Set within a near-fictional, historical WWII setting, players take on the role of the heroic OSA agent BJ Blazkowicz as they are thrust into the unknown and unexpected to battle against combat troops, otherworldly forces, and the dark science created by a supernatural Nazi force hell-bent on world domination. Investigate the powers of a dark parallel dimension, join with resistance forces, and employ an arsenal of conventional and otherworldly weapons in an attempt to annihilate the Nazi war machine. Engage in an assortment of interlinked missions that drive an intense, story-driven combat experience; or play the multiplayer mode that combines team objective gameplay with a full arsenal of conventional and supernatural weapons for addictive online warfare...

Wolfenstein is the latest in the World War II fantasy themed series which began life in 1981 with Castle Wolfenstein. The third game in the franchise, 1992's Wolfenstein 3D is widely regarded as being the First Person Shooter (FPS) that set the standard for other games to follow and is fondly remembered by old game fans who grew up with the classic 3D games. But the latest installment of the series takes a massive leap on to Next Gen consoles, with a similar engine that was used with the Call of Duty series.

Wolfenstien is an amazing game which takes the much used WWII genre and injects something a little different.

You play as an American spy called B.J Blaskowicz, whose mission it is to go into the German city of Isenstadt and find out what is going on inside. Your main brief is to find out as much as you can about the mysterious crystals which are located in a secret location somewhere in the city.

As the story starts to unfold you soon notice that some weird things are going on and that the game is going to be a bit more interesting than your standard WWII FPS. Why, for example, are there enemy soldiers floating around in mid air? As you get further into the game more is revealed and the more interesting it gets.

The combat system is very similar to the engine used for the Call of Duty series, but has the added feature that special powers are available in the game. These include elements like being able to slow down time in order to dodge bullets or making a shield in order to protect yourself.

The city where the game is set is split into two main sections. Each have additional areas which branch off, but they cannot be accessed right away you have to unlock them throughout the game. One of the best things about the city is the fact that almost every building has something inside - whether it's a group of Nazis preparing to ambush you or a collectable just sitting there waiting for you to find.

Another aspect of the city which is interesting is the fact that you can climb onto many of the rooftops and snipe from upon them, giving the game a stealth factor when trying to ambush enemy patrols.

As you progress throughout the game you will notice that there are plenty of things to collect. These include gold, which is used to buy upgrades for your guns, and special powers. You can also collect intels, which are used to unlock upgrades for certain guns and then there are tomes which unlock upgrades for your special powers.

Early on in the game you are introduced to the black market, which is where you are able to upgrade your guns, but you will have to pay gold which is acquired by finding in random houses throughout mission and for completing mission. With this money you are able to buy upgrades for your favourite weapons, but what makes this one of the best things about this game is the ability to have stackable upgrades, such as having a silenced sniper rifle or a rapid firing rocket launcher which holds three rounds at once, spending almost all your collected gold is definitely worth it.

All in all this game is a massive success, even though it does lack the online play of other well known first person shooters.

9

Carl Simpson