Return to Castle Wolfenstein

The Good
Gameplay. Graphics. Sound. Multiplayer. If these were the basic requirements of a good game, RTCW has it all and a dose of good quality that leaves the competition in the dust. You might have seen this in the stores with a hefty price tag and I'll admit it did make me wonder. So I bought it.

Never before have I seen a more complete first person shooter quite like this. Kudos to Gray Matter for truly using the old noodle on this one.

True to the original RTCW starts out within the walls of Castle Wolfenstein (hence the title) with a brief explanation of why you're there. Things go straight uphill from there as you traverse dimly lit, dusty and cobwebbed hallways of an ancient castle tightly gripping the handle on your overused pistol which looks like it has seen dozens of wars.

The environment of RTCW from the start is nothing short of breath taking and we're not talking about corridors with nice torches. Expansive rolling hills with Nazi encampment for you to infiltrate and reveal the secrets within. Underground labratories with gleaming sterile walls of steel and tile housing the hidden projects of true evil. Timeless villages ravaged by wars and more. Level design is not even a factor when considering the quality of this game. If it were a tour through Germany's history, I could believe it, save me the guns n' glamour.

Characters and AI both set RTCW aside from your average shooter as well. Not every game out there can say that the enemies will act as you'd expect them to in real life. Where most attempt, RTCW delivers with striking creations that will make you wonder if it's really a game. At this point you're probably saying, well great! What's the gear like?

Juicy.

While the animations leave some to be desired (discussed in the bad) the weapons are top-notch in their recreation of past tools of destruction our ancestors used. And the creative addition of fantastical arms allowed for a new notch to be carved in my gaming history books. We all heard about a great flamethrower but it wasn't a great thrower. It was freaking unbelievable. Not only will the stream of burning death please your pupils but the following effects as stuff burns... hoooweee!

Story in RTCW is another aspect altogether. While glitz and gore are all fantastic things to consider, if the story isn't there than you just bought Serious Sam. As opposed to the original Wolfenstein, RTCW has a very well-written plot taking you across Germany for many sensical and satisfying, yet mouthwatering reasons that will cause you to want the next page. While it is not as in depth as say, Max Payne or Metal Gear, RTCW does a good job of turning what some expected to be mindless Nazi stomper into a full blown game which will please for hours upon hours without regret or remorse.

On a side note, I will say that the multiplayer option in RTCW will please any and every fan of Team Fortress out there. If you're looking for a fresh aspect of TF to play with, here it is. I'm not big on multiplayer though.

The Bad
While all the features are all there to make RTCW a brilliant effort overall, it does have it's shortcomings as any game does. First and foremost though I will say that the briefings and cinematics are a might too slow and while this may sound like a mere nitpick I do declare that for a game of this calibre I expected more in the way of cinematic experience.

As I mentioned earlier in the good, the animations on the gear you carry is also lacking somewhat. However you will note that there is a reason for this. Upon witnessing your knife you'll notice a striking similarity (pun intended) between the original and the new. While it looks a helluva lot better, the usage animation is just as it was in the past. Simple, but effective. In my personal opinion though, this does draw away from the game. All your first person gear lacks somewhat in animation quality which is odd when you watch as your opposition flows about in perfect frames per second.

The Bottom Line
Overall this game is most definetly a must buy when weighing pros and cons. Return to Castle Wolfenstein has all the features of a great game, even the right mistakes, in a sense. If you're looking for a gaming experience with the right qualities to keep you captivated and interested for more than a few kills, RTCW will have you cutting notches all night long and loving it.