Wolfenstein: Youngblood

Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a 2019 first-person shooter developed by MachineGames in collaboration with Arkane Studios (creators of Dishonored and Prey), and published by Bethesda Softworks. Released on July 25, 2019, for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, it represents a major departure from the series’ recent formula. Running on the id Tech 6 engine, Youngblood shifts focus from B.J. Blazkowicz to his twin daughters, swapping the strictly linear, solo narrative for a non-linear, co-op-focused experience with heavy RPG-lite mechanics.

Core Story

The year is 1980, nearly two decades after the events of The New Colossus. The United States and much of the world have been liberated from Nazi rule, but the Reich still holds a firm grip on parts of Europe. When the legendary B.J. Blazkowicz mysteriously vanishes, his twin daughters, Jess and Soph Blazkowicz, take matters into their own hands.

Donning advanced, experimental Power Suits, the “Terror Twins” travel to the Nazi-occupied city of Neu-Paris (New Paris). Teaming up with the French Resistance, hiding out in the catacombs beneath the city, their mission is simple: locate their missing father and dismantle the Nazi occupation in France. The narrative is significantly lighter and more “80s action movie” in tone compared to the heavy, emotional storytelling of the previous mainline entries.

Gameplay and Features

Youngblood radically alters the Wolfenstein gameplay loop, heavily influenced by Arkane Studios’ expertise in level design and co-op elements:

• Drop-In/Drop-Out Co-op: The entire campaign is designed to be played cooperatively. You choose to play as either Jess or Soph, while the other sister is controlled by a friend online or by an AI companion. The “Buddy Pass” edition even allowed players to invite a friend to play for free.
• RPG Mechanics: Enemies now have health bars, levels, and specific armor types. The twins must level up, acquire ability points, and purchase upgrades for their Power Suits and weapons using silver coins found throughout the world to take on higher-level areas.
• Non-Linear Level Design: Thanks to Arkane’s involvement, Neu-Paris is split into several large, open-ended districts. Players can tackle missions in various orders, utilizing the verticality provided by the Power Suits’ double-jump to find multiple paths into Nazi strongholds.
• Pep Signals: The sisters can throw up hand gestures (like “thumbs up” or “metal horns”) to grant temporary buffs to each other, such as restoring health or armor during intense firefights.
• The “Brother” Towers: The core objective of the game revolves around infiltrating and conquering three massive Nazi control towers (Brother 1, 2, and 3) scattered across the city, requiring coordination and upgraded gear to survive.

PC Version

Like The New Colossus, the PC version of Youngblood benefits immensely from the id Tech 6 engine and Vulkan API support. It also introduced Ray Tracing (for reflections) and DLSS post-launch, making the neon-drenched streets of 1980s Neu-Paris look incredibly striking on compatible hardware. It remains a highly optimized experience, perfect for high-framerate co-op action.

Console Versions

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions run at a stable 60 frames per second, ensuring the fast-paced gunplay feels as snappy as expected. The Nintendo Switch version, again ported by Panic Button, handles the co-op action surprisingly well, though it makes significant sacrifices in resolution and texture quality to maintain a playable framerate (targeting 30 FPS).

Quick Note

Wolfenstein: Youngblood is often considered a divisive entry in the franchise. While the gunplay is as satisfying as ever and the co-op is fun, the introduction of bullet-sponge enemies, RPG grinding, and a lighter story frustrated some fans of the purely narrative-driven predecessors.

In short: If you want a deep, solo story, stick to the mainline games. But if you have a friend and want a stylish, fast-paced co-op shooter where you can double-jump around 1980s Paris obliterating Nazis together, Youngblood delivers an entertaining, arcade-like experience.