Preview: Wolfenstein: The New Order’s dark timeline

June 20, 2013

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The Wolfenstein series has always tried to inject an alternate history slant into the usual World War II shooter, but in The New Order, MachineGames takes it out of the 1940s and places you into a particularly bleak version of the 1960s.

What it is: The New Order takes the classic Wolfenstein world twenty years into the future, and a world in which the Nazis were victorious. You’ll play as series protagonist B.J. Blazkowicz, as he embarks on a mission to undermine the Nazi regime and try to save the world.

Why we’re excited: The action is very fluid and precise, and the promise of getting to use the futuristic weapons the Nazis used to take control of the world is enticing. The fact that this entry will be single-player only means that there should be no distraction from crafting a long and interesting campaign.

What we’re wondering: Traditionally, the multiplayer has been the driving force behind the popularity of Wolfenstein games. Without such a mode this time around, we wonder if it can reach the level of popularity that Bethesda is clearly hoping for. We also only saw two largely-unconnected segments at E3, so we don’t have any information on whether the story itself will be compelling or fail to live up to the premise.

 

Wolfenstein: The New Order will be available in the fourth quarter of 2013 for PS4, XB1, PS3, 360 and PC.