to use these mechanics. It’s still the same old Wolfenstein we’ve come to love, but B.J seems to have taken some pages out of Corvo Attano’s playbook.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus will be released October 27th on Xbox One, PS4, PC, and for the Nintendo Switch in 2018. We’ll have a full review of the game a few days after launch.