Wolfenstein: The Old Blood

10 times better than New Order. Everything, every little problem I had with New Order has been fixed. Pros: -great art style -scale of Castle Wolfenstein is fantastic -more of fun mechanics, less bullshit -more freedom -great atmosphere -no boredom at all Cons -its the same shitty engine (though much better implemented) -minor render bugs

Game feels more like the original Wolfenstein 3D than the other games in its level design and ambiance with better textures and performance than “Wolfenstein: The New Order”! - Still the same texture popping issue as "New Order" even after creating the required folders under “C:\Users\[user]\AppData\Local\MachineGames\Wolfenstein The Old Blood” - at least it’s less noticeable. - Fun on lower difficulties but having played on “I am Death incarnate!” (Hard – 4th difficulty), the very first section felt too hard (length of combat) for an intro and was followed by a section with a “puzzle” which felt quite odd for a game introduction. - Some sections are quite harsh (stealth wise in particular) and I will forever be irritated to hear “Alarm” ever again! Also, it felt like cheesing through some sections was encouraged or even required. The checkpoint system feels frustrating like in “New Order” but the Quick Load works almost instantly after death – which wasn’t the case in the previous game. - Unintuitive game configuration menu (need to scroll back up to Apply) and game doesn’t keep binding if you remove the original keybind (adding works) by example adding CTRL to C for crouch will save but replacing it with CTRL won't. These problems weren’t present in the previous game. - Additionally there are -SIX- small clips/ screens at start up that cannot be skipped every time you want to play: A video clip for the Publisher, a clip for the Developer, one for the game engine, followed by a corporate/copyright screen, then 2 warning screens – the second of which you need to press ENTER to proceed - then another ENTER, then select a profile then ENTER to proceed – then you are at the main menu! It feels bad just describing it here... Recommended to play something quite different from “New Order” yet that fits properly as a prequel. I remembered most of the section of the game vs. New Order after playing after a few years P.S. I liked the first antagonist; sorry Greta!!!

Wolfenstein: Old Blood was my first Wolfenstein game and ignited my love of this franchise. Made as a throwback to the older Wolfensteins, especially Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Old Blood is an all-around fun action romp with just enough heart to give the fairly straight-forward story a little kick. You play as Nazi killing enthusiast BJ Blaskowitz as he's sent to infiltrate Castle Wolfenstein to recover vital intel for toppling the Third Reich in an alt-history 1946 where they're poised to win World War II. You'll primarily shoot, stab and slaughter your way through a good variety of rustic locations and it's a load of fun. Despite being a modern action game, it has some touches from 90's shooters I appreciate. You will mostly need to depend on health kits and armor pick-ups, which I prefer since it makes encounters more tense if you can't just hide until you're fully healed. You can also be sneaky in most of the major locations, which is fun in its own right. It's more GoldenEye than Hitman. You slink around and quietly murder everyone and if you're spotted you just switch right into guns a-blazin' to wipe everyone out. This game in particular also has a few little hidden areas reminiscent of the plethora of secret rooms of older shooters. The story's largely an excuse plot to move you from point A to B, but both the baddies and supporting cast are given just enough screen time and personality you get a feel for them. You'll want to pay back the villains for what they do and I find a certain late game outcome very memorable for how they respective characters' react to you saving them. My biggest complaint is I would have liked more replay value. There's a score attack mode that let's you replay certain sections, but feels half-baked. Beyond that and collectibles, you're largely done once you finish the story, which isn't terribly long (although I don't mind that, it feels like there's no padding). It's good fun for anyone craving some Nazi slaughter. =)

While it is somewhat overlooked, The Old Blood may be my favorite game of the new Wolfenstein saga. It simultaneously manages to reproduce the vibe of older entries, build up on the strengths of The New Order, and still bring a lot of novel elements on the table. The gunplay is similar to TNO’s, but improves on a bunch of things and solves some of its design issues. Heavily-armored enemies are not just annoying bullet sponges anymore, and go down quickly if you manage to target their weak point; overall, the way the new guns handle and how the fight areas are thought-out make combats a bit more enjoyable than they already were. The levels themselves are big, well-paced, and have you exploring a satisfying variety of environments, often seamlessly switching between gameplay types. The only things I have mixed feelings about are that the game still feels too much like a cover shooter, and strongly incites you to play stealthily - although sneaking up on commanders is still a lot of fun. Plot-wise, it’s a compelling trip through Nazi castles, small villages and forgotten ruins, relying heavily on occult themes and old-school horror imagery; if the dieselpunk world of The New Order didn't resonate with you, there’s probably something for you here. Cutscenes are used more conservatively, but their tone is still pretty bleak and not for the faintest of hearts. It’s worth noting that the structure and aesthetic of the campaign borrows heavily from 2002’s Return to Castle Wolfenstein, IMO the best game in the saga; in fact, it feels almost like a remake of its two first missions, with the story playing out in a fairly similar manner and echoing many of its most memorable scenes and levels. Perfectly fine with me. In short: the gameplay is great, the atmosphere and writing are solid, and it manages to distill the best of Wolfenstein into something that feels fresh and new. To me, this is one of the strongest entries in this series, and a game I gladly recommend.