Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

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Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus has become the new benchmark for single-player shooter campaigns. The sheer amount of freedom that players have to go along with the excellent gunplay make it one of the best shooters in years on those merits alone. Add in what is one the year's most compelling, important narratives and you have a recipe for an instant classic on your hands. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus isn't just 2017's best shooter, it's a game that will be looked back upon as one of the standout titles of this generation when it comes to an end.

Whether it's delivering chaos or absurdity, grim drama or theatrical villainy, Wolfenstein II handles it all superbly.

No one was really expecting that much from Wolfenstein: The New Order when it came out a few years back. It was a nice surprise to find that its bloody, satisfying combat and memorable, well written characters helped make it one of the best shooters on the PlayStation 4. Now that the sequel – Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus – has arrived, many are no doubt interested to see if developer Machine Games could deliver again, and this reviewer is very happy to say that recent proclamations regarding the death of big budget single player titles have proven to be somewhat premature.

TL:DR Version - Wolfenstein II does a brilliant job of mixing social commentary with unnecessary violence and a tongue-in-cheek attitude. There’s a few optimisation issues and the level design could be a touch better, but this is an overall outstanding game that deserves a look.

When MachineGames went back to Wolfenstein with The New Order back in 2014, they did the first-person shooter genre a great service. The follow-up DLC, The Old Blood, was a feather in their cap to celebrate their no-nonsense approach to shooting Nazis. Once more, this studio has struck Nazi gold with Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. Suspense, violence, and some damn fine shooting await anyone ready to take up the torch and fight for good ol’ freedom and equality.

BJ Blazkowicz returns to save the USA.

Wolfenstein II's combat is as intense as ever, and MachineGames can craft FPS story beats like few others, but something just feels askew about this sequel. Like a follow-up to a Hollywood blockbuster, everything is a little looser and the game suffers for it.

Bigger, bolder and somehow a hell of a lot more outlandish than The New Order, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus’ imperfections do little to hold the game back from being one of the most compelling single player games of the year. Killing Nazis has rarely been any more fun, and there’s a whole army of them for you to dispose of as you please when you’re not starring slack-jawed at some of the most over-the-top cutscenes ever created.

We’ve already seen that Machine Games can craft a great playing shooter, but with Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus they’ve also got a more interesting and varied story to tell this time around.

Wolfenstein fans will enjoy Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, but it is hard to justify the $60 price point for what is in the package. If you aren't a fan, wait for a price drop or give it the Redbox treatment.

B.J. is comfortable killing thousands upon thousands of his enemies if they stand between him and a bit of peace. But killing isn’t all that Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus offers. It’s the rare first-person shooter that explores the first time its hero pulled a trigger; it’s the rare first-person shooter that is comfortable connecting with the primal, untamed parts of your brain while celebrating just how fucking good it feels to lay out a Nazi.