Login to access exclusive gaming content, win competition prizes
and post on our forums. Don't have an account? Create one now!
Why should you join?
Click here for full benefits!
Follow our Twitter feedBatman: Arkham Asylum is GOOD! http://bit.ly/PGAk8
SIGN IN/JOIN UP
GamesForumsCheatsVideo
New DSiWare initiative to rival PSP minis? | GC: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories shots | GC: FIFA 10 shots | GC: Katamari Forever screens | Midway becomes Tradewest Games | GC: Monkey Ball Step & Roll shots | Free GH: World Tour game with Guitar Hero 5 pre-orders | GC: Tony Hawk's: Ride - hands-on video | Achievements give away Mass Effect DLC? | GameStop expects further console price cuts | Siege of Spinner Cay trailer | GC: The Dante's Inferno trailer | Zelda: Spirit Tracks dated? | Two racers for 360 Games on Demand | English FFXIII demo would be "completely new" | Modern Warfare 2 cast revealed | This week's Nintendo updates | GC: Tekken 6 punches Gamescom in the face | GC: Mafia II shots, trailer | GC: Borderlands media out | GC: EA "certain" of classic IP revivals | James Cameron's Avatar movie trailer | GC: Beatles: Rock Band DLC revealed | Bethesda reveal "in the next month" | GC: Extensive DLC planned for LBP PSP
All|PC|PlayStation|Xbox|Nintendo|Download PC Games
Search CVG
Computer And Video Games - The latest gaming news, reviews, previews & movies
CVG Home » Reviews
PreviousBatman: Arkham Asylum PC, PS3, 360Reviews Index Next

Wolfenstein

Achingly average arcanum...
Goodness knows what Raven have spent the past three years doing, but surely this utterly banal shooter isn't it. What, it is? Cripes. Actually, Wolfie deserves a bit better than that disdainful brush-off. Only a little bit though. Let's rewind a little. As Id's immortal-hero-with sexuallysuggestive- initials BJ Blazkowicz, you're once again roped into an alternative WWII where the blasted Bosche have uncovered a window into a supernatural realm known as the Veil.

Before you get to wade through that particular sea of mediocrity though, you'll meet a bunch of heroic German Resistance types with comedy accents 'Allo 'Allo's Herr Flick himself would be proud of, before being introduced to the blasty mechanics via a train yard shootout that later takes a mightily cool turn for the bizarre.

Up to that point, we'd actually pondered aloud whether this was going to confound all expectations and turn out to be rather... swish. Trouble is, by blowing its supernatural load so early, BJ's hurried and clichéd inauguration into the mysteries of the Veil forty-five minutes or so later fails to resonate in the way that it perhaps should, instead dissolving painfully into 'this power lets you see an enemy's weak spot' or 'this power lets you slow time so you can dodge a sub-Indiana Jones trap'.

Even the filter effect whenever you enter the netherworld is a letdown, the sub-Bioshock spooky baddies and cheesily obvious gameplay facets even more so. And it only gets worse from there.
VEILED THREAT As a WWII shooter to trump the likes of Medal of Honor, Wolfenstein ironically shows promise. The authentic olde weapons all feel weighty, environments go to hell in pleasingly destructive fashion and dying Nazis sport a range of hideous fatalities (catch a Jerry in the neck or face with a swathe of bullets and you might even catch yourself grimacing in sympathy).

We also like the swapping out of explosive barrels with gooey ones that play havoc with gravity in a localised area when detonated, but it's a rare thumbs-up in a sea of middle fingers. Ultimately, Wolfenstein brings very few genuinely novel ideas to the FPS table, unforgivable given both the lengthy development time and the legacy of the IP. It's not terrible by any stretch but it is utterly forgettable and, even though its belated release comes at a time when most shooters have packed their bags and headed for the safety of 2010, simply doesn't pack near enough pizzazz to stand out from the throng. Fans of BJs everywhere wail as one as another once-proud franchise bites the dust.

Xbox World 360 Magazine
// Overview
Verdict
"Average" 1) An intermediate level or degree. 2) Wolfenstein. Damn shame.
Uppers
  Brilliantly weighty weapons
  Bloodily terrific death throes.
Downers
  Feels. So. Very. Old.
// Interactive
Share this article:  
Digg.comFacebookGoogle BookmarksN4GGamerblips
del.icio.usRedditSlashdot.orgStumbleUpon
 
Posted by Little Moth
Told everyone it was gonna be crap. :roll:
Posted by sonic_uk
I never liked the original or the sequel so didn't have a lot of interest in this. Looks like that was justified. I had a feeling this wasn't going to be very good.
Posted by The_KFD_Case
That as it may be, I look forward to getting my hands on this title and putting it through its paces on my own. I've read other reviews expressing similar responses, however it seems that there are some Wolfenstein fans whom are quite happy with how it turned out. Perhaps I too shall be one of those.
Posted by SoulChimera
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is where it's at and it's free.

http://enemy-territory.4players.de/news.php

Still worth playing to this day. Multiplayer games at it's finest. Excellent stuff.
Posted by berelain
I think this is another case of critics missing the point.

