Final Wolfenstein review

[SUBMAN1]

Pros:

• It is fun to kill Nazi's with experimental weapons. Need I say more? This is its saving grace in a way.

• You can buy upgrades from the black market for your weapons from the gold you find around, though don't expect any fancy gold modeling like you found in RTCW - the objects are all generic.

• Semi freedom to pick a mission, but this is limited.

• Semi freedom to move where you want in the city, but this is just a long path to get where you need to go, and once you get there, you cannot leave until you complete the reason you got there for.

Cons:

• The reason? An example - I am playing on Death Incarnate - the highest level. The problem? With this kind of damage modeling, it doesn't matter if I stick my neck out and lay down on the trigger. All the characters suggest sticking to the sewers or the roof, but why? There is nothing in the street that presents any challenge. Just blow them away, if you get hurt, duck out for a second and continue laying down fire.

• The Talisman - its an annoying side show and the game can pretty much be played without using it, and it is recommended that you don't use it because it is boring to say the least. It never works well in the best of times. The only thing it is truly useful for is night vision, and this is almost a cheat in my book.

• Sense of dread - As above - The damage modeling kills this game for any sense of dread as found in any other Wolfenstein game. Its a walk in the park at its worst.

• Other problems include lackluster story. There is something dreadful about demons and such, but not about other dimensional creatures. id Software knows this and plays on it in every game. Raven - lost in translation. These creatures? Big Whoop. Blow them away and move on. The are not some hell spawn. Just simply ugly pixels to shoot at.

• Another problem, incoherent level design. It is a maze to get where you need to go. No building is laid out on Earth like this. No city is either. It's a confusing mess that takes away from the believability of the atmosphere.

• As far as finding one way, you need not figure out that either. You have a stupid mans compass that doesn't simply point the direction you should go and let you figure out how to get there, but it physically walks you where you need to go. If you have to take a right turn at some corner, just follow the compass and it will show you even where to walk. Nothing is left to the imagination on how to proceed in how to get from point A to point b. A wrong turn is not even possible. Completely a bad bad bad design that takes even this aspect of fun and exploration out of the equation. Did they think we are 2 year olds playing a mature game that have no idea how to explore?

• Last complaints - In addition to the above, id Software knows how to instill a sense of dread about possible things you may encounter in the future. They do this through communications and time limits in certain places (think stopping the missile launch in RTCW as an example, or an Uber Soldat). Not so here. A new thing? Doesn't even scare you. Blow it away and move on. It's not like you are not a walking tank anyway that can heal up in 2 seconds. I want to fight to get to health, not have it be automatic. Strategy is eliminated in this respect and all you need is an itchy trigger finger.

Final verdict - 7 on 10. Its saving grace is point #1 in the Pro's - killing Nazi's with experimental weapons. Worth playing, but pretty much bargain bin pricing. Avoid until its a $19.95 special.

-S