Wolfenstein: The New Order

Overall, Wolfenstein: The New Order isn’t exactly the best FPS on the market. Its mechanics are shallow, its gunplay is simple, and its story is something out of World War II obsessive’s wet dream. However, the things it gets right it does really well. The stealth is handled perfectly, the inventory and character progression are really well done, and the combination of regenerating health and pickups is actually something I wouldn’t mind seeing in future shooters.

Wolfenstein: The New Order is the melding of your typical, everyday shooter with quality writing and a cast of believable and relatable characters. Machinegames' more grounded treatment of the often way over-the-top alternate Nazi history is also a nice touch, and while The New Order is in no way, shape, or form a simulation of the real world, its 10-to-12 hour campaign can certainly make you stop and wonder more than, say, Raven's 2009's occult-centric Wolfenstein reboot.

The New Order's got all the workings of a classic shooter. But in their trip back to the well, Machine Games has brought all of its talents to bear. The New Order is held together, even rocketed beyond the basic sum of its smart levels and effective mechanics, by its characters. That humanity takes what would be a good shooter and makes it something truly memorable.