Wolfenstein

Wolfenstein
Logo of the Wolfenstein series as of Wolfenstein: The New Order
Genres First-person shooter, stealth, Action-adventure
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Platforms
Platform of origin Apple II
Year of inception 1981
First release Castle Wolfenstein
1981
Latest release Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
October 27, 2017

Wolfenstein is a series of World War II video games created by Muse Software.[1]

The first two games in the series, Castle Wolfenstein and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein, were stealth-based and featured a 2D top-down perspective. The third game in the franchise, Wolfenstein 3D, developed by id Software, introduced a first-person perspective with faster-paced action. Because of this, it is widely regarded to have helped popularize the first-person shooter genre. In 2001, the series was rebooted with Return to Castle Wolfenstein, developed by Gray Matter Interactive. It was then followed in 2003 by Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, by Splash Damage. Raven Software's Wolfenstein followed in 2009. After ZeniMax Media acquired id Software, Swedish developer MachineGames released Wolfenstein: The New Order in 2014 and a standalone expansion Wolfenstein: The Old Blood in 2015. A direct sequel to The New Order entitled Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus was released on October 27, 2017.

The majority of the games follow protagonist William "B.J." Blazkowicz, a Polish and Jewish American Army Sergeant and his fights against the Nazi powers. Earlier titles are centered around Nazis attempting to harness supernatural and occult forces. The New Order and its sequel The New Colossus are set in an alternate history in which the Axis powers won the Second World War.

History

The first-person view of the player character, atop a destroyed bridge, shooting a Nazi with his machine gun.
The series presents a fantastical, action heavy take on the fight against Nazi Germany.

The Wolfenstein series of video-games started with the 1981 stealth-adventure video game Castle Wolfenstein, developed by American programmer and a pioneer in the early eras of computer-gaming (especially the stealth genre) Silas S. Warner and published by his (then) company M.U.S.E. Inc. (Muse Software); in which the player controls an unnamed American P.O.W. as he steals war files containing information about secret German war plans while avoiding or sometimes killing guards, and tries to escape the fortified Nazi stronghold 'Castle Wolfenstein', set in the World War II era. The game is often credited as one of the first video games of the stealth genre, since it focuses more on avoiding or disarming enemies, and killing them is always considered a final choice[2].

Ten more titles, namely Beyond Castle Wolfenstein, Wolfenstein 3D, Wolfenstein 3D: The Spear of Destiny, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, Wolfenstein RPG, Wolfenstein, Wolfenstein, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus have been published as games of the Wolfenstein series since the release of Castle Wolfenstein in 1981 by M.U.S.E. Inc..

The latest installment in the series is the 2017 F.P.S. action-adventure video game Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, developed by Swedish developer MachineGames and id Software (development and personalization of game engine technologies) and published by American publisher Bethesda Softworks under its and MachineGames's parent company ZeniMax Media.

Games

Timeline of release years
1981Castle Wolfenstein
1982
1983
1984Beyond Castle Wolfenstein
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992Wolfenstein 3D
1993Wolfenstein 3D: The Spear of Destiny
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001Return to Castle Wolfenstein
2002
2003Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008Wolfenstein RPG
2009Wolfenstein
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014Wolfenstein: The New Order
2015Wolfenstein: The Old Blood
2016
2017Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
Aggregate review scores
As of October 30, 2017.
Game GameRankings Metacritic
Wolfenstein 3D (3DO) 82%[3]
(GBA) 60%[4]
(iOS) 77%[5]
(PS3) 77%[6]
(SNES) 58%[7]
(X360) 63%[8]		 (GBA) 57[9]
(PS3) 77[10]
(X360) 66[11]
Return to Castle Wolfenstein (PC) 87%[12]
(PS2) 70%[13]
(Xbox) 85%[14]		 (PC) 88[15]
(PS2) 66[16]
(Xbox) 84[17]
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory (PC) 88%[18] (PC) 90[19]
Wolfenstein RPG (iOS) 87%[20] –
Wolfenstein (PC) 74%[21]
(PS3) 73%[22]
(X360) 74%[23]		 (PC) 74[24]
(PS3) 71[25]
(X360) 72[26]
Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC) 84%[27]
(PS3) 78%[28]
(PS4) 81%[29]
(XONE) 82%[30]		 (PC) 81[31]
(PS4) 79[32]
(XONE) 79[33]
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (PC) 78%[34]
(PS4) 78%[35]
(XONE) 80%[36]		 (PC) 76[37]
(PS4) 77[38]
(XONE) 76[39]
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (PC) 84%[40]
(PS4) 88%[41]
(XONE) 89%[42]		 (PC) 86[43]
(PS4) 87[44]
(XONE) 88[45]

