Wolfenstein: The New Order Review Summary

Engaging and immersive story: The game features an engaging and immersive story with well-developed characters and an intriguing plot. Players appreciate the character-driven narrative and the depth of the storyline, which sets it apart from typical action games.

Fun and varied combat: The game offers chaotic and fun combat with a variety of gameplay styles. Players appreciate the fast-paced and satisfying gunplay, as well as the diverse enemy and weapon variety.

Enjoyable Nazi-killing gameplay: A significant aspect of the game that players enjoy is the ability to kill Nazis in various ways. This includes using different weapons and methods, which adds to the enjoyment and fun of the gameplay.

Issues with cutscenes: Cutscenes are criticized for being long, having low audio, and not being well-received in terms of quality.

Inconsistent AI behavior: The AI in the game is noted for being inconsistent and having behavior issues, particularly with enemy AI.

No online multiplayer: The game lacks any form of online multiplayer, which is a missed opportunity for many players.

Performance and pacing issues: Players have reported various performance issues and problems with the game's pacing.

Bullet sponge enemies: Enemies in the game are often criticized for being 'bullet sponges,' requiring too many hits to defeat.

Focus on defeating Nazis: A significant portion of the gameplay and story revolves around fighting and defeating Nazis, which is a central theme.

Story-driven gameplay: The game features a strong narrative focus with multiple storylines and character-driven storytelling.

Alternate history setting: The game is set in an alternate timeline where Nazis won World War II, featuring diverse locations like a Polish asylum, Nazi London, and even a moon base.

Polished and intuitive gameplay: The gameplay is noted for being solid, intuitive, and polished, with strong mechanics that are enjoyable and well-executed.

Intense and satisfying combat: The combat is described as loud, chaotic, intense, and brutal, providing a dynamic and satisfying experience.

Smooth performance on various hardware: The game runs smoothly on a range of hardware, from older systems to maxed-out settings on modern PCs.

Mixed graphics feedback: Opinions on graphics vary; some find them good or impressive for the time, while others note they are dated or have minor issues.

60 FPS cap frustration: Many players are frustrated with the game's locked 60 FPS cap, which prevents higher refresh rates even on capable hardware.

Stability and optimization praised: The game is noted for its stable performance and good optimization, even on lower-end hardware.

Sound design praised: The game's sound design, including atmospheric soundscapes and voice acting, is highly praised.

Highly recommended game: The game is highly recommended by many players, often described as a must-play and given high ratings such as 10/10.

Modern masterpiece with great storytelling: The game is described as a modern masterpiece that demonstrates how shooters can tell great stories.

Play 'The Old Blood' first: For a complete narrative experience, it is recommended to play 'The Old Blood' before this game.

Worth the price even without a discount: Some players feel the game is worth the price even without a discount, while others recommend buying it on sale.

Recommended for action and war game fans: The game is particularly recommended for those who enjoy action-packed campaigns and war games.

Community fair range: $3.00 - $20.00.

Game completion: 19.0h.

Story completion: 12.0h.

Session length: 2.0h.

The game initially presents challenges and a steep learning curve, but becomes more enjoyable as players engage with its mechanics and progression systems. The mix of stealth and combat, along with a smooth progression system, contributes to a satisfying experience once the initial hurdles are overcome.

Reported time to anchor: 2h.

Friction: Steep learning curve; Challenging initial missions; Repetitive stealth mechanics.

Story-First Explorer: Explores all narrative elements, engages with characters, and seeks out lore. Motivation: Story and character development. Stance: buy.

Combat Thrill-Seeker: Seeks out intense combat scenarios, enjoys boss fights, and appreciates cinematic action sequences. Motivation: Exciting and challenging combat. Stance: buy.

Completionist Collector: Systematically explores all areas, collects all items, and achieves all in-game goals. Motivation: Completing all aspects of the game. Stance: sale.

The game generally performs well on higher VRAM configurations, with notable issues arising in lower VRAM setups. Players with 8GB VRAM or less often report performance problems, while those with higher VRAM configurations experience smoother gameplay with some requiring mods or tweaks for optimal performance.

Windows <8GB VRAM: mixed. Performance varies widely, with some users experiencing smooth gameplay at 60 FPS while others report significant issues like crashes and freezes.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: positive. Generally good performance, though some users report FPS drops and the need for mods to achieve optimal performance.

Windows 12-15GB VRAM: positive. Smooth performance overall, with some users noting the need for mods to unlock higher FPS and minor issues with certain tweaks.

Steam Deck: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience reveals a mix of positive and negative aspects. While the game is praised for its performance and controls, there are notable issues with stability and the lack of cloud saves. Graphics quality is a mixed bag, with some users experiencing issues with anti-aliasing. Overall, the game seems to offer a good experience on the Steam Deck but requires some tweaking and improvements to address the reported issues.

Linux and Proton: The game has a mixed experience on Linux. While some users report that it runs well out of the box with Proton and the latest Nvidia drivers, others face significant issues with Vulkan and account creation. These problems require additional steps or workarounds, indicating that while the game is playable on Linux, it may require some tweaking for optimal performance.

External guides: The primary issue identified in the user feedback is related to technical problems, specifically system freezes during cutscenes and bugs related to alt-tabbing. These issues are severe and significantly detract from the overall user experience.

Content warnings needed: Reviews mentioned the presence of sexual content and other potentially disturbing elements like thanatophobia and helplessness.

Concerns about graphic violence: Multiple reviews highlighted concerns about the graphic violence present in the game.

Accessibility issues: Some players pointed out issues related to photosensitive epilepsy and visual shocks, suggesting a need for accessibility considerations.

Nostalgia for original game: Some players mentioned playing the original Castle Wolfenstein on the Apple II Plus, indicating a sense of nostalgia.