Five years after tearing Nazis a new one in Return To Castle Wolfenstein for PC, Xbox and PlayStation 2, "B.J." Blazkowicz is back on patrol in Activision's forthcoming sequel, Wolfenstein. The game, in the works for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, once again pits this hard-willed soldier and his platoon against threatening Nazi forces. As usual, his enemies are up to no good, packing heavy firepower and conjuring demonic powers with Black Sun technology. We recently got a look at it in action, just in time for this week's QuakeCon festivities in Dallas, Texas.
Raven Software showed us two unique levels. The first, called Midtown, shows city streets clogged by gun-toting Nazi forces. Blazkowicz took a back stairwell, climbed up a ledge and jumped onto a rooftop to get the drop on unsuspecting Nazi gunners. Of course, if you'd rather go in guns blazing, you can stay on the ground and nail the gunners with headshots while avoiding incoming fire. It's up to you.
The second level impressed us even further. Taking place at a later point in the game, the Nazis call upon demons to give them an edge. A huge swirling green vortex sits in the middle of the stage with damaged buildings surrounding it. Blazkowicz ran through the level, taking out two Nazi gunners' nests by sneaking from house to house. As he moved, we noticed a considerable amount of environmental damage, such as cars to blow up and crates to shoot through.
Our most satisfying moment came at the conclusion of the second level. Blazkowicz and his platoon found themselves in a "dead spot," with no open corridors to follow. Suddenly, a well-armored soldier, called the Heavy Trooper, burst through the wall and vaporized his teammates with a particle cannon. The only way to get around him was to activate the game's new sub-weapon, known as the Veil, which temporarily weakens his shield enough so that Blazkowicz can do damage. Once he killed him, he picked up the particle cannon and fried some Nazis.
Let's talk more about the Veil. This new device, tied in with the Nazi's Black Sun technology, essentially opens a temporary door that serves a number of purposes. First off, you're able to see Geists, spirits that float around at random, with it turned on. If you see one supercharged with enough energy, you can shoot it and watch it electrocute surrounding Nazi soldiers upon contact. Secondly, you're able to slow down time once you activate the Veil, watching bullets whiz past as you get the jump on your enemies. Finally, you're able to locate new passages that you weren't able to see with 20/20 vision. For example, if you see a stronghold filled with Nazi soldiers and don't want to get in their line of fire, you activate the Veil, go through the supplied opening and obliterate them while they sit in plain sight. Your usage of the Veil is only temporary, for a few seconds at a time. However, it doesn't appear to drain your energy, so it's not too limited.
Wolfenstein will have a multiplayer component but Activision wouldn't mention specifics. In fact, they weren't even ready to reveal a release date for the game yet. That said, you're probably looking at a multiplayer count in the range of 16 to 32 players, and a release date of early 2009.
At this point, Wolfenstein appears to be a superior addition to the series and a splendid first-person shooter. Sure, we've only see two levels, but they gave us a taste of what we can expect from Blazkowicz. Lock and load soldier. Those Nazis won't kill themselves.
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