Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

[falafel]

Is... Is anyone getting this on Switch?

I cant decide. Just getting into Blood and Wine so it might be a waste of money at the moment.

[Kelvin]

Is... Is anyone getting this on Switch?

I cant decide. Just getting into Blood and Wine so it might be a waste of money at the moment.

I'm almost certainly going to get it, but I'm playing through Hollow Knight at the moment, so it will be a few weeks before I do.

[falafel]

Mm, see i bought Hollow Knight too and haven't started it. Think it's probably worth waiting.

[The Boston Crab]

I can't imagine buying this game on Switch. It's meant to be worse than the first, no replay factor, fifty quid. Madness. There are so many amazing games on the system you could get with that dough. Just watch the cutscenes on YT, the gameplay and level design are meant to be wank.

[Bhazor]

Yeah full price is bullshit. Doesn't even come with the DLC.

But I'd say the gameplay is solid. Its a better spectacle than the first game with some great set pieces and the kind of dense level design that makes it fun to just wander around reading the posters and looking for unique little assets and collectables. But the story is way less cohesive and the ending is an absolute wet fart.

Worth playing but not worth $60.

Oh one thing I forgot to mention that I've not heard brought up anywhere else is the game has weirdly lazy texturing. It does that thing where it mirrors textures for the opposite side of objects. Except they didn't bother flipping the writing. So there are signs that are just written backwards.

[Bhazor]

Digital Foundry Switch Wolfenstein 2 analysis up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6b8FUSB89s&feature=push-u&attr_tag=nrhGNM_Ry3eWxyjY-6

Looks a bit of a mess to be honest. Incredibly low res rather than disabling any visual effects.

[Kelvin]

Is the game fun to play, though? I mean it might not be amazing, but I would like to own a decent FPS on Switch, and Doom honestly looks more repetitive than this.   

[The Boston Crab]

Mate, Paladins is by far the best FPS on the Switch. It's multiplayer online but it's so much better than this Bethesda shit. It's also going to be F2P soon but well worth the early access now for £20 and all the characters unlocked. It's a superb game. I played some Doom again this morning and it's just so inferior in every way, unless you only want a single player game.

[Kelvin]

I want a single player game where I can just tear through mindless Nazi's/Hellspawn, rather than an online multiplayer where I'll be the one getting torn in half by ten year olds.

I have reservations about both Doom and Wolfenstein 2, but I've heard so much good stuff, I'm tempted by both.   

[Bhazor]

Doom is definitely better than Wolfenstein 2 in that case.

The Switch version of Doom has improved quite a bit since launch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=204&v=4ycX6RxW7Go

[The Boston Crab]

It has but it's still pretty average. It looks like it's being streamed or something. I also don't rate the motion controls at all, even at lower sensitivity, there's a constant noticeable jitter and no I don't have Parkies.

A lot of people like it though.

[Famous Mortimer]

I love Wolfenstein 2, although I can't comment on how it'll be on the Switch. The beginning and end of each level is in the same spot, obviously, but there's some variation to how you can get through it, there's stealth options and shooty options and run-through-walls options...plus, you get to shoot fuck out of Nazis! There's one bit where you can kick Hitler in the head, but you're not supposed to and you die within seconds if you do it. I tried maybe 20 times to kick him then avoid the flamethrowers and all that, but failed every time.

[Famous Mortimer]

I just finished it, and I really enjoyed it. I liked the ending as a part of the story, even if the big main boss battle was the scene before that. It's got a bit of middle-of-the-trilogy-ness to it, but...anyway, lots of fun, and now I've got a few more Uberkommanders to shoot to bits and stuff to collect.

[Bhazor]

Some of the Ubercommander stuff is great. Make sure you do the BJ's childhood home mission its essentially a whole new extra level.

[biggytitbo]

It's not as good as the first one but it has its own pleasures, not least a superior story and some of the most audacious moments in video games ever. And one of the biggest laughs too.

