Doesn't stand the test of time
Wolfenstein 3D is a pioneer that can be credited for inventing the first-person shooter genre. To celebrate the release of the new Wolfenstein game this summer, Id Software and Nerve ported the classic 1992 PC game to PSN and Xbox Live Arcade. The end result gives a great opportunity for console gamers to experience one of the most important games in history, but doesn't necessarily produce a desirable game.
While some ported classics like Doom and Duke Nukem provide some bases of entertainment, and stand the test of time to some degree, Wolfenstein simply doesn't. The game is filled with too much empty space, non of the weapons are interesting, and the design of the environment has aged horribly. All the levels are designed as mazes, so naturally you'll constantly get lost and have no way to know where you're at because most of the walls/rooms are gray. So there's this constant strain of monotony that plagues the game, and the standards of today's gameplay design has put this game in an unfortunate spot of unplayability for new-comers.
To add to this, Wolfenstein is fucking hard, too. I had to lower the difficulty all the way to make it through the game's six levels. You have a fixed amount of lives per level, and when you die, you'll lose all of your weapons and be stuck with the standard pistol with limited ammo. You're never in a situation were you're over-whelmed by the volume of enemies, but considering one bullet can take away 35% of your health is a tad extreme, and that's on the easiest difficulty.
Wolfenstein's shortcoming are not unexpected considering the era it came from. While its faults are completely understandable, it doesn't necessarily make it a good game. It's a shame that Nerve couldn't at least give the option for a mini-map. Overall, Wolfenstein 3D shouldn't be played for enjoyment, but for either nostalgia or by anyone curious of where Doom, Half-Life and Halo came from.
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