While Doom brought the FPS into the gaming mainstream, Wolfenstein 3D will go down as the first major FPS, creating the template that would persist for well over a decade. Sure, a few games have tried to live up the famous title, but for those who played it ‘back in the day’, the original will hold a special place for them. Divided into six episodes, the first was originally released as shareware, where interested players would then purchase the rest if interested by mail order. While you can probably find Wolfenstein 3D for free somewhere today, can a price (in this case $5-9) be put on such nostalgia?
Ah, such nice memories.
Well, the short answer is yes. Because unlike a number of other nostalgic re-releases, the core gameplay in Wolfenstein 3D holds up quite well, despite being over 17 years old now. Furthermore, it serves as a great reminder of a time when games concentrated on nailing the mechanics and minimising the fluff. Current developers could do worse than taking note of this. Wolfenstein 3D for the XBLA and PSN is a complete port containing all six episodes of the original.
William ‘B.J’ Blazkowicz takes credit as the first WWII solider in gaming, among other things. The famous first episode of the game has Blazkowicz escaping the titular Nazi prison, Castle Wolfenstein. In subsequent episodes, he takes on the Nazi’s attempts at chemical warfare, genealogical experiments and the occult, as well as taking down Hitler and the Nazi regime on his own. There is something oddly refreshing about being able to get through all this with just a few simple text screens and no lengthy cut scenes.
Each of the six episodes is divided into ten levels. Of these, eight are played up to the ninth boss level, with the tenth being a secret level. The objective in each level is simple. Get to the exit and mow through any Nazis that get in the way. However, apart from the first few levels, most exits will be blocked off by locked doors. Hence, Wolfenstein 3D pioneered the key hunting premise. The design encourages you to explore as much of the level as possible in order to find one and sometimes two keys.
Hmm... It would be nice for have some mosaics around the office.
While repetitive, there is a quaint charm in the unpretentious nature of the gameplay. There is an assured simplicity that allows you to just get out there and play. Sure, you can’t look up or down but you don’t need to. The levels are fairly small and short, but they make for a good arcade title, since you don’t need to spend hours in them. Also, the game makes up for the brevity by providing a substantial challenge on higher difficulty levels. Being able to die easily will keep you on your toes, though the easy access save system does come in very handy.
The level design demands that you explore your surroundings. Often, the exit will be close but behind a locked door. Though if you miss a key the first time around, it can be a little frustrating going back to look for it. Controversially, keen eyes will notice that a lot of rooms in the game are actually shaped like swastikas. Oops. Also, a lot of modern games try for immersion with the HUD at the sacrifice of personality. Watching Blazkowicz’s mug shot going through different stages of damage and emotion adds a lot more than you realise. After all, nothing beats the look on his face when he picks up the minigun.
While the simplicity and the focus in the gameplay make for a great blast from the past, there are a few aspects of Wolfenstein 3D that make us grateful that games have advanced. In particular, you yearn for more than four weapons, or three guns. Mind you, it’s great to be able to hold more than two weapons. You yearn for more than half a dozen enemy types. You yearn for some distinguishable corridors, that aren’t so confusing to go through. Still, the overall experience is worth the price of admission, be it for the first time or to relive a good time.
Well, we were never going to forget this.
For a theme that’s actually quite dark and gritty, the Wolfenstein 3D is pleasantly interspersed with a variety of colours and templates. Sure, you’ve got plenty of swastikas and Hitler pictures hanging around, but they fit in. Sure, the graphical quality looks out-of-date, but the visuals have been cleaned up so that they run well in high definition. The music is very basic, somewhat repetitive and there aren’t too many sound effects, but these add to the charm. It just wouldn’t have been Wolfenstein 3D if these two aspects weren’t in their original form.
As long as your expectations are in check, Wolfenstein 3D is easily one of the better and more functional ‘cheap’ options on either the XBLA or PSN. It’s a title that successfully plays the nostalgia card and provides ammunition for the ‘games were better back then’ argument. Whether you prescribe to this argument or not, Wolfenstein 3D is a fun trip down memory that shows where it all began for the FPS genre.
Loading...
