Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a 2017 first-person shooter developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks. Released on October 27, 2017, for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One (with a highly praised Nintendo Switch port following in 2018), it is the direct, explosive sequel to 2014’s The New Order. Built on the phenomenally optimized id Tech 6 engine, the game dramatically escalates both the chaotic action and the cinematic storytelling. This entry takes the fight directly to American soil, delivering a brutal, emotional, and unapologetically over-the-top crusade to ignite the second American Revolution.

Core Story

The narrative picks up exactly where The New Order ended. B.J. Blazkowicz is left broken, bleeding, and near death after his battle with Deathshead. He awakens five months later aboard the Eva’s Hammer, a massive stolen U-boat serving as the resistance’s mobile headquarters, only to find it under siege by the sadistic General Irene Engel. Confined to a wheelchair but still lethal, B.J. repels the attack and sets out on a desperate mission to liberate an alternate 1961 United States.

To spark a nationwide rebellion, B.J. and his crew must travel across the country to recruit fractured, radical resistance groups. The journey takes players through striking, dystopian environments, from the irradiated ruins of post-nuclear Manhattan to a chillingly peaceful Nazi parade in Roswell, New Mexico, and the walled-off, flooded ghettos of New Orleans. Beneath the explosive action, the story takes a deeply personal turn, exploring B.J.’s traumatic childhood and his grim acceptance of his own mortality.

Gameplay and Features

The New Colossus takes the established formula and injects it with faster movement, deadlier weapons, and new tactical layers:

• Mix-and-Match Dual-Wielding: Unlike the previous game, players can now dual-wield entirely different weapons simultaneously. You can hold a silenced pistol for stealth in one hand and a heavy assault rifle in the other, allowing for unmatched combat versatility.
• The Hatchet: B.J. trades his combat knife for a fire ax, resulting in some of the most visceral, lightning-fast melee takedowns in the series. Hatchets can also be thrown for silent, lethal ranged kills.
• Contraptions: Midway through the campaign, players can equip one of three unique biomechanical upgrades: the Ram Shackles (allowing you to sprint through weak walls and tackle enemies into red mist), the Constrictor Harness (compressing your body to sneak through tiny pipes), or the Battle Walker (deployable mechanical stilts to reach high vantage points).
• Überkommandant Missions: By collecting Enigma Codes from fallen Nazi officers, players can decode the locations of high-ranking targets. This unlocks a hit-list of assassination side-missions that take you back to remixed versions of previous levels.
• Eva’s Hammer: The U-boat serves as a massive, living hub world where you can interact with a colorful cast of characters, practice in the kill house, or play Wolfstone 3D (an alternate-universe arcade cabinet where you play as a Nazi fighting resistance members).

PC Version

Thanks to the transition to the id Tech 6 engine and its native support for the Vulkan API, the PC version of The New Colossus is a technical marvel. It is incredibly well-optimized, capable of running at blisteringly high frame rates even on modest hardware while delivering stunning lighting, particle effects, and texture fidelity. With uncapped framerates and extensive graphical settings, it is widely considered the definitive way to experience the game’s hyper-fast combat.

Console Versions

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions deliver a fantastic, fluid experience, utilizing dynamic resolution scaling to maintain a rock-solid 60 frames per second—a necessity for a shooter this fast. The Nintendo Switch version, ported by Panic Button, is famously regarded as a “miracle port.” While it runs at 30 FPS and features significantly softer resolutions and downgraded textures, the fact that the full, uncompromised campaign is playable on a handheld remains a massive technical achievement.

Quick Note

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a roller-coaster of wildly shifting tones, seamlessly blending heartbreaking character drama with pulp-sci-fi absurdity and ultra-violent Nazi-slaying.

In short: It is bigger, louder, and more aggressive than its predecessor. If you want a masterfully crafted, story-driven shooter that lets you unleash absolute havoc across an occupied America, The New Colossus is an unforgettable ride.