Wolfenstein: Youngblood

When you think about Wolfenstein, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Violent action with lots of brutal moments and no distractions, right? If you are expecting the same form Wolfenstein: Youngblood then you are in for a surprise. Arkane Studios and Machine Games developers of Wolfenstein: Youngblood has made a couple of changes to the new entry that made it different. The game is not much different from Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. I mean the action is the same but the health bars and enemy level just keep distracting you from glorious action.

Characters of Wolfenstein: Youngblood

The game act as the successor and sequel of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. The -story picks off where Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus has left however this time the year is 1980. The protagonists of series are also different. Instead of one main character like previous games Wolfenstein: Youngblood features two new protagonists. This time the protagonists are none other than the twin daughters of William Blazkowicz “B.J” the protagonist of previous games. The game features a Co-Op option for the first time as two protagonists have to work at the same time. The names of playable characters are Jessie “Jes” Blazkowicz and Zofia “Soph” Blazkowicz

Plot

The game begins with an average plot. Wolfenstein: Youngblood is focused more on the action sequence. The plot is still an important factor of the game which drives the whole action. Unlike the previous games Wolfenstein: Youngblood takes place in 1980 which is twenty years after the events of previous games. The twin daughters of BJ go to France to find their father. The game does not have a story-driven narrative like A plague Tale: Innocence. Story was not the objective of developers as there are fewer cut scenes. Instead, the game is focused on leveling up and knocking your enemies with blunt force.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood has a good story compared to some story less game. However, the caliber of the story is not at the level of some great story-driven games or even some action-focused games. The goal of this game is not the story but rather how you progress through levels and take down enemies. The story is not bad either it’s just an average one. Action and combat is the main focus of Wolfenstein: Youngblood. The previous Wolfenstein were linear which is not the case with this new entry. The game has the aspect of open-world so you have the choice which missions you needs to do first.

Gameplay of Wolfenstein: Youngblood

For the first time in Wolfenstein series, you will be able to play in cooperative mode. You will play in cooperative mode whether they want it or not. If you don’t have another player with you the twin sister will be controlled by AI. If you are playing with your friend then the game is a lot more fun. Playing in co-op with a human player also makes the game easier. You can tell your partner which enemy is your target. In the case of AI, it will just randomly target the enemies but it will never blow your cover. If you buy Deluxe version of the game then your friend can the game for free. However, your friend won’t able to earn any trophies.

Leveling system

Wolfenstein: Youngblood has introduced the leveling system in the game. Leveling can be found in role-playing games. In this game, it helps you unlock new abilities. Leveling up will also increase your health and damage. The higher you level is, the easier it is for you to take on enemies with higher levels. You will get XP by killing enemies which will help you level up your character. Like all other games levels will help you unlock new abilities further increasing your power.

Enemies

In Wolfenstein: Youngblood enemies are a lot tougher so you can’t just run through them. Most of the time enemies will act as bullet sponges. You will have to keep shooting them till they are down which sometimes take away the glory of battles. If the level of enemies is higher than you, it can become even more troublesome. In New Order and New Colossus, you could take down the enemies without worrying about level. There was no leveling system which made the games what they were. In this new game, enemies have become bullet sponges so you have to keep shooting them till they are down.

Weapons, clothing, and currency

During the game progression of Wolfenstein: Youngblood, you will unlock different weapons. All of the weapons are up-gradable with different attachments. You will be able to attach scopes, suppressors, under barrels and other attachments to your weapons. Attachments will increase the damage of your weapons along with other attributes. You will have to purchase the upgrades for weapons using coins. Coins work as a currency that can be used for purchasing in-game items. You will get coins by completing missions and collecting them while playing the game. You will also be able to purchase different skins for your players. Coins would be used for purchasing of these skins. If you want a quick get ahead you can also purchase coins using real currency. Micro-transactions is used in this aspect of the game.

Health Bars

Health bars are one of the main drawbacks of Wolfenstein: Youngblood. The inclusion of health bars will constantly distract you from the action-packed glory of the game. Wolfenstein series is famous for extreme violence and fast pace action. In this new game, you will keep looking at the health bars thus allowing you to experience less glory. Health bars are included in the game because the health of enemies is now higher. As I described earlier enemies are now bullet sponges because you will need to shower them with bullets. Health bars would be there like an RPG game regardless of how you play

What is different?

The leveling system has taken always the aspects that made Wolfenstein the Wolfenstein.  This time the health of enemies are much higher. You will need to empty magazines of bullets just to take down a little tough enemy. Even normal enemy would require lots of damage. You will need to play repeated mission to level up your character so that you can move ahead in the game. The constant leveling up can make the experience of Wolfenstein: Youngblood tiresome. To some people, these new changes could be good but to me, they take away the aspects the made the game Wolfenstein.

Is it your type of game?

The game has an average story with some hardcore action. However, it is not like any other Wolfenstein game so it might not be the type of game that some people expect. The inclusion of RPG elements has made the game different than its predecessors. Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a young Wolfenstein game with new aspects and machines. If you are a fan of hardcore action that previous game in the series offer then this game might disappoint you. It is the game for people who wants RPG elements with some hardcore action. If you are looking for a game with the essence of FPS then Rage 2 is the game for you.