Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is a stand-alone expansion to The New Order and acts as a prequel to that game, ending right before the start of The New Order. Does it live up to the main game? This is what I think of Wolfenstein: The Old Blood.

I might actually like this more than The New Order, which is saying something. What a wonderful duo of games! I'm looking forward to picking up the newer release after playing these two brilliant shooters! I loved the fact that it was World War II in this one so it wasn't too high tech like New Order. It was shorter than the last one and wasn't as cinematic but man was it good. So good. Can't wait to play it again now, and here is why.

The story in Old Blood features BJ Blazkowicz once again set before the events of New Order. You are tasked with infiltrating Castle Wolfenstein to steal a folder containing the location of General Deathshead's compound. Things predictably aren't so simple for our hero and he must escape from the castle and finish his mission, before dealing with something much worse than the Nazi's. The story wasn't as good as New Order but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it didn't outstay its welcome. I also liked the characters in the game, as well as the choice between two like in the last game, really nice stuff. Expect around 5-8 hours for the campaign.

Gameplay is near identical to New Order, and there is nothing really wrong with that. You have access to weaponry from the first mission of New Order for the entirety of the game and I really like the World War II versions of each gun, possibly more than their high tech counterparts. The sniper rifle is especially cool. You also have the new pipe as a means of bludgeoning your foes and also doubles as a useful tool to open doors and hatches to progress. The usual collectibles are in each level although the gold bars weren't as interesting as the gold items from New Order. There were also hidden(and sometimes not) sections in each level that featured a maze in the retro style of classic Wolfenstein which was again really cool. Challenge maps can also be unlocked as you play the story for you to score points in to earn medals. Not played too much of those but it's quite fun.

Level design in Old Blood was just as good as the parent game, although there wasn't the variety of objectives and setting as that game. Fighting through Castle Wolfenstein was fantastic, with great levels throughout. Wulfburg was great as well, even after the story got a little bit silly. Machine Games really know what they are doing and have been at the top of their game for both Wolfenstein games and it's a joy to play these levels. Lots of hidden areas and collectibles encourage exploration. Also the cable car section deserves a special mention, loved that part.

Graphically the game looks better than New Order did, with character models looking really good for the prominent figures in the story. Gun models look fantastic and are deservedly given a lot of attention. Environmental textures are much improved from New Order and are generally nice to look at. It really makes the experience better for me. Levels were so pretty, especially the Castle and Wulfburg, eye candy galore. Mick Gordon returns to compose the soundtrack and while I found it was good in places, I didn't think it was as memorable as New Order's score. Voice acting across the board was excellent once again, with Brian Bloom doing wonderfully as Blazkowicz again. Really impressive.

On to negatives now. The story gets a little silly towards the latter stages and could really have done without heading in that direction. Something that bugged me though was the physical trauma BJ goes through. In the game he is electrocuted, stabbed through the leg with a pipe and sustaining another stab wound through the hand but is still able to fight like it was nothing. I get it's a game but it's highly unnecessary to do it to him in the first place. Also some characters were killed off in this one like it was nothing before advancing with the story as if nothing bad happened. Pippa comes to mind here. Again, not much to grumble about though.

In conclusion, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood manages to supplement the first game brilliantly and leads directly into The New Order. While the story was ludicrous at the end, I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing the game and it's a fantastic shooter. I liked it a little more than The New Order, a game I love, and that really is the best praise I can give it. Buy it, play it, love it.

Wolfenstein: The New Order is a fresh take on the series that birthed the FPS genre as we know it today and is developed by Machine Games. Promising a great narrative along with killing Nazi scum, how does it fare? This is what I think of Wolfenstein: The New Order.

Very well indeed. I've been sitting out on this one for a while and have only now taken the plunge and I'm more than pleased with this game. Surprisingly strong story for a shooter, it combines narrative with cinematic bombast and smooth shooting mechanics to hit a home run. This game is one hell of a ride and it's absolutely nonsense, in a good way. With numerous ways of handling situations in missions, it's probably one of the best shooters I've played. Here's why I think so.

The story is outstanding, enough said. You are BJ Blazkowicz, an American soldier fighting against the Nazi forces during an alternate World War II. The year is 1946 and the war still rages, but the Allies are losing. In a last ditch attempt to turn the tide, BJ and co assault the fortified compound of General Deathshead, the mastermind to the Nazi war effort. Things don't pan out, and BJ is left in a vegetative state for years as the Nazis take over everything. Fourteen years later, you recover to find an unfamiliar world. BJ joins up with the resistance against the Nazi occupation and attempts to bring them down. A seriously good story, with strong characters and a nice cinematic feel really bringing home the bacon. Expect a run time of around 10-15 hours depending on play style.

Gameplay in this game is fantastic. This is such a polished shooter, with a great variety of weapons to use and different shooting types on each ensures you are equipped for the increasing difficult enemies that are pitted against you. Each level has numerous collectibles as well as notes and newspaper articles that flesh out the world. There are also different ways of going about missions, with stealth sections a surprise focus. Sneaking around and taking Nazi soldiers down, using throwing knives and silenced pistols is as gratifying as any stealth game and if things go the wrong way, the solid and dependable gun play will have you laughing with glee as you gun down your enemies with two shotguns in a blaze of glory. The game even has a hidden retro level from the classic Wolfenstein in your hidden base, which is a nice touch.

Level design is really tight in The New Order. There is a lot of variety in missions, with some requiring your skills as a soldier and others as an infiltrator as you sneak into areas in order to undermine your enemy. I expected a balls to the wall shooter with no time for breath but this wasn't the case at all and that surprised me the most. You'll infiltrate a high security prison, go undercover in a labour camp, assault a base on the moon and destroy a massive bridge, ensuring you are always entertained. Brilliant.

Graphically, the game looks great for 2014. Gun models and character models, especially BJ and co and the main villains, are really well done and presented in a very pleasing way. The variety in locations and level design really showcase a nice looking game. However, there are a lot of environmental textures everywhere that don't hold up to close inspection, and are shockingly low resolution. Try not to look to closely at tables, etc. The soundtrack is very good, with a great range of tracks for any occasion. Mick Gordon does a good job. The music for the final mission as you assault a massive fortress is fantastic, really driving you on through the installation. Voice acting is great across the board, which always helps in a narrative focused game, especially Deathshead. Creepy ass guy. Also having Brian Bloom voice BJ is just perfect. He can do no wrong in my eyes, that handsome bastard.

Time for some negatives now. The aforementioned textures in the game, which doesn't affect the experience too much but is a little disappointing to see, especially from a game that looks great in other departments. The frame limit on cutscenes annoys me more than it should, but I've always hated games that let you play at 60+fps then lock the cutscenes in at 30. Jarring, to say the least. I felt the final boss battle was a little too tanky and wasn't that enjoyable and I'm not looking forward to that part on my Uber difficulty playthrough.

And that is that, friends. I didn't have that many negatives to moan about because this game is utterly brilliant. Entertained from start to finish, I was genuinely sad to see it finish and I cared a lot more for the characters than I was expecting. It's so refreshing to see a linear shooter have all the focus on story without a tacked on multiplayer mode and excel because of it. The world needs more games of Wolfenstein: The New Order's calibre and I feel more than a little guilty being so late to the party. If you like shooters and still haven't played this, do so. You're in for one hell of a ride!