Return To Castle Wolfenstein

[CerebroDragon]

Since purchasing my new Radeon 9200 SE, I've been having some brainless distraction sessions from my normal dosage of RPG goodness with a batch of First Person Shooters.

The first I completed was the original Halflife, which I must say didn't appeal to me very much despite all of heaped praise its received, particularly through friends. The atmosphere was generally dull for me, but some of its scripted events were interesting, even if I didn't enjoy it that much. I was very glad to luck out in the final battle with Nihilanth. Some of the music was cool, but often it would start at the most ridiculous of moments. The most enjoyable parts for me were the surrealism of some of the later levels, which reminded me Ultima Underworld II's Ethereal Void. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Second, I tested my mettle in Unreal Tournament, a game which I have found to be very amusing and high on the 'fun' scale in the past, at LAN's with friends. So I decided to test out the single player campaign. I only played it on average though. [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img] as I'm genuinely crap usually at FPSs. [img]tongue.gif[/img]
The sniper rifle in UT is somewhat overpowered, but so hilariously fun to use, especially when you rack up 6-10 "HEAD SHOTs" in a row.
Xan provided me with a gut wrenchingly teeth grindingly, difficult challenge, but once I figured out how to dominate him by controlling the powerups, he eventually fell to my flak cannon. No longer would I hear the annoying "I am the Alpha and the Omega". I finished off playing this game with a mod map deathmatch of the first level of Ultima Underworld, which was quite awesome! Kudos to the creator.

Lastly and most recently, I picked up Return To Castle Wolfenstein for a mere $8, which for me is a gorgeous and utterly mesmerising game in terms of its dark WW II Germanic aesthetics and supernatural gothicism. It was easily the most pleasurable of the three to play and ran much more smoothly this time compared to when I had it the first time on my 4 meg card! It challenged me the whole way, often had me stopping to admire scenery (to my peril!) and also had that nostlagia of the original to add to its arsenal of joy.

The final battle was dire! I just couldn't do it for so long. Tried various tactics but failed dismally, mostly falling prey to the vicious phantom skulls. However, I maanged to stumble upon a tactic which didn't require much shooting at all! (I'll share the method, if anyone wants to know...but I'd wager its well known.

I'm keen to hear some other stories and opinions on the game. Are there any mods/extra levels for it that people know about? I'm definetly keen to play some more Wolfenstein. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Not sure what I'll play next now....I need to get back to Fallout, although I might install Deus Ex or even start another game of Arx Fatalis, just to see the improvements the video card will make with that great game. (sigh)

Cheers,
Cerebrodragon

[Dace De'Briago]

You could always try Wolfenstein Enemy Territory, a totally free game developed based on the Wolfenstein look and feel.

Just Google it and download it, more for online play than single player.

[Griefmaker]

I just recently played Half Life also. I, too, was a little dissapointed by it. The part that I liked the most about the game was the combat against the squads of soldiers. That was great! You are right about the later levels looking like the Void from UW2.

Return to Wolfenstein was also great. What I especially liked was the variety of environments that the story took you through--you weren't stuck in just one area (like being underground or in a castle, etc.). Hopefully these games will look better with you new vid card.

I also liked Arx Fatalis, even though I have not played too much of it. It is a modern day Ultima Underworld (which I believe is because those who made the Underworlds also created it). I don't know how much replayability it has, but I need to settle down and play it through at least once.

[Luvian]

I really RTCW, expecially the free Ennemy Teritorry. I play it online often.

[bjorn]

I LOVED RTCW! I thinks its the best FPS I've ever played. As a matter of fact I think I'll dig it up tomorrow and run through it once more.

It's something about the "feel" of the game. I diddent like the second level however. IMHO They introduced the zombies to soon. Does anyone agree?

[Dace De'Briago]

Originally posted by Luvian: I really RTCW, expecially the free Ennemy Teritorry. I play it online often.

Let me know when and where and I'll give you a game sometime [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[CerebroDragon]

I'm bugging a broadband friend of mine to get me a copy of Enemy Territory, so thanks for the tip, Dace. Hopefully we'll get to test it at a LAN I'm going to on friday night.

@ Bjorn: The second level is still set within Castle Wolfenstein. You might be thinking of the second set of missions, which move in to the crypts. I could actually see the expressions this time of Helga (first boss) with the new card.

I love the transition between stages in the early part of the game, it flows well with the plot of the overall plan to resurrect Heinrich. I also like the way you exit a secret door in an insider's house and into a German wine cellar in the tavern. The folk war music just added so much more atmosphere here. You then make your way to the crypt...
The undead come back with a vengeance later on of course...

When I replayed it, I felt I finished the levels much faster than what I did with the old card, so I guess it could feel as if the supernatural elements were introduced too soon if you're playing pretty quickly. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 02-02-2005, 03:10 AM: Message edited by: CerebroDragon ]

[Dreamer128]

Wolfenstein is awesome when played over the internet. Be sure to give that a shot. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[bjorn]

I love the transition between stages in the early part of the game, it flows well with the plot of the overall plan to resurrect Heinrich. I also like the way you exit a secret door in an insider's house and into a German wine cellar in the tavern. The folk war music just added so much more atmosphere here. You then make your way to the crypt... The undead come back with a vengeance later on of course...

Come to think of it, it was probably because it made me fall out of my chair everytime a zombie burst through a wall and scared me half to death.
I havent Played the first game all that much so when the zombies started comming at me arms flailing I just figured the game would flip out like so many others in this genre.

When the Undead came back later in the came I could just torch them with my flamethrower and they could do nothing to me. I was better prepared for them and I had gotten in to the plot alot better.

I too liked the levels and how you went from one to another. No funny stuff, like a platform in space or huge pits of lava or acid. Just towns, castles, crypts, airstrips and such.

[ 02-02-2005, 12:42 PM: Message edited by: bjorn ]

[Luvian]

I didn't like the single player game. mayinly how many ammo it took to kill the zombies. I remember using up all my ammo and being stuck with my knife...

I stoped the sp when I was in the crypt and the ground was covered in smoke. I was going into an hallway and fell in a hole full of spikes.

No way I could see it with the smoke. I didn't feel like going through the zombies again to navigate a dungeon where I have to die just to find out the way...