Wolfenstein (most enjoyably pronounced as 'Volf-en-Schtein') is one of the games originally responsible for giving first-person shooters a bad name for storytelling. Pretty much every Wolfenstein game had a schlocky plot involving zombies and nazis, and no one was expecting much of it when The New Order was released. But The New Order surprised the world with a fantastic story set in an alternative-history 1960s Europe in which the Nazis won the war. Reprising the role of B.J. Blazkowicz, you awaken from a coma and head into a fascinating dystopian vision of Nazi Germany. Blazkowicz is developed as a character like he never was before, and his love interest in Polish psychiatric nurse Anya Oliwa is actually convincing, as you root for the pair to get it on with each other... and kick the crap out of nazis, of course. The game mixes up scenes of extreme - almost comical - violence with some emotionally heavy moments, and this unlikely combination works surprisingly well. The New Order also gives players a unique degree of choice, where early in the game you have to choose which one of two characters lives and dies, impacting on the story throughout the rest of the game; a perfect indicator of The New Order's experimental approach to narrative.
Gamer, Researcher of strange things.
I'm a writer-editor hybrid whose writings on video games, technology and movies can be found across the internet. I've even ventured into the realm of current affairs on occasion but, unable to face reality, have retreated into expatiating on things on screens instead.
