The war is over. Hitler won. An hour into Wolfenstein: The New Order, a brilliant first person shooter set in an alternate reality, you’ll want to join the armed struggle. Wolfenstein was a classic adventure from the 90’s. Bethesda’s version is a big budget, high octane, gripping escapade that will have you clinging to the controller like a shell-shocked war vet.
You play Blazkowicz, a grizzled soldier with a Scottish sidekick. In the opening sequence, you storm the fortress of nasty Nazi Deathshead in 1948, only to wake up in 1960, in an asylum where you’ve sucked soup through a straw for 12 years.
You embark on a search for the resistance, in a story that takes in robot Nazi hounds, prison breaks, and the odd bare bum. Armed with blades and bazookas, you can go in guns blazing, or employ stealth tactics. Either way, there’s plenty of freedom – both in gameplay and environment. Despite some unnecessarily gruesome scenes, The New Order, has nuanced characters, excellent writing, and the best shoot-em-up action since Half-Life 2.