Introduction:
I would
like to start off the review by making one thing clear, Wolfenstein: Youngblood
is a spin-off that contains two playable characters, Jessica and Sophia, twins
and daughters of the badass William ‘BJ’ Blazkowicz. You can only take control
of one of them, with the other sister, either controlled by A.I. or your friend
who can join in on the fun locally or over the internet. If you wish, you can
leave the settings open so that any random person can join in on your mission
and help you beat the level. The base game retails at $29.99, however, if you
throw in another $10 then you get a buddy pass that allows your friend to play
the game, with you, for free. This review is also going to consider the fact that
this isn’t a full-blown game.
Story:
This
game is set 20 years after the events of Wolfenstein II: The New Blood. Its
again set in a timeline where World War II was won by the Nazis. Mr Blazkowicz
has gone missing in France and it’s up to the twins to get him back to the
resistance and at the same time help the French people push back the Nazis who
have occupied the country. The opening cut scene sets the temperature just
about right in setting up the game and the relationship between the sisters.
The in-game banter between the two is fun at the beginning though it begins to
wear off after a while. The first mission you are sent on is kind of a
tutorial, however, the boss battle at the end of it will be a spot quiz on what
you have picked up during the tutorial sessions.
Gameplay:
The
Wolfenstein series has always been about one thing. Kill Nazis in a linear and
solo fashion. The gore, though personally satisfying to me, can be off-putting
for someone else. After a hard day at work, blowing off the head of a Nazi
soldier is immense pleasure. The gameplay for Youngblood is no different.
Though I should add that it also offers a stealth element where you can pick
off some soldiers with stealth. There are also some bonuses on offer if you can
get through a certain section of a level without sounding off the alarm. If you
prefer to go all guns blazing with your sister (controlled either by A.I. or by
another player), the game is equally fun. Youngblood takes the co-op spin-off
to a different direction entirely regarding gameplay by adding skill trees,
daily and weekly challenges to tackle, and cosmetics for the player to unlock.
The skill tree offers three different categories: Mind, Muscle and Power. Mind
offers various upgrades to your health, you're ammunition management, and your
dodge abilities. Muscle offers upgrades to your armor, your ability to use
heavy weaponry, your ability to use special ammunition, and gives you the
ability to take down stronger enemies. Power, on the other hand, buffs your
special abilities. These upgrades are granted to you as you level up and get
experience points, which aren't hard to acquire. Apart from upgrades, you can
purchase cosmetics and XP boosts using in-game currency or gold bars (which I was never prompted to buy) but despite the outrage regarding microtransactions, I
never felt the need to buy anything with actual money, ever.
Missions and Level Design:
This by far is the weakest
aspect of this game. While the lengthy opening cut scene conveyed the idea that I was in for a thrill ride, unfortunately, there is not much content after that
to look forward to. The missions are pure fetch quests, three main fetch
quests, one big boss mission and ending comes fast. If you clear an area,
finish a quest and come back to the same area, literally, a minute after
clearing it, you will find it swarming with the same enemies. Add to this, the
little variation in level design and playing become tedious and boring.
Conclusion:
Youngblood is an interesting
take on the Wolfenstein series. While the core gameplay is the same as compared
to the previous games, the addition of an RPG mechanics seems forced. The lack
of variety in level design and gameplay keeps you from
truly enjoying this game to its full potential. If you play solo, be prepared
to grind it out. However, the bottom line is killing Nazis feels as great as
ever.
Score:
7/10
This game is reviewed by one of the members of 64BitRage SicParvisMagna. Go follow him for gaming stuff, his social media handles are given below:
YouTube: youtube.com/SicParvisMagna
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