Return to Castle Wolfenstein

Return to Castle Wolfenstein is a well-executed update to id's Wolfenstein 3d from 1991. While the storyline is original (though it obviously rips from Raiders of the Lost Ark), there are a few technical issues that my anal-retentive brain just can't leave alone. Fortunately, I won't go into them here.

Once again placing the player into the well-worn boots of BJ Blazkowicz, the game starts you off just as the original did; you were captured and tossed into the dungeon of Castle Wolfenstein, and you just killed your guard. The start even looks about the same; You're looking at the door to your cell, the body of your guard in front of you. However, the original started you with his gun and 8 rounds. Here, you start with your knife (which looks like a Fairbairn-Sykes model), but you don't have to go very far for your first pistol (it's in the doorframe).

As the game travels through the Balkans, occupied Norway, and, of course, Germany itself, you almost feel like those are your hands holding that "borrowed" MP40. In one mission where you must escort a "liberated" Panzer through a town, you feel as though you're walking through a bombed-out city; piles of rubble line the roads, buildings look unsteady, and many of the NPC's you encounter have bandages applied.

My main gripe is that the members of the Wehrmacht you encounter speak in accented English. Sometimes, they'll say something in German (like when they're muttering to themselves, or when it'd be very easy to figure out what they mean), but when it's a miniature cutscene (the second and third people encountered on the Norway mission come readily to mind), the conversation is mostly in English.

While Return to Castle Wolfenstein may have some good level design, good weapons, good graphics, good sounds and very balanced gameplay, there is nothing in it that one would'nt have seen before in other games. They've tried to squeeze in a proper story for the game but at the end, the story becomes pretty useless and is entirely predictable. But as far as fun alone is concerned, it just falls slightly short of being a classic. There is unfortunately not much long term appeal and there would'nt be much of a multiplayer following for it either. Worth giving a try if can pick it up cheap. While it does have several shortcomings, it is still more fun to play than most games today.

I played and finished Wolfenstein 3D back in '92 (I believe that was the year...) and it was a great game! Following that game was the Doom series, then the Quake evolution, now RtCW. Using the powerful and beautiful Quake III engine, this game includes multiplayer and single player modes. This game screams quality, from the grand architecture to the brilliant flame effects. Tired of the monotonous deathmatch modes in Doom and Quake? Not to worry, multiplayer in this masterpiece is all team-work. Like puzzles? This game is full of difficult-to-find secret areas and interesting puzzles. But the grandeur does not end there! You will overhear important nazi conversations, read interesting documents, experience the awesome A.I. abilities (such as tossing your grenades back at you); and more! This title rightfully should be awarded game of the year. I give it a perfect 10! Hurry over to Electronics Boutique, Gamestop, or an other major video game retailer; and purchase your copy of Return To Castle Wolfenstein! See you on the battlefield!!!

It's still a class game I absolutely love it The best shooting game I played

Most people seem to like Return to Castle Wolfenstein, but they qualify their praise with criticisms and reservations.

Well, I have almost no criticisms. This game is simply the bomb. For me, it's a near-perfect blend of horror, wartime action and - very occasionally - gritty realism. The graphics are lovely, and the game simply has a cool aesthetic. I've always found Wolfenstein games to be much more attractive and engaging than, say, Doom, which usually takes place entirely in a dark corridor.

This version of Wolfenstein has a nice variety of missions, too. You fight Nazis in castles and chateaus, undead in gloomy catacombs, and robotic supersoldiers in a top-secret lab. Some missions are reminiscent of the ultra-tough WWII game Hidden and Dangerous, which involved lots of sneaking around and careful gameplay, whereas other missions are all-out slugfests. For me, the game's fairly frequent shifts in tone, pacing and emphasis aren't a weakness, but a strong selling point.

I also love the far-out villains. The armored undead are creepy, and thankfully not nearly as revolting as zombies from other games. But I particularly love the leather-clad babes with machine guns - they're a little sexist, I'm sure, and somewhat tacky, but they're also entirely appropriate for a game like this.

Sure, Return to Castle Wolfenstein has some flaws. The cutscenes are boring, and the dialogue is a little corny. But hey, I didn't expect a good script from Wolfenstein. I expected fun (and carnage), and I got it. It's prime stuff, and very hard to stop playing.