Wolfenstein: The Old Blood Reviews
What you're getting here is exactly what returning players will expect, a 6-hour or so prequel to Wolfenstein: The New Order, with exactly the same flow, tomfoolery, and smile-inducing shootouts you've come to expect. What is missing is that aforementioned heart. During its brief length there's never enough time to feel attached to any characters, and MachineGames has clearly focused on a more gameplay-oriented approach. To that end it can feel like a hollow experience, and The Old Blood is certainly far more throwaway than its fleshed-out forefather. If you haven't played Wolfenstein: The New Order yet then I don't hesitate in recommended you check that out first, before moving on to The Old Blood if you're still craving more Nazi-baiting gung-ho action.
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is Tarantino-esque in its ambitions. It's messy, loud, kitschy and outright violent but a joy to experience despite the rough edges. Sure, it's not a sequel by any stretch but for a $19.99 expansion, it's length feels just right.
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood offers another serving of the action we saw with The New Order in 2014, but with the perspective as a prequel.
Somehow Wolfenstein: The Old Blood makes killing Nazis and zombies, the two worst things in videogames next to quick-time events, a fun and worthwhile time.
For a standalone DLC, I am impressed. MachineGames took the best parts of The New Order and gave us the moments leading up to its opening. While The Old Blood could have definitely either turned up the grindhouse factor in part two, or stayed more true to part one, it still had incredibly fun combat and satisfying Nazi killing. By itself, it could feel like it was lacking something, specifically in the character and story department, but Wolfenstein: The Old Blood performs as both a supplemental work for fans of the series and as a vehicle to introduce players to the world and play style of The New Order.
The New Order's returning gameplay carries the day here. The Old Blood's story spends too much time trying to be a tribute to an old game instead of its own adventure—and prevents this standalone expansion from being as deep or enjoyable as the main game.
A lovely, bloody and bullet-riddled trip down memory lane is soured somewhat after reaching the weaker second act that serves to remind how much nostalgia is too much. Thankfully, The Old Blood is still an ultimately satisfying addition to the Wolfenstein family.
With myriad nods to Wolfenstein's past, The Old Blood captures the essence of the series, but does less than The New Order to advance it
The biggest element that feels missing is the incredible character interaction from New Order. There are some memorable people in Old Blood, but no strong attachments, despite the game clearly attempting to toy with our emotions. The pace of the adventure grows too fast to develop the type of relationships we remember from New Order, but when the whole thing is over it's clear that's not the point. This is constructed as a fun trip through the best parts of prior Wolfenstein games, and it mostly succeeds in that mission. We wish it had crazier weapons and more complex personalities but it's still fun.
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is not a game you invest hundreds of hours into. This is a title that brings a guarantee of good action, shooting and fun temporarily. And when you finish it a few times, will you find all the collectibles and replay the old levels? I think you will certainly not regret the time and money invested. Wolfenstein has been with us for over 20 years. During that time, he's built up quite a following, and titles like this only help expand his fan base. The question remains whether this constant activity will lead to a gradual loss of quality. But let's leave that to the future.
Review in Czech | Read full review
What Wolfenstein: The Old Blood does well is the mix between stealth and shooting, as well as the perks that would soon make you play a level in a different way. Moreover, mowing down countless Nazis is still an activity that is entertaining. Add to that eight levels of the original Wolfenstein 3D and you'll have a lot of fun again.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood still retains all the satisfying gameplay that made The New Order one of the best shooters of 2014. It's not as long as the original; lasting around 4-5 hours, but it does include a decent challenge mode to increase longevity. For £14.99 digitally it's worth it for a nice afternoon of killing some Nazis.
Though not as thematically strong as its predecessor, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood still provides solid gameplay. The stealth and shooting mechanics are strong enough to create a great experience. The compromise between old and new mechanics in regards to health and weapon handling still feels fresh, while the AI battles remain exhilarating. The length and presentation value are also good, so fans of The New Order will really appreciate The Old Blood.
A great prequel to last year's surprise hit.
At £10-£13 for a six hour campaign and additional challenge maps, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is an absolute steal. The stealth options aren't quite as reliable as last time, but the core shooting experience is incredibly fun with meaty weapons, a ramped up pace and enjoyably over-the-top characters.
MachineGames hasn't taken a huge step forward with 'Wolfenstein: The Old Blood,' but nor have they taken any steps backwards. It is a solid expansion, adding more to the new 'Wolfenstein' formula without drastically changing it. Fans of last year's game will find a lot to like, as will FPS players who somehow missed it.
If you're a fan of first-person shooters, or want to experience a throwback to the glory days of the genre but with modern production values, then you can't go wrong with Wolfenstein: The Old Blood. It's an enjoyable romp that promises explosions, expendable Nazis, and gunfights galore. And isn't this that all we want from our video games?
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is a production that should be rewarded. It's undoubtedly a more of the same than The New Order, but given the quality of the original game it would be really silly to miss a new adventure of this magnitude given the really low price tag. In the pack you will find exciting gameplay, a good level of challenge and great settings, all elements that make this expansion a must have for shooter lovers.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is an incredibly fun standalone expansion to one of the Best games of 2014, and in plenty of places is tougher. Sometimes more frustrating, especially in places with respawning enemies, and the forced stealth section in the beginning is a bit of a misstep, but overall the Wolfenstein gameplay is just as great here.
Bottom line: the price point is right, the DLC is solid and you could do a lot worse with your gaming dollars than Wolfenstein: The Old Blood. I doubt anyone will walk away from this experience feeling anything less than satisfied. I know I certainly was.