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| Return
to Castle Wolfenstein |
Reviewed by Evan 'DarkFriend' Lesser |
Developer: Gray Matter / id Software
Publisher: Activision
Release Date: November 20, 2001
Pre-Release Info
 Arguably
one of the most anticipated games in history, Return to Castle Wolfenstein continues
the almost decade old franchise developed by id Software. The game follows
in the first-person-shooter footsteps of its Wolfenstein predecessors with plenty
of action and adventure taking place both in and out of the now-famous fictional
castle. Players again assume the role of B.J. Blazkowicz, an Army Ranger
recruited into the Office of Secret Actions to infiltrate the twisted bowels of
the Third Reich to battle Nazis bent on world domination.
Gray Matter Interactive Studios
Gray Matter Interactive Studios was founded by the top designers formerly from
Xatrix Entertainment, the developer of such popular games as Redneck Rampage and
Kingpin.
First Impressions
For many people like myself, the original Wolf 3D was a game we'd been fantasizing
about all our lives. The 3D technology at that time was a great leap in
computer games, and provided the realism that players had been craving.
From the get-go, Return to Castle Wolfenstein looked to be a worthy predecessor
to its treasured past. A beginning rendered movie beautifully sets the stage
for the battle to come. The Quake III engine looks quite nice, as menus
and control setup are as user-friendly as ever. Playing through the first
level of the game, the player attempts to escape from a dusty jail cell in the
depths of Castle Wolfenstein. I was first taken aback as to the richness
and detail the castle textures displayed. Using 32-bit color, the walls
and floors appear realistic, with a light touch of fog adding extra depth and
atmosphere to the gamespace. Ambient noise makes the jail the player begins
in quiet, but not too quiet, and gives an immediate sense of foreboding.
Within 10 minutes of starting the game, my first impressions were very favorable,
and made me want to press on.
Storyline
Similar to the old Wolf 3D games, the player assumes the role of Army Ranger B.J.
Blazkowicz and is sent to eliminate the Nazi war machine that hopes to employ
supernatural powers to dominate the world. Obsessed with the occult, Nazi
Heinrich Himmler hopes to create an army of horrific super-soldiers to pose a
nightmarish threat to anyone who stands in his way.
Gameplay
Gameplay in Return to Castle Wolfenstein follows traditional first-person shooters,
most of which owe something to the original Wolf 3D game. Players run, walk,
jump, and shoot their way through a number of realistic settings. Plenty
of fast action is present, as B.J. Blazkowicz runs into various types of Nazi
soldiers and undead creatures aching for his destruction. Luckily, players
are furnished with a number of real and unreal weapons to dispatch the enemy.
Methods for killing these enemies are different, depending on the attacker.
Often, sneaking into a room with quick use of a knife to kill an enemy is a quieter,
more refined approach than running in with guns ablaze. In some game missions,
it is imperative to remain silent, so practicing your stealth maneuvers early
is a smart move. The game offers many different scenarios that call for
different weapon usage. In a mission searching for a German defector, the
player is forced to make quick work of snipers, so precision weapons are obviously
called for. In another, the player becomes the sniper, taking out enemies
from afar before starting a more frontal assault.
Detailed models, smooth animation, and realistic sounds make Return to Castle
Wolfenstein weapons fun to use. Like most games, a few weapons end up used
more than others. The silenced Sten machine gun packs a quiet, rapid-fire
punch, but overheats and becomes temporarily unusable when fired too much.
After players acquire the powerful Nazi Paratrooper machine gun, it becomes the
most-used weapon in the game. Of course, there are times that a well-thrown
grenade or the beautiful looking WWII era flame thrower are the trick for ridding
the level of enemies. Late in the game, the player is able to use the Nazi-developed
Tesla Gun that not only turns enemies into a crackling mess, but pushes them away
from you as well.