[Famous Mortimer]

I just did all the Ubercommanders, including the last one who hangs out with one of those super-giant robots, who you only get to unlock after you kill the first 15. It's fun, they created an entire last level just for him, which you can stealth through, unless you just get a bit bored like me, get three-quarters of the way through stealthy then remember you're there to fuck up some Nazis and just start blasting.

Would've been nice to have Grace give you a pat on the back after you off all of them, but never mind. 

[Head Gardener]

[Famous Mortimer]

Why is Hitler using an XBox controller and scruffy teen using a PS2 one? Come on, photoshop pranksters!

[Shaky]

First time I've seen that and it evoked a very mighty laugh indeed. Hitler, eh?

[Famous Mortimer]

Has anyone played the DLC yet? I was looking at it the other day but it's not cheap, so...might just wait til it pops up in a Humble Bundle or a Steam sale.

[Bhazor]

I done the DLCs. I done em.

Very obviously just re-purposed from the main game. Some of which really doesn't fit. Like the one which is supposed to be stealth but just turns into a cluster fuck with some really awful maze like identical corridors. Do you have the demos in the VR machine or is that only if you have the season pass? Because those demo sections are the best sections of the DLC and they're shite.

[Famous Mortimer]

I ought to have a look at the VR machine, I was too busy doing the Ubercommander sections to mess with it very much.

I'd have liked a few more side missions. Even one which is "if you can get to this safe at the end of section X, there's a cool thing in there, but setting off an alarm will cause it to blow up, or something". Or a "New Game +" mode.

[Kelvin]

I bought this game in the end, as I just wanted to play a dumb, meaty shooter, and it's not disappointed.

I'll write up more of my thoughts later, but I just wanted to add my voice to the chorus of people who have pointed out how genuinely insane the plot and cutscenes are. The moment about half way through the campaign is one of the biggest WTF moments I've ever known in a game. That it jumps from stuff as mad as that to some pretty decent satire about American racism is pretty remarkable.   

[Ferris]

I got Far Cry 5 for mindless shooting, and I must say I am enjoying it. I bought a helicopter gunship and have been razzing around blowing up cows etc, and the baddies are all shite so no worries there.

Tempted by New Colossus - I don't think I've ever played a Wolfenstein game for some reason. Looking forward to your more detailed thoughts when you get around to them, Kelvin.

[biggytitbo]

My brief summary of Wolfenstein 2 is gameplay and level design wise its not quite as good as the first one, story wise its better and as Kelvin says, it really is jaw droppingly outlandish at times, and consistently fun and compelling. The ability to walk that fine line in subject matter like this is incredibly hard but they nail it.

[Ferris]

You're making it sound like something I'd enjoy. I'll finish up Far Cry and if I still feel like I have more room in my life for mindless gaming, I'll see if I can nab a copy on sale or something.

[Blue Jam]

Why is Hitler using an XBox controller and scruffy teen using a PS2 one?

Because the Xbox One S controller is white, duh...

Can't believe I didn't post my verdict here after getting The New Colossus for Xmas: Basically, you get to shoot a fuckload of Nazis with a giant laser and a flamethrower, what's not to love? I also love the way it combines serious comment on racism (the protagonist's father being the worst kind of "If you can't beat 'em, join' em" cunt) with a bit of whimsy (the ironic gripes about Americans being more into hamburgers than good ol' German sausages) and some truly outlandish stuff (the Nazis having a secret base on Venus, and you being able to visit by nicking a flying saucer from Roswell). Also the horror of General Theresa May Irene Engel being truly sadistic, and that scene with her daughter in the submarine- Sigrun Engel is an absolute ledge.

I noticed way too far in that, unless you're already fluent in German, this game is much funnier if you put the subtitles on. I particularly liked the exchange between the two Nazi soldiers comparing the catchphrases they shout as they kill a dissenter, like they're in a Tarantino film or something.

Finally, while I normally loathe collectibles in games, the Nazi pop records in this game are genuinely worth seeking out. The oompah version of House of the Rising Sun (which can be found in New Orleans, naturally) is amusing, and the catchy/sinister Changeover Day gave me an earworm for three weeks.

