Wolfenstein: The Old Blood

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is a 2015 first-person shooter developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks. Released on May 5, 2015, for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, it serves as a standalone prequel to Wolfenstein: The New Order. Running on the same id Tech 5 engine, the game brings back the tight, fast-paced gunplay of its predecessor but shifts the tone to a pulpier, B-movie atmosphere. It acts as a loving homage to 2001’s Return to Castle Wolfenstein, bringing back the franchise’s classic elements of occultism and supernatural horror.

Core Story

Set in 1946, the narrative takes place shortly before the disastrous Allied assault that kicks off The New Order. The story is split into two interconnected campaigns. In the first half, “Rudi Jäger and the Den of Wolves,” B.J. Blazkowicz and Agent One are tasked with infiltrating the legendary Castle Wolfenstein. Their mission: steal a top-secret folder from the sadistic Nazi archaeologist Helga von Schabbs that contains the coordinates to General Deathshead’s compound.

When the infiltration goes wrong, B.J. must escape the castle’s brutal dungeons. This leads right into the second half, “The Dark Secrets of Helga von Schabbs,” where B.J. travels to the nearby town of Wulfburg. Here, Helga’s obsessive excavation of ancient King Otto’s artifacts unleashes a mysterious, dark energy that begins turning fallen soldiers into hostile, burning zombies (“Shamblers”), forcing B.J. to fight both the living and the undead.

Gameplay and Features

The Old Blood retains the excellent core mechanics of The New Order while introducing several new additions suited to its setting:

• The Metal Pipe: The defining new tool of the game. This versatile, breakable metal pipe is used for brutal melee executions, prying open doors, breaking weak walls, and scaling specific rock surfaces, adding a new verticality to the gameplay.
• Classic Occult Enemies: Alongside the standard Nazi soldiers and heavily armored Supersoldaten, players must face off against supernatural threats in the later chapters, shifting the combat dynamic entirely.
• Expanded Arsenal: B.J. gets access to era-appropriate but devastating new weapons, including the bolt-action Bombenschuss rifle, the heavy double-barreled Schockhammer shotgun, and the Kampfpistole (a pocket-sized rocket launcher).
• Challenge Arenas: A new mode introduced in The Old Blood. As players progress through the story, they unlock specific combat encounters that can be replayed from the main menu to compete for high scores and medals on global leaderboards.
• Streamlined Perks: The perk system returns but is more streamlined, focusing on challenges that perfectly fit the faster, more aggressive pacing of the prequel.

PC Version

Like The New Order, the PC version of The Old Blood runs on the id Tech 5 engine and its “Megatexture” technology. Because the game features tighter, more claustrophobic environments (like castle corridors and village streets) compared to the globe-trotting scale of its predecessor, performance is generally very smooth and stable. Playing on an SSD is still highly recommended to prevent any texture loading delays when turning corners quickly.

Console Versions

Unlike The New Order, The Old Blood dropped the older PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles to focus exclusively on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. This allowed MachineGames to push the engine a bit further, ensuring a rock-solid 60 frames per second at 1080p resolution on both platforms. The combat feels incredibly responsive on a controller, and the visuals hold up beautifully, especially the gloomy, gothic architecture of the castle.

Quick Note

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is the perfect bridge between the old-school occult roots of the franchise and the modern narrative focus of the MachineGames era. It’s shorter and more action-heavy than The New Order, playing like a high-octane action-horror movie.

In short: If you want to shoot your way through a gloomy German castle, dual-wield shotguns against Nazi zombies, and experience the events that led right up to B.J.’s 14-year coma, this standalone expansion is an absolute blast.