Castle Wolfenstein (1981)

American programmer and also an employee of software company M.U.S.E. Inc. (Muse Software) then, Silas S. Warner was a pioneer of early computer game development, especially the stealth genre[46]. He had access to computers in college, and also when he worked for the IBM Mainframe architectures before joining Muse Software. The computer he used for game-development, P.L.A.T.O., was one of the very firsts with multiple functioning terminals and an example of early computer networks. Warner developed, with P.L.A.T.O., a series of classic video games like his flight simulator and arcade shooter. Inspired by the arcade shooter video game Berzerk and the 1961 war film Guns of Navarone, he developed Castle Wolfenstein, a stealth-adventure video game in which the player controls an unnamed American prisoner of war as he steals German files containing secret war plans, while avoiding, disarming or at times killing hostile guards and trying to escape the fortified Nazi stronghold 'Castle Wolfenstein', set in the World War II era. The game was published in 1981 by Warner's company M.U.S.E. Inc. (Muse Software).[47]

Beyond Castle Wolfenstein (1984)

A sequel to Castle Wolfenstein, set in World War II during Adolf Hitler's rule as Chancellor of Germany. The objective of the game is to traverse all the levels of the secret Berlin bunker where the Führer is holding secret meetings with his senior staff. The player must retrieve a bomb that the operatives have placed inside the bunker and place it outside the door of the room where Hitler is holding his meeting, a scenario bearing a passing resemblance to the July 20 Plot.

Like its predecessor, the game is a combination of action-adventure and stealth-based side-scroller, developed and published by Muse Software, and released in 1984. After the death of the original designer of the program, the widow of Silas Warner has released a ported version of the game, as well as its reconstructed source code in his honour in 2004.

Wolfenstein 3D (1992)

After the Nazis apprehend an American spy, William "B.J." Blazkowicz, who was sent to sabotage the enemy's regime and foil their schemes, they imprison him under the grounds of Castle Wolfenstein. Finding a way to incapacitate a prison guard, BJ manages to arm himself with a stolen Walther handgun and advance through the subterranean floors of the castle, on his way to accomplish his mission by uncovering the truth behind 'Operation Eisenfaust' and destroy it.

The game is noted for popularizing the first-person shooter genre, released in 1992, developed by id Software and published by Apogee Software.

Spear of Destiny (1992)

Set before the events of Wolfenstein 3D, the player assumes the role of William "B.J." Blazkowicz, who is set to reclaim the Spear of Destiny from the Nazis after it was stolen from Versailles. The spear itself, as spoken by legends, bears powerful effects on its own, and whoever took a hold of it, turns into an unbeatable being.

Like its predecessor, the game is developed by id Software, but published by FormGen Corporation instead, and was released in 1992.

Return to Castle Wolfenstein (2001)

Two operatives of an allied espionage agency, William "B.J." Blazkowicz and Agent One are captured by the Nazis and imprisoned in Castle Wolfenstein during their attempt to investigate rumours surrounding one of Heinrich Himmler's personal projects, the SS Paranormal Division. Agent One is killed during the interrogation, while Blazkowicz escapes custody, fighting his way out of the castle. As the challenge is still afoot, Blazkowicz discovers that the Nazis are constructing a plan called 'Operation Resurrection', which oversees resurrecting the dead as well as dealing with supernatural elements, using them for their own advantage to win World War II against the Allied power.

A reboot and a remake of the series that took off in 1992, developed by Gray Matter Interactive and published by Activision, and released in 2001 on Microsoft Windows, as well as arriving on consoles two years later.

Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory (2003)

Originally planned to be released as an expansion pack to Return to Castle Wolfenstein, the game was instead released as a free to play multiplayer title. It has no storyline or single player campaign mode. Instead, it has an expanded edition of the previous game's multiplayer. It was developed by Splash Damage and published by Activision. A commercial follow-up, called Enemy Territory: Quake Wars was released in 2007 by the same group.

Wolfenstein RPG (2008)

In yet another mission to investigate the Paranormal Division of the Axis military, William "B.J." Blazkowicz is captured and held prisoner in The Tower. Once again, he escapes the clutches of the enemy forces, and sets himself to stop them and their operation that involves supernatural activities once and for all, infiltrating Castle Wolfenstein to continue his escapade deep inside. It's up to BJ to defeat the evil and save the world.

It was never stated that this one title is part of any canon but its very own, more likely a spin-off that combines countless elements from previous entries, mostly Wolfenstein 3D, as well as having a character from another franchise, Commander Keen play a major part in the plot, not to mention, having one of the villains from the Doom series, as the final boss to beat. Compared to the other installments, Wolfenstein RPG employs lighter tone to the atmosphere of the game, never directly referencing the Nazis nor featuring swastikas, replacing them with comic reliefs. It's developed by Fountainhead Entertainment, and published by EA Mobile in 2008, with John Carmack, one of the key people to the original first-person shooter game in the series, reprising his role as the sole programmer.