[Kelvin]

I'm really, really enjoying this game, despite the problems with level design in certain areas. As Blue Jam and others have said, it's just a very satisfying FPS, where you get to shoulder-barge Nazis into chunks, vapourise them with laser cannons, and blow chunks out of them with triple barrelled shotguns. On a purely visceral level, I can't think of many shooters that are more satisfying to kill people in - or any where the melee attack (a hatchet), is actually as satisfying as firing a gun.     

The plot is utterly ridiculous, of course, but it's so outlandish, and the writing and characters so good, that I honestly don't care in the slightest. It's almost unheard of for me to laugh out-loud playing a game, but I've done it multiple times playing this, in particular at some of their brilliant comic reveals. I think the fact it builds tension very effectively helps make the comedy more impactful, too. As does the fact it balances the broader, sillier moments, with moments of genuine horror, and very black comedy. In the town of Roswell, there's an American woman pathetically trying to suck up to a Nazi commander by bemoaning Rock and Blues "jungle music", which then goes horribly wrong for her, for example.           

As for the level design, yes, it definitely is confusing in certain areas, and especially in the 2nd chapter set in a ruined Manhatten. Lots of circling back on yourself, looking for a hard to spot alcove, or a badly lit ladder. Although it definitely improves after that, despite a few multi tier rooms that were needlessly confusing. Stealth definitely isn't your ideal option on a first playthrough, but since the game is clearly geared around fast moving action, that rarely feels like a problem. 

Finally, and this might just be a personnel thing, but I really find the setting and context elevates the experience above other shooters. There's just something so much more unsettling and impactful about seeing Nazi Stormtroppers marching in a parade through American streets, or seeing gigantic Swastikas hanging from banners, and it makes hitting the evil cunts with a hatchet that little bit more satisfying than some generic terrorists or aliens or militia.

So, yes, with a few levels left to play, it's a strong recommendation from me, but with the caveat that it's occasionally a bit confusing working out where to go, especially in the early levels.   

[Kelvin]

And just a few thoughts on the Switch port:

When I first started playing it, I was really concerned about how ugly it looked, especially in cutscenes, but presumably through exposure, I've pretty much come full circle, and now regularly find myself in awe that I can play something that looks so good on such an under-powered console. Yes, it must look awful if compared directly to the other versions, but the overall effect while playing is much more impressive than the ugly models in close up, and I can honestly say I haven't noticed a single framerate issue in my entire 10+ hours of gameplay. As someone who would always choose a smooth experience over incredible graphics, I'm very happy they made that sacrifice.

If I have any problem with the visuals, it's that it sometimes looks too dark, although I'm not sure if that's an issue with the port, or more likely, with the original game itself.   

Two other things:

1. The (optional) motion controls are great, and I continue to think they're a big step up from dual stick FPS aiming. Much more immediate and precise.

2. The difficulty has clearly been dropped and rebalanced since the original releases, so if you were put off by reports that the game was punishingly hard on release, I can definitely say that's less of an issue on Switch. People were struggling with even the 2nd lowest difficulty back then, apparently, whereas I'm now playing through on the middle difficulty (ie. one level higher) with little problem.       

[Kelvin]

Finished the main story last night. I had heard the ending was a real let down, but presumably because I was expecting the worst, I thought it was fine. Wrapped up the game's various arcs, without ending the entire Nazi occupation. Although the final 3 minute 'epilogue' level was so confusing to navigate, I actually burst out laughing at the sheer stupidity of it. Might be the worst layout since the section in Manhattan, near the start of the game.

Spoilers for near the end here,




but I couldnt believe the scene of Anya running in to save BJ, ripping off her shirt for no reason, and machine gunning countless nazis in a whirlwind of guts that showered her screaming, extremely pregnant, and now nude body. Just utterly fucking bonkers.



Gonna play through the 16 side levels now, although I'd rather a new game +, but whatever.

Great game, despite it's level design flaws. And if you can tolerate the texture drop, it plays really well (and smoothly) on Switch, too.