This well-known game was released in 2001. It is a first-person shooter developed by him Gray Matter Studios, and published Activision. The game was first released for Microsoft Windows, and then for PlayStation 2 under the name Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Operation Resurrection, for Xbox as Tides of War, and later for Linux i Macintosh.
It was created as a kind of continuation of the legendary one Wolfenstein 3D, whose creators participated and supervised the development of this new chapter. The game was generally well-received, both by players and by critics – especially the praise went to the visual impression, the open-ended level design in the singleplayer campaign, and the high-quality and addictive multiplayer game mode.
The real sequel arrived in August 2009, but despite positive reviews, the game was not a market success - only about 100,000 copies were sold in the first month. The series was revived in 2014 with the title Wolfenstein: The New Order, and were followed by The Old Blood (2015.), Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (2017.), Youngblood (2019) and Cyberpilot the same year.
But let's go back to the classic - Return to Castle Wolfenstein. Those years were dominated by military shooters with elements of the supernatural: gunfire, Nazi zombies, mutants from secret laboratories - all this was part of the atmosphere.
At first the game feels like a typical military style adventure Call of Duty or Medal of Honor, but soon the Nazi army's obsession with the occult is revealed. Thus, on the opposing side there are ordinary soldiers, zombies, mutants and supernatural creatures created by crazy experiments.
He is in the main role William "B.J." Blazkowicz, an American ranger, who comes to Egypt with the British agent One to investigate the activities of the Nazi SS paranormal department. There, they witness the revival of ancient curses, and players soon encounter tireless zombies.
Various weapons are available: pistols, rifles, machine guns, grenades, flamethrower, rocket launcher, experimental Venom Gun (minigun) and Tesla Gun which fires electricity. Hand-to-hand combat involves kicking and stabbing.
The campaign spans through 27 levels divided into 7 missions. Each mission starts with a briefing, with possible additional (secret) objectives that are revealed only after you complete them - eg kill a specific enemy or find a hidden item.
The game includes and stealth missions, where the goal is to avoid the alarm and eliminate enemies by sneaking. Special items during levels restore health, shield, stamina and ammo.
The graphics were highly praised thanks to Quake III engineu – the environment, lighting effects and fire animation left a strong impression.
On PC, the game was considered the hardest version - precise aiming (especially headshots) was key. Elite Nazi female soldiers were nimble and dangerous, often equipped Stan machine gun, and the paratroopers excelled in precision.
The boss battles were challenging, and the conflict with Olarica – a huge undead creature resembling a fleshy colossus (Flesh Golem) in the catacombs of the church in the village of Wulfburg.
All in all, Return to Castle Wolfenstein is an excellent example of a classic FPS with an intriguing story, horror atmosphere and rich gameplay. For those who didn't play then, this is an ideal opportunity - the game is still available on Steam for €4.99, and there is also a bundle with Wolfenstein 3D i Enemy Territory for €9.99.
If you like interesting campaigns, dark Nazi secrets and an atmosphere that games today rarely manage to convey, this is a title you must try. Turn on your imagination – and return to Castle Wolfenstein.
