Wolfenstein: The New Order
Release Date: May 20, 2014
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360
Developer: Machine Games
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Polygon 9/10
Review
Author: Arthur Gies
The New Order’s got all the workings of a classic shooter. But in their trip back to the well, Machine Games has brought all of its talents to bear. The New Order is held together, even rocketed beyond the basic sum of its smart levels and effective mechanics by its characters. That humanity takes what would be a good shooter and makes it something truly memorable.
Metro 9/10
Review
Author: David Jenkins
In Short: The best Wolfenstein game ever made and one of the best single-player shooters for years, with a brave attempt to tackle serious issues and still have fun at the same time.
AusGamers 8.7/10
Review
Author: nachosjustice
While part of me is disappointed at the lack of multiplayer (more Enemy Territory anyone?), the lengthy (by shooter standards) and cinematic campaign was an absolute riot from start to finish, tainted only by the strange inclusion of back-at-base missions that included jarring fetch quests. Wolfenstein: The New Order is a fantastic blend of old-school tropes and contemporary improvements that warrants a second play-through.
Gamespot 8/10
Review
Author: Daniel Hindes
The New Order's combat intensity and variety have granted the Wolfenstein series a breath of fresh air, whilst still managing to hit the nostalgic highs that I expect from the series. It has injected some substance into the primal pleasure of shooting Nazis by way of an interesting tone that addresses the changing roles of first-person shooter protagonists. Through this, the game is both a celebration of the Wolfenstein series and what feels like a fitting send-off for it. The New Order could be the last hurrah of William "BJ" Blazkowicz, an outing which, for all its excess and bombast, is far from mindless.
Game Informer 8/10
Review
Author: Matt Bertz
Wolfenstein: The New Order is a positive step forward for the series after the last dud. Machine Games presents a competent shooter with more polish and a better array of characters, but ultimately the game feels more comfortable recompiling established conventions than it does striving for innovation.
CraveOnline 8/10
Review
Author: Jonathan Leack
As a result of Wolfenstein: The New Order's pacing and gameplay mechanics, it feels a lot more like a classic shooter than the games store shelves have been stuffed with for the past few years. It manages to remain interesting for most of the journey, presenting enough gameplay choice that the 20 hours don't feel like a grind. It's only when the A.I. falters that the game distances itself from you.
This isn't the second coming of Wolfenstein 3D, but it doesn't have to be. It's a simple and fun single-player shooter that has arrived to show that Wolfenstein is still relevant.
Time 4/5
Review
Author: Matt Peckham
There’s a flip side to The New Order‘s dalliance with moral depth (and concentration camps, and suicide bombings) as well. At one point early on, I had to approach from behind a seated Nazi commander speaking to his superior by phone. If you pause to listen to the conversation before knifing him, you learn, among other things, that he has children, that his wife is pregnant and that he’s hoping for a promotion. And then you’re required to kill him, because progress is impossible if you don’t (the alternative being alerting and letting him kill you, or quitting the game and calling that that). It’s a false choice, a morally suspect scene in which you’re asked to identify with your all-too-human victim before ending his existence. But you’re given no other choice. It’s kill or quit. And gamers won’t quit. They never do.
Spawnfirst 8/10
Review
Author: Karl Dodds
If you like to hunt for collectibles, such as golden Nazi artifacts, there’s plenty to keep you occupied here. However, the fact that the story can be completed in 11 hours and the game’s distinct lack of multiplayer make it a little hard for me to recommend a purchase at full price. If you’re a completionist there’s enough here to keep you occupied for 20+ hours, but that’s only if you want to see the outcome of both timelines and collect absolutely everything. If you’re the type of gamer to run through the story once and move on, I would think twice before you pay full price for this. - See more at:
http://www.spawnfirst.com/reviews/wolfenstein-new-order-review/#sthash.V6rRCwMi.dpuf
USgamer 4/5
Review
Author: Jaz Rignall
Ultimately, Wolfenstein sets out to go big, and it certainly does. Perhaps too big, as its flaws all seem to stem from the game simply needing a little more time to finesse – and perhaps it being too much for the team to fully do so. But, in the end these flaws don’t overly tarnish what is otherwise a bloody good shooter. While it’ll occasionally make you groan, and might sometimes make you want to hurl your controller across the room, in the (rather anticlimactic) end, Wolfenstein’s enduring memory is one of glorious guts and gore, magnificent vistas and maleficent villains, spectacular set pieces and a storyline that’s epic in every sense of the word.
Shacknews 8/10
Review
Author: Robert Workman
Despite the lack of multiplayer and fetch-quests that interrupt the blood-spilling action, Wolfenstein: The New Order is a welcome return to form for the series. Its gameplay is good fun, whether you prefer blasting enemies to bits or being sneaky-like. The beautiful presentation makes the most out of the new hardware, and it squeezes some impressive life out of older systems. Blazkowicz's return has a long time coming, but Machine Games has assured that it was worth it.
IGN 7.8/10
Review
Author: Colin Moriarty
Wolfenstein: The New Order is the melding of your typical, everyday shooter with quality writing and a cast of believable and relatable characters. Machinegames' more grounded treatment of the often way over-the-top alternate Nazi history is also a nice touch, and while The New Order is in no way, shape, or form a simulation of the real world, its 10-to-12 hour campaign can certainly make you stop and wonder more than, say, Raven's 2009's occult-centric Wolfenstein reboot.
Destructoid 7.5/10
Review
Author: Chris Carter
In many ways, Wolfenstein: The New Order is "First-Person Shooters: The Game," but it gets most of the important details right. It's weird seeing a Wolf game that's not developed by id Software (who is busy with Doom 4), but MachineGames did a great job adapting the franchise in its own way. With a few tweaks, the next iteration could be something truly special.
Escapist
Review
Author: Jim Sterling
This latest entry into the beloved Wolfenstein series accomplishes pretty much what it sets out to do - deliver a fuss-free roller coaster of setpieces and guiltless butchery. It's not exactly the most impressive of goals, but it's not without merit!
Joystiq 3/5
Review
Author: Ludwig Kietzmann
The greatest problem in Wolfenstein: The New Order, then, is a jarring inconsistency of tone and cohesion. The quiet moments in your Berlin hovel feel like they belong in a more contemplative game, yet each new mission dumps you into the next sewer or train with little substance or explanation. It's almost as if there's a tug of war going between the big dumb shooter and the attempt to be subversive, with the result being a game that's not really slick enough to be an action classic, and not dramatic enough to draw you in.
Eurogamer 6/10
Review
Author: Paul Dean
Wolfenstein: The New Order has all sorts of war stories it wants to share with you and it knows how it wants you to feel, but it's not convincing. Its stories are more sensational than poignant. It's a decent shooter with a good few impressive moments, but it can be buggy and it doesn't offer much you can't find elsewhere, with little to tempt you back when it's over. Where it most tries to stand out, in its narrative and setting, it often comes off as juvenile. Overall, it's built on an impressive world but it doesn't do enough with it, and as a result it's curious, but hardly compelling.
