If the Call of Duty: Black Ops III announcement has made you nostalgic for blasting hordes of Nazi zombies, then prepare to have that itch scratched. Bethesda’s Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is available now via PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, and Steam for $20, heralded by this exciting launch trailer.
The Old Blood is a standalone prequel to Wolfenstein: The New Order, which was one of our favorite games of last year. Taking a page from Philip K. Dick, the game was set in an alternate 1960s in which the Third Reich had bested the Allies in World War II and had taken over the world. The Old Blood goes back to 1946, with the Nazis then poised to win the war. Our hero, a younger B.J. Blazkowicz, embarks on a deep cover mission for the Allies to investigate the Nazi Paranormal Division in Bavaria and dismantle whatever sinister schemes they have cooking.
The adventure spans eight chapters running across two connected stories. Part one, Rudi Jäger and the Den of Wolves, sends B.J. into the eponymous Castle Wolfenstein to obtain intel about General Deathshead’s compound. In part two, The Dark Secrets of Helga Von Schabbs, he follows the trail to the city of Wulfburg where a maniacal Nazi archaeologist is uncovering ancient and powerful artifacts that could give Hitler a terrifying advantage. It’s all marvelously pulpy, as is underlined by the retro Hollywood title themes.
In practice you can expect more of the bombastic and over-the-top action that we loved so much in the previous game. Nazi soldiers in power armor are joined by that classic, easy-to-hate video game villain, the Nazi zombie, and plenty of other paranormal baddies for you to stealthily stab or shred with machine guns.
We’ll have a review up in the next week or so detailing whether we think The Old Blood measures up to the high bar set by its predecessor, but chances are that if you’re looking for more of the same explosive fun, this is a safe bet.
