“Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus” is one of those special sequels that is given the mission of expanding a stand-alone piece of art into a multi-installment franchise. Surprisingly, it succeeds without losing the charm and inventiveness that made the original popular.
Its predecessor, “Wolfenstein: The New Order,” was a pyrrhic swan song to the Nazi-killing fantasy — major SPOILERS for “The New Order” ahead. In it, you play B.J. Blazkowicz, a completely self-serious action hero in a completely ridiculous world. The Third Reich has discovered super advanced technology from an ancient civilization, reverse engineered it to build giant robots and to become a nuclear power before the US. The Allies lose the war, and B.J. falls into a shrapnel-induced catatonia for 15 years.
The year 1960 hits and B.J. wakes up, gets a gang of misfits together and engages in a nonstop, sightseeing killing spree. He falls in love, visits the moon and slaughters one of Hitler’s top men before then lying down to die alongside him in a nuclear explosion that envelops the villain’s compound. Roll credits.
“The New Order” was in every respect a dark game. It certainly had glimmers of hope and important messages about standing up against fascism and hateful ideologies, even in the face of overwhelming resistance. However, one of the game’s central conceits was that the resistance was impossibly overwhelming. B.J. strikes a blow to the establishment in the end and settles some personal vendettas, but that’s a long way from freeing the world from Nazi control. Meanwhile, on your side, a lot of strong and sympathetic supporting characters died. You died.
Smash cut to the beginning of “The New Colossus,” and B.J.’s implied death is quickly fixed with a last minute helicopter rescue. B.J. falls into yet another coma, and his internal injuries put him on yet another pyrrhic death trajectory, leaving him scheduled to die within a couple weeks. On top of that, in the wake of the recent worldwide rise in activity of bigoted alt-right and fascist movements, the game feels a stronger need to address and display the many diverse ways in which the Nazis hated people. From the outset of the game, the primary villains variously make anti-LGBTQ, racist, ableist and even body image remarks in addition to “The New Order’”s usual slew of anti-semitic comments. Most of the game takes place in America, and the alliance between the Reich and the Klu Klux Klan is emphasized.
Without giving too much away, “The New Colossus” does not develop in the same way as its predecessor despite its somewhat similar setup. It takes its time getting there, but it ends up going in a much broader and more hopeful direction than “The New Order.” Diverse hatred must be beaten by a diverse cast, and the victory itself must have diverse results. The player is frequently reminded that the fascists are the truly weak and pathetic people and that, while powerful, are not as overwhelmingly strong as “The New Order” may have implied. Given the current state of the world, the game’s ultimate call to action against fascism is definitely more appropriate than another hopeless quest, not to mention that this means there’s plenty of room for a “Wolfenstein III” to pick up where this one left off.
Of course, narrative changes are not the only thing the game brings to the table; gameplay innovations abound. “The New Order”’s usual run-and-gun first-person gameplay has been streamlined. The most basic weapons from “The New Order” were kept, but a number of new ones were added as well. The upgrade system was overhauled to further differentiate the various guns and their associated play styles from one another. The addition of a hatchet, though purely for aesthetic, makes melee takedowns infinitely more satisfying. Generally, every gun just feels better and hits harder than in “The New Order,” and the environments all look better as well, though such minor technical enhancements are standard sequel material. Level design is as interconnected and fluid as the original game, with just as many new and absurd set pieces that switch up the basic mechanics. With a great hard rock soundtrack behind it, you’d be hard pressed to find an action game that provides more moment to moment joy for the same price.
People who were diehard fans of the original game’s doomed atmosphere and conclusion may come out of this installment a little disappointed. There’s still plenty of tragedy and B.J.’s classic brooding narration, but there’s also a lot more fun and a lot less finality. But, for people who are looking for a little variety out of life, this builds on the ideas of its predecessor, both narratively and mechanically, and does so slowly enough that the transition feels as natural as spring water. For people with the spare cash, I’d highly recommend a dip.
