List of all the PC Wolfenstein Games
- Castle Wolfenstein (1981)
- Beyond Castle Wolfenstein (1984)
- Wolfenstein RPG (1992)
- Spear of Destiny (1992)
- Return to Castle Wolfenstein (2001)
- Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory (2003)
- Wolfenstein (2009)
- Wolfenstein: The New Order (2014)
- Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (2014)
Shameless Nazi Killing
Wolfenstein: The New Order trailer
All of the Wolfenstein games take place during or after World War II somewhere in the Nazi regime. The newer released games follow an alternate timeline where Germany won World War II and the world is falling to Nazi rule. Every game features the ruthless murdering of Nazi SS soldiers, who, let’s face it, are monsters and deserve to die anyway, right?
Keep reading to find out the greatest features of the Wolfenstein series as a whole.
1. Ammo Must be Conserved
Alternatively, use melee weapons.
This concept adds a completely different element to gameplay. You can’t always just shoot without thinking. You have to think and conserve your resources to progress through the story.
These stealth elements have been around since the original Castle Wolfenstein in 1981. While Wolfenstein 3D (1992) took a more FPS approach with ammo-spraying, stealth aspects appear in all of the games. The game is set up to take you through navigating Nazi territory and killing vital people, all while keeping your mission on the down-low.
Be careful, because wrong moves will lead to your own death.
2. Bounce Between Stealth and Ammo-Spray
That’s actually more of a laser cannon.
As I mentioned before, the first two Wolfenstein games involved the stealth and conservation method whereas Wolfenstein 3D focused primarily on shooting Nazi’s directly in the face. The cool thing about the later games, New Order and Old Blood is that you can switch between the two playing methods depending on the situation and level.
At some points during the game, you are well within your rights and reason to charge into a room guns-ablazin’. Some of the enemies, however, require a more tactical approach lest you die. That said, New Order still ranks up there for best FPS games to play.
In earlier games, it was encouraged for you to hold a gun to a Nazi guard’s back and frisk him for supplies. The choice of whether to kill the guard or let him live after that was up to you. Later games also include the ability to hide bodies after you’ve killed them to hide your trail.
3. Not for the Faint-Hearted
Violent kills and Deaths. And these aren’t even your own.
I hinted earlier that you could potentially make a wrong move that will lead to your death. The thing is though, there are really just a lot of game elements that will simply leave you… dead. This is good though, it brings back the days of “Nintendo Hard” games where you played them again and again to figure out exactly what combination of moves got you through a level.
And, before you ask, it really doesn’t matter what difficulty you play it on, expect to die a few times. It’s the nature of the game. At least in the newer games there are checkpoints so you aren’t starting from the last save point.
The older games? Think Nintendo Hard.
4. Making You Think About Your Health Bar
I don’t think you should be facing off against that many with only 20hp.
In the Wolfenstein games, it’s not always as simple as picking up a health pack. You have to keep moving and use health items wisely. Running into walls can stun you and even chip off a couple of hit points.
In the earlier games, if you ran out of health, you respawned without weapons that you had previously gathered. In newer games, you have health sections. Once you’ve lost an entire section then you need to use a health pack.
Either way, misuse of a health pack may cause you problems later.
5. Revolutionary Graphics and Gameplay
Gameplay from The New Order.
Even in the 1980s, these games were revolutionary. Despite not having much of a plot, Castle Wolfenstein’s gameplay was still captivating in its side-scroller glory. Future games have built upon the world and added intriguing plot elements to enhance gameplay and vice versa.
Wolfenstein 3D popularized the FPS gameplay, even if it was kind of like playing through a Windows screen saver. That said, for its time, it was top-of-the-line. Return to Castle Wolfenstein incorporated team AU, which made the Nazi guards much harder to evade because they were actively working together.
The graphics of every game are up-to-par with contemporary games and each fully utilizes the graphics capabilities of the systems it’s released on. PC games, of course, have the upper hand in this regard.
6. Single-Player Campaign Options
I’m just gonna go through here by myself and mess stuff up, yeah?
While occasional games in the Wolfenstein series include multiplayer options, the vast majority of the games are single-player and single-player only campaigns. The story is set up for it, especially when you are personally playing B.J. Blazkowicz.
In a market flooded with first person shooters that are really meant to be played via multiplayer options, Wolfenstein provides a wonderful alternative. Some people don’t want to or don’t have time to participate in large MMOs. Even outside of multiplayer, Wolfenstein is an enthralling single-player that is comparably interactive.
7. Good Soundtracks all Around
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood OST on YouTube.
Let’s face it, music makes or breaks a game. From the beginning, the soundtracks to these games have been matched to the game. The music is the perfect mix of stealthy slow parts, and high-pumping shooting reels.
The newer soundtracks, composed by Michael John Gordon, feature everything from screaming strings to German vocals, to guitar riffs, and everything in between. Some of the music is jarring, but you should expect that from games of this nature. It adds to the eerie feel that the Wolfenstein games aim to provide.
Take a listen for yourself!
8. Innovative Writing
Official Gameplay Trailer for The Old Blood.
Again, the original game didn’t have much plot beyond “escape the castle” and “not get killed by Nazi guards,” but the fact that this game has so many sequels and minor reboots can attest to the fact that there is a story here. A story worth playing through and figuring out the finer details.
Each reboot, remake, and sequel builds the story more around B.J. Blazkowicz and the Nazis he’s trying to avoid and get rid of. Castle Wolfenstein introduced us to the idea of a video game that took place in WWII, with modern legends for enemies. Plus, the advent of games taking place in an alternate universe where the Nazis won is a concept entirely unexplored until now.
But more on that in the next point.
9. Historical, until it’s AU
I’m not convinced we have that cool of planes now!
Originally, the games took place during WWII. This was cool and innovative, made for an easy set of bad guys that everyone was down to kill, and solidified a setting. Recently, the games have gone in a different direction: what if Germany had won?
And that’s what you get to play out. What does the world look like in the 60s, assuming Germany won and Nazis have taken over? What do you have to do to stop the madness?
That’s what you have with New Order and Old Blood. Hopefully future games will continue this trend.
10. Shooting and otherwise killing Nazis
To be honest, those look like Nazi Zombies.
Honestly, some people just want to kill some bad guys and not feel any remorse about it. The Wolfenstein games encompass a setting where that is possible.
The game is fantasy Nazi killing. Everyone knows the Nazis are the bad guys. You can convince yourself that every guy you’re killing “had it coming” because they’re SS guys and SS guys are monsters.
Forget that they might have a wife and kids at home. They’re the big baddie.
And that’s what makes these games fantastic. Put morals on hold, you’re going Nazi killing.
To conclude…
Any Wolfenstein game you pick up is going to be full of Nazi killing. You already know what side you’re on and who you’re up against. So whether or not you’re in the mood for a side-scroller, an FPS for shooting Nazi’s in the face, or a more in-depth means of evading and brutally murdering them, there is a Wolfenstein game for you.
