Originally released in 2001, Return to Castle Wolfenstein is an action/horror first-person shooter, and reboot of the Wolfenstein series. Powered by the Quake III Arena engine, it features a single-player campaign and team-based online multiplayer.
Story
World War II rages and nations fall. Himm...
Originally released in 2001, Return to Castle Wolfenstein is an action/horror first-person shooter, and reboot of the Wolfenstein series. Powered by the Quake III Arena engine, it features a single-player campaign and team-based online multiplayer.
Story
World War II rages and nations fall. Himmler’s German SS Paranormal Division has Hitler's full backing to twist science and the occult into an army capable of annihilating the Allies once and for all. As US Army Ranger William “B.J.” Blazkowicz, you're on a solo mission to pierce the black heart of the Third Reich and stop Himmler...or die trying.
Features:
Experience a blend of action and horror in the single-player campaign
Wield a combination of classic WW2 and fictional, sci-fi-inspired weapons.
Fight against Nazis, the undead, and experimental mutant soldiers
Compete as Axis or Allies online, objective-focused and team-based multiplayer
System requirements
Minimum system requirements:
Recommended system requirements:
Recommended system requirements:
Why buy on GOG.COM?
DRM FREE. No activation or online connection required to play.
The movement is fast and fluid. The story is fun and faithful to the series. The game has charming NPC dialogue, great level design (aside from Forest), a wide variety of enemy types, high energy soundtrack, god-tier replayability because of how different each mission is, good strong weapon sounds (aside from the Luger), I could go on and on. On an even more subjective note, I love the look of the game and think it's beautiful. Multiplayer was incredible, too, and while there's 1 or 2 populated deathmatch servers still up, most people moved on to Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory.
If you loved the single-player campaign, check out the CO-OP mod, there's still public servers up and plenty of regulars who still play.
I only ever played Wolfenstein The New Order and was super underwhelmed, to the point where I had to check if there was anything this series offered better than that mediocrity.
Suffice it to say this definitely outshines most other FPS games I've played thus far (especially the generic COD wannabes of today) and its weird that this game doesn't get enough praise or attention that it so desperately deserves. Albeit not many care to shill old "niche" games that aren't console specific.
This game really has everything I would ever want in an FPS: great shooting mechanics/feedback, fun level designs, differing objectives/playstyles, fun dumb story, actual enemies who fight back, and some pretty swell sound effects.
Definitely in my top 10 FPS games list and definitely would recommend it to literally everyone who loves FPS games in general...
One thing I WILL say, is that the silenced Sten gun is THE meta for human enemies at almost every distance, making most other guns kind of useless... pretty much used it 100% of the time when I got it and found out its unparalleled potential.
It can be hard to understand why RtCW is so well-liked among FPS fans: at first glance, it seems like a regular WWII-era shooter, with a lot of Nazis to slaughter and a little bit of sci-fi, horror and fantasy thrown into the mix. Yet, actually playing it reveals a deeper experience. What makes this game so great?
First, the atmosphere: the game throws you in a lot of different places, each with with their own feel and mood, from spooky Nazi bases to pulpy high-tech facilities, to haunted caves and forgotten castles! The graphic engine is used to great effects, providing detailed character models and environments that look good and feel period-accurate.
Second, the gunplay: most weapons feel great and powerful. There is a focus on automatic firearms, with 5 or 6 variants of machine guns, but also sniper rifles, flamethrowers... Most of them useful in their own right, even though handguns and explosives feel super clunky and even kind of... useless.
Third, the level design. The layout of the levels constantly changes, forcing you to adapt and use different approaches. You'll need to get stealthily through some sections, to snipe enemies from a distance, to progress carefully and use covers... or just to go all out, taking out dozens of hostiles while running through corridors. It is a challenging, but very rewarding shooter.
It it a perfect game? Unfortunately, no. The story is not told in a particularly engaging way; most of the narration is done by a bunch of generals in a meeting room, who are never even seen interacting with the protagonist.
The difficulty also gets painfully cheap at times: some enemies are bullet sponges, have amazing precision, or are strategically placed so they'll snipe you before you can even see them; it is especially true in the final levels and can get really frustrating. The stealth sections can get janky and the bosses are all terrible.
But overall, RtCW is an all-time classic that all shooter fans should complete at least once.
Wolf 3D was the first game I ever played, so Wolfenstein has always held a special place in my heart. I haven't played all of the new games, but that's because I played The New Order and couldn't get into it and still can't get past it. I'm not nostalgic enough about Wolfenstein that story would hurt the series for me in that regard; I don't care about story in a game--I just want to play the game. TNO was just not a fun shooter. RTCW, on the other hand, is a solid, classic shooter.
I love WWII games and the WWII theme. Maybe that is a bit of nostalgia, as it was the main theme of many of my first games, and RTCW does the theme great. I'm not really into the supernatural aspects. I mostly tolerate it. But the gunplay and the level design are what make RTCW shine.
If you're looking for a classic shooter, this is it; if you want the best Wolfenstein game, this is it. It's frequently an unbeatable price, and the prevalence of several mods to increase replayability, make this an easy choice. Buy it and enjoy!
***First off - Highly Recommended ***
For just £4 currently you can own and play Return to Castle Wolfenstein Where as the latest Wolfenstein has stunning graphics for it's time, they lent heavily upon a more technologically advanced vision of the Nazi war machine, with Robots and Cyborg Super Soldiers Add in imposing concrete structures containing mysterious research labs and atrocities, along with gothic castles dawbed in Teutonic symbology and Swastika faced banners hanging. You have the reciepe for the nightmare B.J and his Squad face.
The atmosphere of Return to Caste Wolfenstein initially feels a more tradional WW2 setting. As you lose yourself into the story and setting, you are greeted by a flashback occurring long before events of the current day, what implications could those events have on this time ? The scene is further revealed as you watch a meeting within the wood panelled offices of the OSA discussing the current situation. The quest begins. Here you are in an Old school FPS Adventure, you won't find any markers showing you where to head next, no cut scenes introducing a new threat, no red markers above enemies heads magically showing positions, just you and your wits. The German forces are dressed initially in their traditional WW2 uniforms and equiped with weapons for the time, you could be in Where Eagles Dare. You can take on the task utilising stealth, preventing soldiers from hitting the regularly placed alarm boxes on the walls, which call in back up. What is cool is, whilst lurking in the shadows you can overhear guards holding conversations discussing rumours and strange events occurring at other parts of the castle and down in the village.
I would love to continue but your better off just playing this classic. Yes there's superbases and the hightech mixed with the unholy. Yes you will recognise characters, names and enemies . This game really holds up magnificently. At £4 too
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