Enemy movements are smart, with AI being above average in comparison to other
first-person-shooters. Nazi soldiers will duck, run away, toss tables over
to gain cover, alert other soldiers to your presence, roll to avoid fire, and
kick thrown grenades back at you. The undead attackers do what the undead
are supposed to do - follow you and attack head on. Undead knights even
use medieval-looking shields to deflect gunfire. Enemy models, animation,
and textures are top-notch. I stopped counting the number of different Nazi
soldiers I encountered after 10. Furthermore, different skins for the same
models help add to the immersion factor. Unfortunately, the Nazi's speak
broken English, rather than German with subtitles onscreen. This is a sorely
missing item in my opinion, as nothing makes you feel more like a stranger in
a strange land than hearing the local language being barked at you. The
undead creatures stalking the player are animated wonderfully, with lumbering
movements and brilliant death-animations. The sounds of the undead enemies
in the catacomb levels are truly creepy, and add a level of trepidation I've not
felt in a game since Half Life. The undead can pop out of the ground, walls
next to you, and tombs littered through the level.
Just like the original Wolfenstein series, players are rewarded with extra health
and ammunition for finding well-hidden secrets. Hunting down each secret
adds a nice dimension to the game, and prompts players to explore the rich surroundings.
The ability to destroy some walls, crates, boxes, and oil barrels adds a bit more
immersion than some other recent shooters.
Level design is quite good, although relatively linear. The levels that
take place outside (a green, countryside forest, a cold, ice-capped ocean shore)
are particularly well-crafted and show off the ability of the Quake III Team Arena
engine. Again, textures are rich and placed with precision. Players
with good video cards can crank up the details and not experience much of a frame
rate drop.
Missions are a good length each, and provide some unique scenarios. One
mission has the player crossing a huge river dam, while another takes place in a
small, fiery town ravaged by war. The missions that take place in the
snowy mountains of Norway make particularly good use of fogging techniques, and
require the player to use binoculars and rifle scopes to see what lies ahead.
Many game elements including a gondola ride, snowy military bases, a submarine
level, and firefights in a large mansion are very similar to last year's impressive
Monolith release, No One Lives Forever. If you are a fan of that game, you
will also enjoy Return to Castle Wolfenstein.
Multiplayer
The multiplayer component within Return to Castle Wolfenstein is a welcome addition,
but nothing seasoned first-person shooter fans haven't already seen before (and
done better). Return to Castle Wolfenstein's multiplayer borrows mostly from Team
Fortress and Unreal Tournament to create its own brand of online fun. Players
can choose the Axis or Allies team, and classes ranging from Medic to Engineer,
each with its own abilities and special skills. Mission-based scenarios include
storming a WWII beach head, infiltrating military installations, holding strategic
positions and more. The Quake III Team Arena engine provides a good foundation
for the Return to Castle Wolfenstein multiplayer game, and players who experienced
fast gameplay in Quake III should find similar gameplay here. While the multiplayer
gameplay isn't really unique, the Return to Castle Wolfenstein world is - and
that alone makes it a good addition to the overall game.
Bottom Line
All in all, gameplay in Return to Castle Wolfenstein is a mixed-bag of action
and exploration. The ability to dispatch the enemy in any number of ways
adds to the replay ability of this title. Although not a very long game
(like the aforementioned No One Lives Forever), I found the game to be of a sufficient
length. As with all first-person-shooters, the game ending is somewhat of
a disappointment and feels a little rushed. Just for once, I'd love a game
developer to create a title from the ending backward, rather than the opposite,
in order to make the excitement snowball, rather than wane as a game progresses.
Plenty of quality aspects are apparent in Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and make
the game's price tag justifiable. Most importantly, Return to Castle Wolfenstein
is a game worthy of its own legacy.
Pros:
- Good level design and varied game settings.
- Rich graphics, animation, and sound.
- Entertaining gameplay.
Cons:
- Lackluster ending.
- Doesn't immerse the player as much as hoped for a late 2001 game.
Overall:
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| Storyline: |
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| Total: |
8.2 |
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