Since, apparently, #Steam won't let me post a review of Wolfenstein: Youngblood for some reason, I'll toss it here. Maybe it's a glitch. Maybe it doesn't like me saying 'Nazi'... about a Wolfenstein game.
TL;DR: A fun, optionally co-op side-mission to keep you occupied until BJ finally confronts Mecha-Hitler. It tries to introduce new (for the series) gameplay elements with mixed results.
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Make no mistake, 'Youngblood' is a step down from the prior Wolfenstein entries. Despite having a story that slots into the future timeline after 'The New Colossus', it's a minor departure from the standard MachineGames formula. And definitely the right call not to consider it "Wolfenstein III". (Apparently an actual "Woflenstein III" is still in the cards, but it's on a bit of a long-term hiatus, as I understand it.)
That said, I don't think this is a bad game, at all. It certainly captures the rebellious nature that the Wolfenstein franchise is known for. And if you're here for that, you're gonna have a good time. The daughters of BJ Blazkowicz are a pair of hilarious tomboys. They have a close, teasing relationship, picking on each other as siblings often do, but both unified by their sisterly bond and a thirst for Nazi blood.
You wouldn't think this would work, but it does. At least for me. I know other people have criticized the game for these two characters, but I find them a refreshing change from the grim. Not that the prior games didn't have their moments of humor [RIP Super Spesh]). But they're a pair of fun chaos gremlins, and I'm here for 'em.
The game advances the plot from the 1960s of 'The New Colossus' all the way to the 1980s, where we pick up with BJ and his wife are teaching their daughters how to fight. At some point, BJ disappears and the hunt is on as they scour Paris in search of him. Strangely, it bills BJ as the guy who killed Hitler, yet we hadn't actually seen that in-game yet. (Apparently, 'Wolfenstein III' will pick that up, as it swings back to the late 60s, early 70s?)
The gameplay tends to stick to most of the traditional Wolfenstein FPS tropes and technology while also introducing experience points and a leveling system that you can allocate points into. And you can upgrade your weapons several different ways using a separate set of points.
And, being a game from the late 2010s, of course it's going to have yet another currency based on REAL MONEY that you can use to buy additional items, though those all seem to be cosmetic. There's absolutely NO NEED to spend money to both max out the game and beat it completely.
It's a co-op game, but it's completely optional. And your AI controlled sister rarely ever gets in the way or lets you down. It's done well, but it often feels like it really is just you in the battle. (Which is fair.)
Youngblood isn't as linear as prior entries. It works from a central hub -- the Catacombs -- that you then use the city's Metro system underneath Paris to get to various locations. You unlock more locations as you go, but you definitely do a lot of backtracking. Each area is really huge, and has multiple missions inside of them.
One of the handful of real criticisms I have is that there are power-ups that you only get VERY late in the game that could have been far more useful earlier on. One particularly useful one, giving night vision, wasn't even unlocked until after I'd beaten the game; a testament to the open mission-based, Deus Ex: HR style design, versus the more traditional linear layout of prior games.
I remember being rather put off by this game when I first played it when it came out. but as I've gone through a replay of all of the MachineGames Wolfenstein games, I'm finding I actually kind of love it on its own terms. It's gorgeous. The combat is enjoyable. If you crank the difficulty up, it can be a real challenge.
And oh boy, do they fucking LOVE cracking Nazi skulls. They make their daddy proud.
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3.5/5
