Looking Back At Wolfenstein

The Wolfenstein franchise returns once again with Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, but the Wolfenstein series has a long, and at times bizarre, history. We look back on the weird and the wonderful from this World War II based video game series. Starting with…

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Castle Wolfenstein (Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64)

Castle Wolfenstein is a stealth-based action game where players control an American operative during World War Two, who must infiltrate the titular castle in order to steal secret Nazi plans. The game is played in a top down perspective and requires the player to use stealth and cunning to reach their objective.

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Beyond Castle Wolfenstein (Atari 8-bit, Apple II, Commodore 64, MS-DOS)

In Beyond Castle Wolfenstein the player once again takes on the role of an American spy, who this time must infiltrate a secret Nazi bunker where Hitler is in meetings with his senior staff. The player must retrieve a bomb, and place it outside the room that Hitler is in.

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Wolfenstein 3D (MS-DOS)

The first game in the series to make the jump to first person shooter, Wolfenstein 3D sees the player take on the role of B.J. Blazcowicz for the first time, as he escapes from the Nazi prison Castle Wolfenstein. Wolfenstein 3D is widely considered to having helped birth the first person shooter genre as we know it.

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Wolfenstein: Spear of Destiny (MS-DOS)

An expansion to Wolfenstein 3D, Wolfenstein: Spear of Destiny once again plays as B.J. Blazkowicz, though this time before the events of the previous game. This time B.J. must retrieve the mythical Spear of Destiny from the Nazis after its theft from Versailles.

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Return to Castle Wolfenstein (PS2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS)

A loose reboot of the series, Return to Castle Wolfenstein is the first game in the series to introduce a supernatural element to the franchise. After being captured by Nazis, B.J. and another allied spy, Agent One, are imprisoned in Castle Wolfenstein, which is being used by the SS Paranormal Division to conduct experiments. Escaping from the castle, B.J. discovers that the Nazis are experimenting to resurrect their dead, and must find a way to stop them.

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Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory (Linux, Mac Universal, Windows, Morph OS)

Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a standalone multiplayer expansion set within the Wolfenstein universe. Without a storyline or single player campaign the game purely focuses on player vs player combat.

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Wolfenstein RPG (Java ME, BREW, iOS)

Wolfenstein RPG is a first person turn-based role-play game that takes on a lighter and more comical tone, replacing Nazis with mutant chickens. Once again playing as B.J. Blazkowicz, the player must escape his captors at Castle Wolfenstein and destroy the Paranormal Division before they can destroy the world.

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Wolfenstein (PS3, Xbox 360, Windows)

Another reboot of the franchise, Wolfenstein sees Office of Secret Actions agent B.J. Blazkowicz discovering a piece of an ancient medallion containing supernatural powers. With the Nazis searching for more pieces of the medallion in order to access the Black Sun Dimension in order to gain powers that will give them the upper hand in the war, B.J. must find a way to stop their plans.

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Wolfenstein: The New Order (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows)

A sequel to Wolfenstein, with the Nazis using the powers gained from the Black Sun Dimension to shift the war in their favour, B.J. Blazkowicz is sent on a mission to eliminate General Deathshead. When the mission fails B.J. is sent into a coma for 14 years, waking to find the Nazis in control of the world. Joining forces with the resistance B.J. fights to find a way to being down the Nazi regime.

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Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (PS4, Xbox One, Windows)

A prequel to Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is a loose remake of Return to Castle Wolfenstein, which sees B.J. Blazkowicz and Agent One infiltrating Castle Wolfenstein in order to retrieve a top secret folder that contains the location of General Deathshead. The mission goes wrong and Agent One is killed, though B.J. is able to escape. Joining up with a local resistance he must track down a Nazi scientist in order to find the information that will lead him to Deathshead.