Wolfenstein: The Old Blood

From a mere gameplay standpoint, the zombies offer little more than tankier versions of regular enemies. It doesn't make for any more interesting gameplay and completely detracts from what makes the first portion of the game interesting. ...Wolfenstein: The Old Blood certainly doesn't lack action, but the more subtle moments that made The New Order stand out are sorely lacking. Gameplay is fun, if not a bit frustrating at times, but fans of old-school shooters will surely enjoy the strategic aspect to gunplay.

Clearly MachineGames has big ambitions and understands the nuance that can be evoked in the medium. And The Old Blood certainly displays intelligent action FPS design that's fun and effortless to play. Just don't expect the deep examination the game hints at to go anywhere. Here, the gloriously dumb reigns. Progress can wait. Long live The Old Blood.

MachineGames managed to improve Wolfenstein in ways that don’t diminish any of the over-the-top violence. At $20 you really can’t go wrong with giving The Old Blood a shot. If you enjoyed The New Order then you’ll feel right at home with this prequel. ...Somehow Wolfenstein: The Old Blood makes killing Nazis and zombies, the two worst things in videogames next to quick-time events, a fun and worthwhile time.

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is a fantastic follow-up to last year’s rebirth of the series. I hope a full-fledged sequel is in the works, but for now this definitely satisfies my hunger for more Blazkowicz. The campaign will run a little over five hours to complete, and for $20 that is certainly worth the price of admission.

Much like The New Order, there’s also a surprising amount of replayability to The Old Blood, considering the game doesn’t offer a multiplayer mode. ...Still, the thrill-a-minute gameplay from the previous Wolfenstein outing carries the day here—and when you mix that with some surprising replayability, The Old Blood emerges as a solid expansion to one of last year’s better games.

The biggest element that feels missing is the incredible character interaction from New Order. ...This is constructed as a fun trip through the best parts of prior Wolfenstein games, and it mostly succeeds in that mission. We wish it had crazier weapons and more complex personalities but it’s still fun.