Wolfenstein: The New Order

Wolfenstein: The New Order revived the legendary franchise in an alternate history where Nazi Germany won the war and by the 1960s rules the world with giant robots and concrete monuments. The player returns to the role of B.J. Blazkowicz, who wakes from years of unconsciousness into a world where the resistance survives in sewers and basements, and launches a one-man campaign against the occupation. Surprisingly, the game doesn't rely solely on action, spending plenty of time on quiet scenes in the resistance hideout, where the supporting cast becomes genuine characters.

Combat blends an old-school approach with modern comfort: the hero can carry an entire arsenal, collects health packs and armor, can dual-wield two weapons at once and reloads mid-firefight like in the nineties. Alongside that, the game also offers a stealth approach, where it pays off to find and eliminate the commander before he calls in reinforcements, so many levels can be completed in two very different ways. The structure is linear yet richly packed with secret nooks and collectibles, and one early decision also changes part of the story and available abilities. On Xbox One the game runs smoothly and stands out especially for its art design of retro-futuristic machines and architecture.

The atmosphere is remarkably heavy, the music alternates industrial beats with reworked period pop songs in German, which makes the whole world all the more sinister. Critics and players alike welcomed the return very well, praising above all that a purely action-driven franchise was turned into a game with real storytelling and emotion. The title proved that a single-player shooter without multiplayer can be both commercially and artistically successful. Today it ranks among the best-aging action games of its generation. Credit goes not only to the brisk gameplay but also to the fact that the game never treats its theme as mere scenery for entertainment. Anyone wanting to find out why MachineGames earned such a reputation should start right here, because no other entry in the series balances action and storytelling so well.