Wolfenstein

WOAH WOAH WOAH.

Wolfenstein? Is it 1981?

It is not, but just for the heck of it, we're going to have a quick run through of the Wolfenstein series.

Castle Wolfenstein (1981, Muse Software)

Castle Wolfenstein practically defined the stealth game genre. They did it first. But since they did it first, they didn't quite get it right (like when the Athenians tried Democracy). The game is viewed from a top down perspective, though characters and treasure chests are drawn from a sideways perspective. This makes them easier to identify, but also gives the impression that everyone is sliding around on their backs.

The nameless protagonist finds himself inside Castle Wolfenstein, deep in Nazi Germany during World War II. He must take as much treasures and intelligence documents as he can and escape.

Ironically, killing Nazis in this game is something of a bad idea, as your only methods of killing them are grenades, which make a lot of noise.

Instead the player must rely on stealth, wits, and the occasional disguise to win the day.

The game was a pioneer not only in the stealth genre, but also in game sound. It was the first game to feature spoken voices for characters. (Nazis would yell "Halt!" or "Kommen Sie!" at the player.)

Beyond Castle Wolfenstein (1984, Muse Software)

A direct sequel to Castle Wolfenstein, the player controls (presumably) the same nameless Allied Spy. Except this time, you're not just looting Nazi treasure chests. This time you're out to blow up the Führer himself.

Also you have a gun now. Which is still loud, but not quite so much as grenades.

Wolfenstein 3D (1992, id Software)

A reboot and reimagining of the series, Wolfenstein 3D defined the modern FPS, and for all intents and purposes, can be considered the first FPS.

The player takes control of B.J. Blazkowicz (Blaz-ko-vitch), a US spy of Polish descent. B.J. is in many ways, your standard 1980s action hero, and is in fact depicted on the original game box with his shirt off.

The game consists of three episodes, the first of which was released as shareware.

In the first, Escape from Castle Wolfenstein, you... escape... from Castle Wolfenstein. Pretty straightforward. Your escape is blocked by Hans Grosse, an absurdly large German soldier wearing heavy metal body armor and wielding two chainguns.

In the second, Operation: Eisenfaust, B.J. finds that Nazi scientists are creating undead mutants with machineguns for sternums (seriously) in Castle Hollehammer, and must stop them by killing Dr. Schabbs.

In the third, Die, Führer, Die, you have to kill Hitler. However, this is not so easy as you might expect, as Hitler is equipped with a huge metal suit and FOUR chainguns. Hitler as depicted in this form is listed as one of the top 100 best video game bosses of all time.

Wolfenstein 3D: The Nocturnal Missions (1992, id Software)

An additional three episodes, set before Escape from Castle Wolfenstein, but still depicting B.J. Blazkowicz.

In A Dark Secret, B.J. pursues and kills Dr. Otto Giftmacher, responsible for German research into chemical warfare.

In Trail of the Madman, B.J. searches for more Nazi plans and chemical research, culminating in a battle with Gretel Grosse (Han's sister).

In Confrontation, B.J. eliminates the Nazi chemical war initiative by fighting and killing General Fettgesicht.

Spear of Destiny (1993, id Software)

Another prequel to Wolfenstein 3D, the player leads B.J. Blazkowicz on a mission to recover the Spear of Destiny from Nazi possession after it was stolen from Versailles. While Spear of Destiny was only one episode, it was notably longer than the other six, and featured five boss fights. Trans Gross (brother to Hans and Gretel), Barnacle Wilhelm (a German General responsible for the theft of the spear), the Übermutant (an extra powerful mutant created by Dr. Schabbs), and the Death Knight (a battlesuit designed to guard the spear).

After defeating the Death Knight, the player obtains the Spear and fights the final boss, the Angel of Death.

Return to Castle Wolfenstein (2001, id Software)

Despite the rather sequel-y name, Return is actually another reboot of the series. Unlike previous incarnations of the game, Return to Castle Wolfenstein featured a very in depth story with a heavy focus on the Nazi interest in the occult and supernatural.

The player once again takes control of B.J. Blazkowicz, and finds himself pulled from military service to work for the OSA or Office of Secret Actions, a fictional spinoff of the OSS or Office of Secret Services.

The main antagonist of the game is Oberführer Wilhelm "Deathshead" Strauss, who hopes to create the ultimate soldiers via bioengineering and cybernetics.

Wolfenstein RPG (2008, id Software)

Wolfenstein RPG borrows heavily from Wolfenstein 3D, while being streamlined and slowed down to be played on mobile devices, namely cell phones. Combat is done in a turn based fashion.

Wolfenstein (2009, id Software)

Ah, now this is what we've been waiting for!

Wolfenstein is a sequel to Return to Castle Wolfenstein. The opening cutscene reveals B.J. kicking a whole ton of ass on a Nazi warship before being cornered by a lot of Nazis with guns. He holds up a medallion, and it shields him from their bullets before magically vaporizing all of them. B.J. escapes via airplane as the ship explodes. Upon his return to OSA headquarters, he is assigned a new mission. He is to go to the fictional German city of Isentadt and meet with Caroline Becker, leader of the Kreisau Circle, an anti-Nazi resistance movement.

The game is semi-linear in design, with Isenstadt itself being very sandbox like, though rather small, and travelling to certain other areas triggering linear missions.

