Wolfenstein: Youngblood is the latest installment in one of the most iconic series in the history of video games. These are shooters in which, by playing the role of the tireless American William Blazkowicz, we can join the resistance movement and help free the world from the yoke of the Nazis led by Hitler himself. It will be similar, though slightly different, this time. Similarly, because it is still a nice shooter, and differently, because MachineGames studio, which was responsible for the production of the Wolfenstein series,invited Arkane Studios to cooperate with the production of the last part. As a result of this collaboration, Youngblood, in addition to the standard single-player mode, it also offers the possibility of cooperation with one friend. This version differs from the previous ones in one more respect - for the first time in this series, the protagonist of the game is not BJ "Blazkowicz himself, but his two charming daughters.
An old dog that has been taught some new tricks
In terms of gameplay, Wolfenstein: Youngblood slightly differs from the previous games . It is still a great shooter with a responsive shooting system and a satisfying amount of weapons. It still refers to the classics of this genre through the way of regenerating health, requiring the player to find medkits and armor hidden at the level. And invariably, it is great fun while eliminating the next soldiers of the Reich. Wolfenstein as a series, however, does not remain stagnant and, while stopping the key elements of its character, carefully adds more. Thus, it retains its core gameplay and is exactly what fans can expect from it, and on the other hand – it surprises them with changes in smaller systems. In Youngblood the system that has received some modifications is the one responsible for character development. Until now, the way to improve Blazkowicz’s abilities was to complete certain challenges.
This time, the creators reached for a more standard, although unusual for the shooter genre, mechanism based on gaining experience and advancing to the next levels. These, as you probably guessed, grant us access to development points, which we can distribute to develop appropriate abilities. The reason for introducing such a solution is another element that distinguishes this version from its predecessors. This time, players will have some freedom to decide where the heroines will take their next steps. This choice is important because the opponents in given locations also have their levels, so without proper exposure you will not be able to get to them. This is the worst part of this production, it makes the game lose its dynamics and become something similarlooter-shooter . Opponents are often able to consume all the magazines available to the player and effectively make him unwilling to play.
Ready? On three… One, two, three!
Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a game designed to be fun in cooperation mode, and it is clearly indicated in the structure of the levels. This version of Wolfenstein gives us the opportunity to go through most locations in two ways. One of them is, of course, the so-called loud option, i.e. full and direct fight against opponents in the old style. How pleasant and satisfying it is to deal with the Nazis, although – as I mentioned – not the only one. Of course, as an alternative to loud and brutal beating, there is a silent and subtle elimination of opponents. Despite the sweet blast in Rambo mode, it was probably this method that made me more fun. The production allows you to perform well-coordinated and coordinated kills quietly, which gives the gameplay a completely new dimension. It is great for getting into your sisters’ shoes and counting down to three with your partner on the voice communicator, hoping that everything goes as planned. And if it doesn’t … well,
Slightly different, but not necessarily worse
Changing the hero to the heroines makes the whole story take on a slightly different meaning. This time, the place of the tough and righteous national hero during the annihilation of the Nazis will be taken by homy, at first innocent and scared sisters looking for their father. Instead of threatening and somewhat funny texts from a war veteran, the demolition will be summed up by the joyful shouts of total amateurs for whom war is fun for now. It’s a bit less consistent than before, but cute in its own way. However, under this guise of simplicity, there is a good old gameplay that is not inferior to the previous parts of the Wolfenstein series, and it is enriched with new systems that, in the worst case, do not interfere with the fun at all, and – in my opinion – even diversify it.
We would like to thank Cenega for making a copy of the game (PC) available for review.