Wolfenstein is not a revoluntionary shooter. It was never going to be, really; whilst Return to Castle Wolfenstein was a solid shooter, it was never anything groundbreaking. This new title isn't either, but it offers a really solid slice of shooty action with some really great visuals at times and some novel ideas. But whilst the story is banal, the supernatural aspects underwhelming and the innovation lacking, Wolfenstein has one major ace up its sleeve... its bloody good fun.
Posted by juggalo4life
wtf 5/10 thats bullsh!t the single player is fuking wicked if u play this game just play it without thinking cod or kz2 or other fps this game is just a fun shooter its 7/10 easy i give it 8/10 just because its so fun to shoot nazis all day long it never gets old if u only play online dont buy it but if ur down with single player then give it a go
Posted by blind_fools
WTF?????
sorry CVG but you just lost all credibility.
"feels like a old game"
ok now thats officially the most pathetic thing i have ever heard congratz.
obviously yous have never heard of wolfenstein, ITS A CLASSIC GAME, ITS THE DADDY OF FIRST PERSON SHOOTERS, ITS THE GRANDFATHER TO THE GREAT DOOM! OF CORSE ITS GOING TO FEEL OLD IT HAS ALLOT OF HISTORY BEHIND IT.
god how can some one be so dumb?
guys dont believe this BS review.
its a bloody great game, some of the areas are allot of fun to explore, the missions are constantly mixed up and changed.
your constantly fighting new enemies saying shit how am i going to beat this bitch.
the weapons are really cool, the flamethrower actually burns the enemies and they look like there burned ive never seen a game have that effect, all games normally just have the guy laying there like nothing hapend.
the hit detection in the game is very good, shoot someone in the leg and they drop to the ground, very few games do that.
there are a few bugs in the game, which can get annoying.
the graphics are a massive letdown.
its not as good as return to castle wolfenstein or wolfenstein 3D.
BUT there classics this games NOT! a bad game and deserves NO LESS! than a 7 if your harsh and nit picky.
me id give it a 7.8
god and i thought games radar were full of shit, they gave it a 8.
congratz CVG youve raised the bar another lvl LMAO
:oops:
Posted by Marlonjb
That review is way too harsh. I picked this up yesterday (release day) and It's a great game, nothing special but nothing bad either. No game is perfect I think CVG needs to remember this the next time they review something.
Posted by _Marty_
I get the sentiment, but this ISN'T a CVG review. X360 World are responsible for this, CVG merely printed it here (as part of their sister magazine deals).
Posted by dangermou5e
Its not cvgs review its ripped from a mag and i think its pretty spot the multiplayer is terrible set up by a bunch of pen pushing monkeys and the main game is rubbish. i'm glad i rented it first would have been peeved to have wasted money on it
Posted by freds1
Harsh review I must say, whoever wrote it. I would give it around 7/10 myself. Sure there's nothing new about it, but then again what is these days. You can only polish something til it shines, and from what I've played of it so far it has managed that IMO.
Posted by Little Moth
It feels like an old game because it does nothing new, it feels old which makes gameplay less exciting.

It doesn't matter what this game is called or it's history. If a game was called Shat-Man-Doo but was a 90% title I would buy it.

I like it how you said that "some" of the areas are a lot of fun to explore. :roll: :lol:

When you burn an enemy in Bioshock with Napalm from the Chemical Thrower the enemies burn and stay burned when dead.

If you shoot somebody in the leg in CoD 4 they fall down. Nothing new here. Moving on.

Like you said, there are bugs in the game. The graphics are shit and it's not as good as the previous Wolfenstein titles.

So, in conclusion, this game does nothing new, is not up to current standards design wise, or graphicaly and the gameplay feels old.

Er, so why exactly should this game be labed as "Good" and get a 7 or 8? The answer is: it shouldn't.

Rant over.
Read all 12 commentsPost a Comment
// Related Content
Reviews:
News:
More Related
// The Best ofCVG
News | Reviews | Previews | Features | Interviews | Cheats | Hardware | Forums | Competitions | Blogs
Top Games: Pro Evolution Soccer | Pro Evolution Soccer 6 | Tomb Raider: Underworld | Metal Gear Solid 4 | Grand Theft Auto IV | Grand Theft Auto IV
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | LittleBigPlanet | Burnout Paradise | Unreal Tournament III | Halo 3
Top Reviews: Wolfenstein | Batman: Arkham Asylum | Shadow Complex | Trials HD | Ashes Cricket 2009 | Fat Princess
Gears Of War 2: All Fronts Collection | Wii Sports Resort | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | The Conduit | Street Fighter IV
Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited,
Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, UK BA1 2BW
England and Wales company registration number 2008885