B.J. has to take out the leader of the Nazis in the area, General Zetta, who is then replaced by Wilhelm Deathshead Strauss.

The game features eight guns, five real and three fictional, which can be upgraded throughout the course of the campaign by buying parts at the Black Market using stolen Nazi gold.

One important element of gameplay is the Thule Medallion, acquired during one of the early missions. The Medallion offers several abilities, unlocked one at a time as you progress through the story, that are required to beat the game.

Veil Sight allows the player to view the overlapping area between this dimension and the Black Sun dimension, making certain passages visible that would not normally be accessible.

Mire slows down time while allowing B.J. to move at normal speed, making it much easier to deal with fast moving enemies or enemies that are difficult to kill from a distance.

Shield throws up a large barrier that deflects bullets. With upgrades from the Black Market, it can destroy enemies who shoot it, as seen in the opening cutscene.

and Empower makes your shots more powerful, allowing them to go through shields, take out heavy armor, or just plain vaporize Nazi soldiers.

Hans Grosse also makes a reappearance, eventually showing up as the final boss, wearing a huge suit of mecha armor and wielding chainguns, in an obvious throwback to his original appearance in Wolfenstein 3D.

The Bottom Line: It's definitely Wolfenstein, and if you're a fan of any of the previous games, I strongly suggest you check it out. And if you just plain like shooters, I also suggest you check it out.

Halo 3: ODST

Yeah, yeah, another Halo, right? That was kinda how I felt about it for a while. The reason I relented and bought a copy new was simply because everyone else here at school is playing it, and I enjoy being able to multi-player game with people I know. However, after popping the game in and playing it, I wished I had preordered it, just so I could have had it two days sooner (and gotten that shiny limited edition controller too). First element of awesome: Your squad leader is NATHAN FUCKING FILLION. Not just in voice, but his face too. And on top of all that, the character (Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck) is remarkably similar to Captain Malcolm Reynolds. To stack the awesome, Corporal "Dutch" Miles, the squad close combat and heavy weapons specialist, is voiced by Adam Baldwin, and remarkably like Jayne Cobb, and the squad Demolitions Expert (and pilot) is voiced by Alan Tudyk. I had a total Firefly-gasm when I found out about the cast.

Halo 3: ODST was originally conceived as a small game (possibly intended as a downloadable content for Halo 3) to pacify raving Halo fanatics while they waited for Halo: Reach. During production, it grew to a full scale game. In the game, you take control of a squad of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (one at a time, of course) dropped into the city of New Mombasa, Kenya, shortly after the Covenant invasion of that city.

During the drop, the pods are scattered by an electromagnetic pulse created when a Covenant Warship enters slipspace. The Rookie is scattered the farthest from the course, and knocked unconscious on impact. You take control of him when he awakens six hours later, and scour the city for clues to the location of your squadmates. Every clue you find triggers a flashback sequence in which you take control of one of the other squad members.

But on to the aspect that makes or breaks any game (with the exception of any RPG with a really good story). Gameplay.

ODST is similar enough to Halo that veterans of the series will recognize it as the game they know and love, but different enough that those who disliked Halo for whatever reason might still enjoy ODST, should they give it a chance.

In lieu of shields, the ODSTs have stamina, which may remind some gamers of Call of Duty games. After taking a certain amount of damage, the screen will take on a red tint and you will hear your Marine gasping and grunting, indicating that your stamina is down. Low stamina does not affect your combat performance, but if you take damage when your stamina is depleted, it will cause damage to your health. Stamina will refill if you avoid taking damage for a short period of time, though it does not recharge as fast as a SPARTAN's shields, nor can it take as much damage. Health, on the other hand, does not recharge normally. To refill lost health, you must find a medkit, or biogel, or whatever they call it (it's all the same). Incidentally, if you grab one when your stamina is depleted, it will instantly refill your stamina, even if you are under fire.

As logic would demonstrate, the ODSTs cannot jump as high or punch as hard as the superhuman SPARTANs, and when you couple that with their reduced ability to take fire, the player must take a bit more care to avoid running into the middle of large groups of enemies.

However, there were some elements from Halo 3 that I did not expect to be carried over. Like Master Chief, any of the ODSTs can destroy enemy tanks by jumping on them and punching the hatch until it breaks and killing the pilot. I do not fully understand how unaugmented humans have the ability to break tanks with their fists. You can also still rip turrets off their posts and take them with you. This alone is somewhat strange, but when you couple the fact that carrying a turret does not detract from your ability to run and jump, you might seriously question the folks down at Bungie.

Despite this, the *cough* tactical run-and-gun gameplay is solid enough to forgive these mistakes.

ODST also includes a multiplayer game mode called Warzone. For those of you familiar with Gears of War's Horde, it's exactly like that (only Halo). Players cooperate to fight off wave after wave of increasingly dangerous Covenant. This is the only actual multiplayer aspect of ODST (other than co-op campaign), but the game also includes a disc containing Halo 3: Mythic, which is just the multiplayer aspect of Halo 3 (presumably including the Mythic Map Pack).

The Bottom Line: I am very satisfied with ODST, and personally consider it to be the best installment of the Halo series thus far. If you are a newbie to Halo, this could be a good place to start, and if you're a veteran of the series, no reason to stop now.