Wolfenstein (2009)

An agent for the fictional Office of Secret Actions, William "B.J." Blazkowicz, discovers an unnatural medallion containing supernatural powers while on a mission on a German battleship. Learning the Nazis had begun digging deep into crystal mines to obtain more of the very same medallion Blazkowicz found, the OSA immediately sends their operative to the fictional town of Isenstadt, which the Nazis had taken complete control of in order to excavate rare Nachtsonne crystals necessary to access the "Black Sun" dimension. As BJ progresses through his assignment, things start to become stranger slowly in the town.

It is co-developed by Raven Software and Endrant Studios, published by id Software, distributed by Activision Blizzard and released in 2009 on three major platforms.

Wolfenstein: The New Order (2014)

This installment is a soft reboot of the franchise and builds an entirely new chronology, set in an alternate universe where the Axis powers won World War II. In 1946, as the Nazis expand their regime all over the world, OSA agent William "B.J." Blazkowicz is sent to assassinate the notorious evil mastermind, General Deathshead, a familiar face from the previous encounters, as part of a last all-out effort by Allied airborne and commando forces. The mission is a failure and, after the entire unit is slaughtered by the Nazi forces, Blazkowicz barely escapes the compound, sustaining a critical head injury which renders him unconscious and subsequently puts him in a coma.

In 1960, fourteen years later, BJ finds himself settled in an asylum, unaware of the events that took place during his coma, and about to be executed by the Nazis who have ordered the asylum liquidated. Awakened into full strength, Blazkowicz fights his way out of the building, escaping with a wounded nurse, Anya. Heavily irritated by the revelation of the enemy winning the war, BJ operates within the shadows to locate The Resistance and help them fight the Nazis, dismantling them and ultimately crippling their dominance around the world.

After Activision handed over the publishing rights to Bethesda Softworks, development on the game began in 2010 by MachineGames, and was released four years later on multiple platforms, including next generation consoles.

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (2015)

A prequel to The New Order, set in the same chronology, it deals with William "B.J." Blazkowicz and Richard Wesley, also known as Agent One, who are sent to infiltrate Castle Wolfenstein and obtain a top secret folder that contains the whereabouts of General Deathshead. The mission goes awry as they are discovered by the Nazi troopers and are captured. During brutal interrogation, Agent One is killed, but Blazkowicz manages to evade the Nazi forces and escape the castle.

With the aid of Kessler, the leader of a local resistance group, he discovers that the folder is held by Helga von Schabbs, a Nazi neurologist who has just arrived in the village of Wulfburg. Evidence begins to emerge of supernatural activities taking place under the command of von Schabbs, who is conducting an archaeological excavation in an attempt to find a hidden underground vault containing occult knowledge previously possessed by German King Otto I.

The game is a loose remake of Return to Castle Wolfenstein, with heavy resemblances noticed within the storylines of the two games, as well as the existence of various characters as homages to the ones from the older title. Developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks, the game serves as a stand-alone expansion pack to Wolfenstein: The New Order, and was released in 2015.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (2017)

Set five months after the events of The New Order, BJ Blazkowicz awakens from the coma he succumbed to in the aftermath of surviving a near-fatal explosion, residing on a stolen Nazi U-boat commandeered by the Kreisau Circle. After an attack ensues on the base orchestrated by Frau Engel, many of the resistance members are captured, and the leader of the group, Caroline Becker is killed. Escaping the clutches of Nazi forces with the rest of the team, Blazkowicz takes over the leadership of the resistance and proceeds to what would have been the next step in Caroline's plan to liberate America from the Nazis and use the country as a center base to free the rest of the world from their behemoth and monstrous regime.

Recruiting new members to the resistance along the way, Blazkowicz and the group intend to assassinate prominent leaders in Nazism to bring the public conscious into the idea of liberty and freedom, thus urging everyone to rise against the hefty powers who are running the government. But, before they ignite the operation, the resistance must attack and take over Engel's airship, the Ausmerzer, to disable its use against their own by the Nazis, and hijack its command systems in order to start a revolution, thus reclaiming the land of freedom that was once theirs.

Like its two predecessors, The New Colossus is developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks, as well as released on multiple platforms in 2017.[48]

Wolfenstein: Youngblood (2019)

Nineteen years after liberating the United States of America from the Nazis occupation in the Second American Revolution in 1961, the newest members of the Global Resistance, twin sisters Jessica and Sophia Blazkowicz embark on a search mission to France in the capital city of Paris when BJ, their father, goes missing in action. As they task themselves to locate and reclaim BJ, they must also fight the Nazi regime in Europe that still remains withstanding.

