Wolfenstein: The New Order
I'd begin by saying that this game is better than Shadow Warrior series, better than Wolfenstein from Activision and better than Rage 1. Excellent environment art. Excellent level design. It's better than the older Wolfenstein from Activision because even though they added supernatural powers they didn't explore them much. I think that they relied too much on gunfire and didn't explore cinematics, war machines or other things that Killzone 2 did for instance.
I miss the superpowers from Activision's Wolfenstein. I liked the laser cut weapon. However, I felt that something was missing. Something like Bioshock with a deep plot or Gears of War with grandiosity. Or even night vision googles for some added tension.
The game is dark and the lack of a flashlight makes it hard to see. I don't like "kill 50 with headshots, kill 20 with grenades, so on" to earn upgrades. I don't like this script writing that makes Blazkowics fall into traps one after the other. I didn't bother to get 100% because there are parts that after you move past them you can't go back.
The good side about WW2 and fight against nazi theme is that it is at least more grounded than the aliens in Crysis and Resistance.
Design and script writing notes:
- There are moments in which you are attacked, but the way the camera angle is and the absence of HUD fools the player into thinking they are watching a cutscene where you don't control the character. It's the same thing with Max Payne 3 during the escape from a building on fire part.
- Why is there a gunfire sound effect when you unlock pieces of art or audio logs? Was it deliberate to scare the player?
- How come you infiltrate the nazi again and again? The first time is the first time. But after that how come the nazi aren't aware of who you really are?
- I have the impression that they mimicked Doom's episodic nature. They wrote a plot where Blazkowics is captured more than once and more than once you begin after losing all your weapons. I don't like those anticlimatic moments.
