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Overview
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is the eleventh entry in the Wolfenstein series and a direct sequel to 2014's The New Order. Set in 1961 America under Nazi occupation, it follows William "B.J." Blazkowicz as he attempts to unite scattered resistance cells and ignite a second American Revolution. MachineGames built the game on id Tech 6, the same engine powering Doom (2016), and the performance shows in every firefight.
The story picks up immediately after The New Order's ending. Blazkowicz is critically injured, barely functional, and still on the stolen U-boat Eva's Hammer when Frau Engel attacks. What follows is a chapter-based campaign that swings between brutal combat and surprisingly affecting character work. The Kreisau Circle's returning cast, including Anya, Fergus or Wyatt depending on a prologue choice, Max Hass, and Set, gets genuine screen time rather than being sidelined as mission-givers.
That binary prologue choice is worth flagging: picking who survives between Fergus and Wyatt changes dialogue, a few character beats, and some small plot details across the entire campaign. It doesn't split the story into two wildly different experiences, but it gives a second playthrough a reason to exist beyond trophy hunting.
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Gameplay and mechanics
The core first-person shooter loop prioritizes aggression. Enemies hit hard, health doesn't regenerate past 50 unless you find a kit, and the game rewards players who move constantly rather than sitting in cover. A cover system exists, but it's a fallback, not a strategy.
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Key combat tools include:
- Laserkraftwerk: high-intensity laser that disintegrates enemies and cuts through environmental objects
- Dieselkraftwerk: gas-powered grenade launcher for crowd control
- Dual-wielding: almost any weapon combination works, including two shotguns
- Hatchet: silent takedown option for stealth approaches
- Caroline's armor: unlocks new traversal abilities mid-campaign
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The weapon upgrade system is straightforward. Scavenging the environment turns up upgrade kits that unlock attachments and new firing modes. Nothing here requires spreadsheet management, which keeps the pacing tight.
What makes the story worth your time?
For a game about shooting Nazis, The New Colossus invests heavily in its characters. BJ's backstory, including a genuinely grim look at his abusive father and the America he grew up in, adds texture to what could have been a thin revenge fantasy. New additions like Grace Walker and Horton Boone represent factions within the resistance that don't always agree, and those tensions give the plot something to work with beyond the main villain.
Frau Engel is an effective antagonist precisely because she's not cartoonish. She's sadistic and methodical, and the game doesn't rush her scenes.
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Impact and legacy
Released in October 2017, The New Colossus landed to strong critical scores and holds a 4.42 out of 5 rating from over 23,000 players on PlayStation Store. The Nintendo Switch port, released in 2018, demonstrated the hardware could run a demanding id Tech 6 title with compromises to resolution but not to the core experience.
The game's willingness to commit to a dark, specific political setting rather than a generic wartime backdrop made it stand out in a crowded year for first-person shooters. The campaign runs roughly 10 to 15 hours depending on difficulty and how thoroughly you explore, with collectibles and Enigma machine challenges extending that for completionists. As a single-player shooter built around a strong narrative and fast, punishing combat, it remains one of the better arguments for the genre.