Wolfenstein: The New Order is arguably the best game out of the MachineGames Wolfenstein series and has a lot to offer as an FPS experience.

The story takes place in an alternate history timeline in 1960 (and 1946 in Chapter 1) where the Nazis are victorious in World War II by discovering highly advanced ancient technology and subsequently conquering the world. You play as an American captain named William J. Blazkowicz, who will do anything in his power to collapse the Nazi empire and stop his old enemy General Deathshead alongside the Resistance. The story is simple and an intriguing concept at a big "what-if" scenario in history while sprinkling sci-fi elements to add more flair to the story and gameplay.

Gameplay varies in a simple way; many areas in the game will give you the choice to approach them either stealthily or balls-to-the-walls firefights with squads of Nazi soldiers and robots, though some sequences require direct combat. While the gameplay is not as fast-paced as the new Doom series, BJ Blazkowicz is still quite satisfying to play as movement-wise and with his variety of weaponry, as well as the controls being quite responsive. The game can also appeal to both new and old FPS players (at least on lower difficulties) by having snappy movement for running-and-gunning and a leaning system for those that want to utilize cover. There are also many collectibles around levels, including some that may prove beneficial to gameplay, so keep an eye out!

BJ has a classic health and armor system that requires using items in the environment to refill, though health will regenerate to a certain threshold based on how much you have. The game includes a pretty linear perk tree system to help buff BJ with abilities, unlocked by hitting certain milestones during gameplay. There are also certain weapon upgrades to boost your arsenal, some of which can be missed. These can prove to be very useful, especially on higher difficulties where you'll need all the help you can get.

The main campaign is about all there really is in this game, though there are special modes to play it with if you solve Enigma Codes in the main menu by collecting them throughout the game. There are also a decent variety of difficulties, with the game actively mocking you for playing on easier ones and even when trying to close the game, giving it a bit of its own identity to its difficulty similar to Postal 2 but to a lesser extent.

Wolfenstein: The New Order is definitely something you should pick up if you want a gem in a sea of samey modern FPS games. The story is simple and straight to the point, bolstered by some varied gameplay that primarily lets you choose your approach, and some cutscenes every now and then to give you a break. It might not be as fast-paced as Doom, but it has its own identity and I feel it does well with it. While it lacks in replay value besides a handful of things, it's definitely worth the $20.

[i]Wolfenstein: The New Order[/i] is arguably the best game out of the MachineGames [i]Wolfenstein[/i] series and has a lot to offer as an FPS experience. [h1]The Story[/h1] The story takes place in an alternate history timeline in 1960 (and 1946 in Chapter 1) where the Nazis are victorious in World War II by discovering highly advanced ancient technology and subsequently conquering the world. You play as an American captain named William J. Blazkowicz, who will do anything in his power to collapse the Nazi empire and stop his old enemy General Deathshead alongside the Resistance. The story is simple and an intriguing concept at a big "what-if" scenario in history while sprinkling sci-fi elements to add more flair to the story and gameplay. [h1]The Gameplay[/h1] Gameplay varies in a simple way; many areas in the game will give you the choice to approach them either stealthily or balls-to-the-walls firefights with squads of Nazi soldiers and robots, though some sequences require direct combat. While the gameplay is not as fast-paced as the new [i]Doom[/i] series, BJ Blazkowicz is still quite satisfying to play as movement-wise and with his variety of weaponry, as well as the controls being quite responsive. The game can also appeal to both new and old FPS players (at least on lower difficulties) by having snappy movement for running-and-gunning and a leaning system for those that want to utilize cover. There are also many collectibles around levels, including some that may prove beneficial to gameplay, so keep an eye out! [h1]The Mechanics[/h1] BJ has a classic health and armor system that requires using items in the environment to refill, though health will regenerate to a certain threshold based on how much you have. The game includes a pretty linear perk tree system to help buff BJ with abilities, unlocked by hitting certain milestones during gameplay. There are also certain weapon upgrades to boost your arsenal, some of which can be missed. These can prove to be very useful, especially on higher difficulties where you'll need all the help you can get. [h1]The Modes[/h1] The main campaign is about all there really is in this game, [spoiler]though there are special modes to play it with if you solve Enigma Codes in the main menu by collecting them throughout the game[/spoiler]. There are also a decent variety of difficulties, with the game actively mocking you for playing on easier ones and even when trying to close the game, giving it a bit of its own identity to its difficulty similar to [i]Postal 2[/i] but to a lesser extent. [h1]Conclusion[/h1] [i]Wolfenstein: The New Order[/i] is definitely something you should pick up if you want a gem in a sea of samey modern FPS games. The story is simple and straight to the point, bolstered by some varied gameplay that primarily lets you choose your approach, and some cutscenes every now and then to give you a break. It might not be as fast-paced as [i]Doom[/i], but it has its own identity and I feel it does well with it. While it lacks in replay value besides a handful of things, it's definitely worth the $20.