Wolfenstein (PS3) 2009......... First modern FPS I have ever beaten. Going forward....

   




     I was looking on my Facebook feed this week and I came across one of the countless "Lists" that appear through out my day. Most are crap.... Top Celebrities Who Used to Be Skinny, and shit like that. But I do subscribe to one FANTASTIC newsletter devoted to one of those genres that fed into gaming early on and still does to this day. All I need to say is one word, Lovecraftian, and you know what I am talking about.Lovecraft eZine covers everything Lovecraftian, and publishes an EXCELLENT eZine    

 
     H.P. Lovecraft, the father of weird fiction. Sure there where those before him but he took it to the next level, and created a mythos that some people are convinced to this day the reality of. The Lovecraft eZine covers everything Lovecreft from the historical, to the comical, even video games. So when I saw the list of Lovecreft inspired games I had to check it out.
  

      I had just beaten a very Lovecreft heavy game in Wolfenstein 2009, on the PS3. A game I heard reviewed as being really solid, but a little too linear and simple. I hadn't owned what I would consider a modern console since the 00's when the PS2 launched. And the last FPS I could remember beating before that was Quake 2 on the PC. All of my FPS experience had been with the PC since the days of the original Wolfenstein, Doom, Half Life, Half Life 2, the staples of any 90's and 00 PC gamer. But even then I rarely finished the entire game. The last FPS I could legitimately remember beating was probably Quake 2. So having recently purchased a PS3 80gig for 100 dollars, I wanted something that looked new but felt old. Old in that GOOD way. That way which told a solid, simple story, with great twists, surprises, without confusion. Progressive game play mechanics with a learning curve that never feels like your being punished for playing the game. I wanted a few other genres but that's another post entirely. In the first major investment of games from a local reseller I picked up a game I never knew existed, but for $14.95 was certainly worth the gamble. I also purchased Dead Island, knowing it to be the exact opposite of what I needed to ease me into modern FPS games.
     Wolfenstein was the $15.00 gem I had hoped for, when I truly didn't expect it. After a particularly boring and thankfully easy week of fatherly duties, I really started to get into the game and see myself making progress. There is something about killing Nazi's, especially magic wielding, dimension splitting, mutated, undead Nazi's that is just so unique, it would almost venture to be an entire sub-genre all to itself. Your B.J. Blaskowitz out to kick some more SS ass and stop the 3rd Reich from building their Wonder Weapon...... Along the way you will be given an amulet which lets you draw upon the same powers that the Nazi's are using relics and science to weaponize. In the "Black Sun Realm" time can slow to a crawl, you can erect magical barriers, shoot threw enemy barriers, and a host of other abilities as you explore the games hundreds of hidden secrets. But B.J. can't kill Nazi's with some pussy old magic, nope he needs guns, and a wide variety. Each with its own power ups which can be purchased using the gold you find while exploring the games big, but not overwhelming levels.
      You can shoot with your standard sub, and heavy machine guns. Each with a wonderful sound and controls. The controls really felt spot on in this game. Which in hindsight is probably one of the main reasons I was able to sink my teeth in. Coming from a PC FPS background I was always , and still am of the opinion that the perfect way to control a FPS is with a keyboard and mouse.  Wolfensteins controls can best be described as forgiving. Which for someone who admittedly sucks at console FPS's I was very thankful for. Each of the weapons when fully  powered up seams more than a match for the situations it was designed for. In close quarters, use the flamethrower and hold your noes. Long distance stealth more your style? Use the bolt action to zero in on your targets and pop their head like a melon. The "veil" powered weapons pack the most punch, them being the weaponized version of the magic that powers your amulet. They can vaporize almost all of the typical enemies in a matter of seconds.

     Even with all that firepower you have to be cautious. The Nazi's are behind every corner, and will both actively seek cover and try to flank you, or get to a machine gun nest and wait for you to pop your head up to mow you down. I have only played on easy and normal modes, but i can imagine the higher difficulties being a meat grinder. While the plot is fairly linear, there are several side quests which offer more opportunities for gold, intel, and Tomes to learn new powers, and  bits of interconnected subplot.

