Posted on: March 21, 2024
rmoomr
Verified ownerGames: 282 Reviews: 4
Didn't stand the test of time
Playing the game after many years I can only sadly conclude it didn't age well. Looking back it's hard to say what Return to Castle Wolfenstein even attempted to be. 1. Theoretically it's an idSoftware game with a plethora of weapons, first aid kits lying everywhere, secrets hunting etc. However it completely lacks the smoothness of gameplay of its older brethren, so it plays very different from quick, relaxing boomer shooters. Player's movement is so cumbersome the long distance shooting is the only convenient play-style. 2. It's surprisingly full of 'stealth missions', for which the game's engine and interface is very clearly not designed. 3. It seems the game aims to be a bit more on the 'realistic' side of the shooters spectrum. Nevertheless its control scheme doesn't enable to take cover, go prone or shoot around corners. The weapons loadout is absurd for a half-realistic 'military shooter', bosses fight clearly come from a different genre and at least some of the enemies are complete bullet sponges. When you add to this the uninspired level design Return to Castle Wolfenstein doesn't have anything to offer to modern players apart from the atmosphere and a cheesy yet completely serviceable story-line. All other things the game tries to do are done much better in different titles, even in titles from its era (Quake! Thief! Call of Duty!). Obviously such an old game also won't awe anyone with graphics. Maybe in 2002 this particular gameplay combination was a breath of fresh air but today it's apparent it just doesn't work. So unfortunately in 2024 Return to Castle Wolfenstein is nothing but an unwieldy hybrid which can't be fully recommended.
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