Developed by MachineGames and is set to be published by Bethesda Softworks sometime in 2019, the players control BJ Blazkowicz's and Anya Oliwa's twin daughters this time around. The game will be available to play on both solo and cooperative modes for the story campaign, and as such is a standalone spinoff title from the main series.[49]

Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot (2019)

Set 20 years after the events of The New Colossus, the protagonist is presented as a computer hacker working for the French Resistance against the Nazi regime. It takes place chronologically around the same time as Youngblood, albeit separate, serving as a side story to the main narrative.

Unlike its predecessors, however, the game is specifically designed to be a VR experience rather than an adaptable instrument to various formats.[50]

  • Commander Keen series (1990-2001) – William Joseph "Billy Blaze" Blazkowicz II (Commander Keen) is the grandson of William "B.J." Blazkowicz.
  • Doom (1993) - Doomguy is the great-grandson of B.J. Blazkowicz.
  • Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994) – Level 31 (Wolfenstein) of Doom II is based on the first level of Wolfenstein 3D, and Level 32 (Grosse) is a Wolfenstein-based level mixed with elements of Doom.
  • Quake Champions (upcoming; scheduled for 2018) – B.J. Blazkowicz appears as a playable Champion, alongside characters from other id Software franchises.
  • Super 3D Noah's Ark (1994) – Wolfenstein 3D with modified graphics and sounds.
  • Rise of the Triad: Dark War (1995) – Was originally going to be a sequel to Wolfenstein 3D called Rise of the Triad: Wolfenstein 3D II.
  • Wolfenstein 1-D (2011) – A demake of Wolfenstein 3D.

Film

In an announcement made at the 2012 American Film Market (AFM), producer Samuel Hadida and Panorama Media said they have tapped Roger Avary to write and direct Castle Wolfenstein.[51]

References

  1. ↑ Halter, Ed (2006). From Sun Tzu to Xbox: War and Video Games. PublicAffairs. p. 155. ISBN 978-1-56025-681-6.
  2. ↑ https://www.gamesradar.com/the-sneaky-history-of-stealth-games/
  3. ↑ "Wolfenstein 3D Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Wolfenstein 3D Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Wolfenstein 3D Classic Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Wolfenstein 3D Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Wolfenstein 3D Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Wolfenstein 3D Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Wolfenstein 3D Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 3, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Wolfenstein 3D Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 9, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Wolfenstein 3D Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Return to Castle Wolfenstein Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on April 25, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Operation Resurrection Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on June 1, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Return to Castle Wolfenstein Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 13, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Operation Resurrection Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on October 22, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Wolfenstein RPG Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Wolfenstein Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Wolfenstein Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Wolfenstein Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Wolfenstein Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 2, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Wolfenstein Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Wolfenstein Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 2, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Wolfenstein: The New Order Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on August 23, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  28. ↑ "Wolfenstein: The New Order Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on August 23, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  29. ↑ "Wolfenstein: The New Order Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on August 23, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  30. ↑ "Wolfenstein: The New Order Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on August 23, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  31. ↑ "Wolfenstein: The New Order Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 23, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  32. ↑ "Wolfenstein: The New Order Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 23, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  33. ↑ "Wolfenstein: The New Order Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 23, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Wolfenstein: The Old Blood Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  35. ↑ "Wolfenstein: The Old Blood Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  36. ↑ "Wolfenstein: The Old Blood Reviews". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  37. ↑ "Wolfenstein: The Old Blood Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  38. ↑ "Wolfenstein: The Old Blood Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 12, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  39. ↑ "Wolfenstein: The Old Blood Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 11, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  41. ↑ "Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  42. ↑ "Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Reviews". GameRankings. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  43. ↑ "Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  44. ↑ "Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  45. ↑ "Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  46. ↑ https://games.greggman.com/game/silas_warner/
  47. ↑ https://www.retrogames.cz/play_580-DOS.php?language=EN
  48. ↑ Otero, Jose (June 11, 2017). "E3 2017: Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus Announced With Release Date". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 12, 2017. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  49. ↑ "Wolfenstein: Youngblood stars B.J. Blazkowicz's twin daughters killing Nazis in 1980s Paris". The Verge. Retrieved 2018-06-11.
  50. ↑ "E3 2018: PREY AND WOLFENSTEIN VR EXPERIENCES REVEALED". IGN. Retrieved 2018-06-13.
  51. ↑ Vejvoda, Jim (November 1, 2012). "Castle Wolfenstein Movie Announced". IGN. Archived from the original on March 9, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
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