Wolfenstein: The New Order

Wolfenstein: The New Order revived a fading series as a deliberate, story-ambitious first-person shooter set in an alternate history in which Nazi Germany won the Second World War and dominated most of the planet using advanced technology. The player returns to the role of veteran B. J. Blazkowicz, who wakes from years in a coma into a devastated world and joins a resistance cell fighting for the last remnants of freedom.

The Swedish studio MachineGames bet on a combination of raw, brutal action with an unexpectedly emotional and human story, full of quiet moments, moral dilemmas, and unusually well-developed side characters. The gameplay was built on a classic old-school shooter approach with dual-wielded weapons, health that only partially regenerated, and the choice between loud infiltration and silent elimination using knives and suppressed weapons. On PS4 the game ran smoothly and technically clean, with a striking art direction full of monumental Nazi architecture and industrial fortresses, accompanied by an intense, synthesizer-driven soundtrack.

Side characters of the resistance were given ample room during downtime between missions so that the player could genuinely experience their fates and build a relationship with them, which was unusual for action shooters of the time. Between missions, the player could freely walk around the resistance base and listen to conversations among its members, deepening the connection to a world that otherwise offered mostly a linear progression through chapters.

The New Order was received, both at launch and in hindsight, as one of the best comebacks of an established franchise, one that managed to combine old-school pacing with modern storytelling and an authorial approach to alternate history. The game launched a new era for the series, with sequels Old Blood, New Colossus, and the spin-off Youngblood, and is still considered one of the best singleplayer shooters of its generation.

Why play it: For players craving an honest singleplayer shooter, The New Order combines old-school pacing with modern storytelling and alternate history in one of the best comebacks of an established franchise of its generation.