Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

WARNING: This review includes spoilers for some thematic elements

As someone who is rather set in their political beliefs (going as far as unironically calling myself “The Snowflake” when I step into a wrestling ring), the America presented in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is downright terrifying. But not for the obvious reasons. Sure, Nazis taking over the U.S. is horrifying, but it's the way Americans are presented in this game that sends chills down my spine when I think about it. Over the past decade in real-world America, all the bigotry and prejudice that was present in every off-handed remark, joke, and descriptor whispered by someone who made sure to check their surroundings in case members of the group they're about to talk about might be near, has been bubbling just beneath the surface. In every question of if my college roommate was going to be white or semi-worried comment from a different relative about how “We might have a gay in the family”, these feelings have been slipping out in microscopic doses across the country for a long time. It goes without saying that over the course of the 2016 election cycle and the year following the results, some (but certainly not all) of this has been brought to the surface. The game takes these real-world feelings to their furthest extremes by examining the reactions of “real Americans” who live their lives by “traditional American values”, in the face of the most well-known example of authoritarian fascism in history. In Wolfenstein’s Amerika, the Nazis brought over their ideology of Aryan supremacy after conquering the United States and the terror comes from the fact that many Americans are fine with it. Littered throughout Wolfenstein’s levels are newspaper clippings that are written from the perspective of certain Americans adjusting to their new leadership, and while some are completely accepting of it, those who aren't entirely fine with it are still conforming to the Nazis to save themselves from suffering the same fate as the "undesirables". Sure they have to be inconvenienced by things like changing their religious beliefs and learning to speak German, but it's a small price to pay for the White, Judeo-Christian Americans in Wolfenstein. The true narrative horror of this game lies not in the fact that Nazis took over America, it's that they were welcomed with open arms by the most outspokenly “patriotic” among us. Even though it is an alternate history setting, and even though half the game is hysterically over the top, there is an ever-present feeling that this satire of a potential past is holding up a mirror to elements of the present that could foreshadow a potentially bleak future.

Now that I'm off my leftist, liberal soapbox, Wolfenstein II is filled to the brim with some truly insane moments that left me in awe of just how confidently MachineGames was able to write the game's story. Not just in the moment to moment insanity, but in its memorable cast of characters as well, most notably, the main character. Even though this is the first Wolfenstein game I've ever played, I am aware of its history and seeing the character that was just a face at the bottom of the screen become one of the most interesting characters in the medium is one of the game’s most incredible aspects. B.J. Blazkowicz may seem like just another slab of meat with a gun when looking at him, but by exploring his past, he is made to be an incredibly sympathetic character. But no matter how sympathetic he is, he is still a man with many, many guns and a whole army of damned dirty Nazis in front of him.

As much as I could spend all day talking about the narrative elements of this game, I really don't have much to say about the gameplay. I'll admit that I played it on the lowest difficulty just so I could see all the crazy places the story goes. Besides being frustratingly difficult at times, it doesn't really differentiate itself from other first-person shooters out there. It's pretty straightforward, but in a game about shootin’ Nazis, there's not much else to ask for besides shootin’ Nazis. It has some shallow stealth elements, but most of the time it's easier and more fun to just run in guns blazing. The combat is what it needs to be but really feels like it could be better. After having played Dishonored: Death of the Outsider and Destiny 2 right before starting this game, both elements of Wolfenstein’s gameplay are serviceable, but rather weak compared to what else is out there.

While it may not be the best playing game out there, there are so many ridiculous and insane things to behold throughout Wolfenstein II’s story that I will go out of my way to recommend it to everybody who plays games. The way the game is able to balance the absurd elements with its more grim aspects is an incredible feat that kept me engaged throughout my entire time with the game. I will also admit that a not insignificant portion of my enjoyment of the game was based purely on political reasons, but there is still plenty to enjoy regardless of beliefs. Whether you came for the political commentary or you just came for some good ol’ fashioned Nazi killin', there is so much to take away from Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and I eagerly anticipate the inevitable follow-up.

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