    

     As I said the game is very Lovecraftian and plays heavily on the themes of other dimensions and the creatures who dwell there in. One of the games only real fall backs being that you didn't see more of the natives of the Black Sun Dimension. But the game makes up for this by making each creature that comes threw seam like an event. They are almost always boss or sub-bosses, and each one will have a particular strategy which must be executed to defeat it.
     The game does have a few flaws, such as the intel and gold sometimes being hid in exceedingly hard to find locations, I have played the first level threw several times and have never found all of either the gold or intel. There always seams to be one or two pieces that you just can not find. And since some really cool features are unlocked if you find them all, this can be really tiresome. And you simply have to search for the gold no matter what because that's how you purchase the firepower necessary to defeat the growing list of veil enhanced Nazi's.
     Its short , which was perfect for me, and gave me that confidence boost I needed to bite into games like Dead Island. But I can see how many modern FPS fans may think its both to short and to linear. I have a hard time jumping into a game when I am bombarded from the title screen with merchants, trainers, npc's and no clear idea of who or what to do to actually experience the next part of the story. Pacing was perfect for a game of its length.
     The games biggest flaw is the multiplayer. When I was able to find a game, which was rarely, the servers where always buggy, and the game was just not interesting. That's to be expected I guess with a only moderately selling 5 year old game. But I can remember the free multiplayer demo of Return to Castle Wolfenstein on PC having active serves years after its release on Gamespy. The demo alone could entertain for months. So that was a disappointment hopefully fixed in the new Wolfenstein , entitled New World Order. I plan on picking it up as soon as possible and hopefully it will retain the feel , and only add to its older brother. The 2009 title feels almost like an introduction, like disc one of a JRPG........ a lot happens, and you feel like you've accomplished something, however the trials you've faced so far are only a lead up to a completely different story. And if its used correctly, it may very well be. New World Order takes place in an alternate 1950's timeline where the Nazi's won the war. Hopefully our hero B.J. has escaped and is still keeping up the fight.
     No doubt some of my warmth for Wolfenstein is nostalgia. It's one of the few franchises that hasn't been raped, and impaled on its own source code. Id has done it for years and has shown they can still do it. It would be great to see them expand on the mythos, add some blatant Lovecraft into the mix. SS Deep Ones. :) The graphics still look great for a 5 year old game, and the color palette while subdued in parts, fit the feel and look of the game. It'll be a game I remember simply for beating and proving to myself I could still pick up a controller and get into a new game.
     Retro gaming is my passion and I love it. But this is that magical time, when the new hardware is out, but most games still come cross platform and compatible with the last generation. Prices are lower because everyone is switching to the new console but for now the PS3 still has enough juice to hold its own graphically and release some amazing titles like Last of Us. For those of us on a budget, the obvious choice right now, if you haven't moved up to a PS3, is to purchase one. With its healthy catalog of games, and new releases still happening, its a no brainer. And unlike the leap from the relatively weak PS2, to the powerhouse that is a PS3, there is really very little difference between the PS3 and PS4 ports. Conceivably they could continue to make PS3 ports of most games for the next few years.
     And why not? Sure you want people to buy your new console, but there are some people such as me that just can't afford the investment. So no matter if you quit supporting your old console, they still wouldn't upgrade till the price drops dramatically. So give us a bone, release everything you can easily port and sell the disk which cost you pennies to make for $50.00 a pop.
      My final verdict, I give the game a 7.5. Better than a lot I have tried, and with a lot of idea that can be built upon. Worth the price for certain.

     But what about Lovecraft? Sure New World Order is out, but its still new and fairly expensive. But there are other games to satisfy your Cthulhu craving. Try out the guys over at the Lovecraft eZine for a list which includes links to a bunch of classic, and indie games which can be had for FREE! I have also found what CLAIMS to be a Cthulhu Mythos MMO on PC called Monia which can be downloaded HERE. I don't know if its any good and would love to hear form anyone who has tried it. And for those of you who still have yoru old XBox, or a love for PC FP games, give Cthulhu Dark Corners of the Earth a try. Its one of the great hidden gems of the early 00's.
     Does anyone have a suggestion for a good Lovecraft game? A memory of playing or experiences with Lovecraft's works? Comment and share. I am back, and plan on posting on a much more frequent basis and may eventually even post videos, and podcasts on an irregular basis if I can find others interested in talking games, or all things retro and nerdy. Feel free to visit my more seriously toned, personal blog which features my fiction, poetry, photography, and plain ole blog posts at www.theconcreteyear.blogspot.com .  Some posts NSFW!