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Wolfenstein
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wolfenstein
Muse Software (1981–1984)
Developer(s)
id Software (1992, 2008)
Splash Damage (2003)
Fountainhead Entertainment (2008)
Raven Software (2009)
MachineGames (2014–present)
Arkane Lyon (2019)
Apogee Software (1992)
FormGen (1992)
Activision (2001–2003, 2009)
EA Mobile (2008)
Bethesda Softworks (2014–present)
Acorn Archimedes
Amiga 1200
AmigaOS 4
Apple II
Atari Jaguar
Classic Mac OS
Commodore 64
iOS
Microsoft Windows
MS-DOS
NEC PC-9801
Nintendo Switch
OS X
PlayStation 2
PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
Stadia
Windows Mobile
Xbox
Xbox 360
Xbox One
September 1981
Wolfenstein is a series of World War II video games. It was originally created by Muse
Software,[1] before being revived by id Software. The first two games in the
series, Castle Wolfenstein and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein, were developed by Muse
Software and focused on stealth-based gameplay from a top-down perspective.
Beginning with id Software's Wolfenstein 3D, Wolfenstein games became fast-
paced first-person shooters, and are widely regarded as having helped to popularize the
first-person shooter genre. Further games in the series include Return to Castle
Wolfenstein, developed by Gray Matter Interactive, Wolfenstein: Enemy
Territory by Splash Damage, and 2009's Wolfenstein by Raven Software. After ZeniMax
Media acquired id Software, including the Wolfenstein franchise, Swedish
developer MachineGames became the series' primary developer. Wolfenstein games
developed by MachineGames include Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wolfenstein: The
Old Blood, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Wolfenstein: Youngblood,
and Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot.
The majority of the games follow William "B.J." Blazkowicz, a Jewish Polish-American
Army Captain and his fight against the Axis powers. Earlier titles are centered around
Nazis attempting to harness supernatural and occult forces. Those developed by
MachineGames are set in an alternate history in which Axis powers won World War II.
Contents
1History
2Games
o 2.1Castle Wolfenstein (1981)
o 2.3Wolfenstein 3D (1992)
o 2.4Spear of Destiny (1992)
o 2.7Wolfenstein RPG (2008)
o 2.8Wolfenstein (2009)
o 2.13Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot (2019)
3Related games
4Film plans
5References
History[edit]
This section needs expansion. You
can help by adding to it. (May
2014)
The series presents an action-heavy take on the fight against Nazi Germany.
Games[edit]
Release timeline
1982–1983
1985–1991
Wolfenstein 3D
1992
Spear of Destiny
1993–2000
2002
2004–2007
2009 Wolfenstein
2010–2013
2018
Wolfenstein: Youngblood
2019
Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot
Game Metacritic
(GBA) 57[24]
Wolfenstein 3D (PS3) 77[25]
(X360) 66[26]
(PC) 88[27]
Return to Castle Wolfenstein (PS2) 66[28]
(Xbox) 84[29]
(PC) 74[31]
Wolfenstein (PS3) 71[32]
(X360) 72[33]
(PC) 81[34]
Wolfenstein: The New Order (PS4) 79[35]
(XONE) 79[36]
(PC) 76[37]
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (PS4) 77[38]
(XONE) 76[39]
(PC) 86[40]
Wolfenstein II: The New (PS4) 87[41]
Colossus (XONE) 88[42]
(NS) 79[43]
Castle Wolfenstein (1981)[edit]
Main article: Castle Wolfenstein
A sequel to Castle Wolfenstein, set in World War II during Adolf Hitler's rule as
Chancellor of Germany. The objective of the game is to traverse all the levels of the
secret Berlin bunker where the Führer is holding secret meetings with his senior staff.
The player must retrieve a bomb that the operatives have placed inside the bunker and
place it outside the door of the room where Hitler is holding his meeting, a scenario
bearing a passing resemblance to the July 20 Plot.
Like its predecessor, the game is a combination of action-adventure and stealth-based
side-scroller, developed and published by Muse Software, and released in 1984. After
the death of the original designer of the program, [50] the widow of Silas Warner released
a ported version of the game, as well as its reconstructed source code in his honour in
2004.
Wolfenstein 3D (1992)[edit]
Main article: Wolfenstein 3D
After the Nazis apprehend an American spy, William "B.J." Blazkowicz, who was sent to
sabotage the enemy's regime and foil their schemes, they imprison him under the
grounds of Castle Wolfenstein. Finding a way to incapacitate a prison guard, B.J.
manages to arm himself with a stolen pistol and advance through the subterranean
floors of the castle, on his way to accomplish his mission by uncovering the truth behind
'Operation Eisenfaust' and destroy it.
The game is noted for popularizing the first-person shooter genre, released in 1992,
developed by id Software and published by Apogee Software.
Spear of Destiny (1992)[edit]
Main article: Wolfenstein 3D
Set before the events of Wolfenstein 3D, the player assumes the role of William "B.J."
Blazkowicz, who is set to reclaim the Spear of Destiny from the Nazis after it was stolen
from Versailles. The spear itself, as spoken by legends, bears powerful effects on its
own, and whoever took a hold of it, turns into an unbeatable being.
Like its predecessor, the game is developed by id Software, but published by FormGen
Corporation instead, and was released in 1992.
Return to Castle Wolfenstein (2001)[edit]
Main article: Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Two operatives of an allied espionage agency, William "B.J." Blazkowicz and Agent
One are captured by the Nazis and imprisoned in Castle Wolfenstein during their
attempt to investigate rumours surrounding one of Heinrich Himmler's personal projects,
the SS Paranormal Division. Agent One is killed during the interrogation, while
Blazkowicz escapes custody, fighting his way out of the castle. As the challenge is still
afoot, Blazkowicz discovers that the Nazis are constructing a plan called 'Operation
Resurrection', which oversees resurrecting the dead as well as dealing with
supernatural elements, using them for their own advantage to win World War II against
the Allied power.
A reboot and a remake of the series that took off in 1992, developed by Gray Matter
Interactive and published by Activision, and released in 2001 on Microsoft Windows, as
well as arriving on consoles two years later.
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory (2003)[edit]
Main article: Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
In a mission to investigate the Paranormal Division of the Axis military, William "B.J."
Blazkowicz is captured and held prisoner in The Tower. He escapes the clutches of the
enemy forces, and sets himself to stop them and their operation that involves
supernatural activities once and for all, infiltrating Castle Wolfenstein to continue his
escapade deep inside. It is up to B.J. to defeat the evil and save the world.
It was developed by Fountainhead Entertainment, and published by EA Mobile in 2008,
with John Carmack, one of the key people of Wolfenstein 3D, reprising his role as the
sole programmer.
Wolfenstein (2009)[edit]
Main article: Wolfenstein (2009 video game)
A loose sequel to Return to Castle Wolfenstein and the start of a new era for the
franchise. An agent for the fictional Office of Secret Actions, William "B.J." Blazkowicz,
discovers an unnatural medallion containing supernatural powers while on a mission on
a German battleship. Learning the Nazis had begun digging deep into crystal mines to
obtain more of the very same medallion Blazkowicz found, the OSA sends their
operative to the fictional town of Isenstadt, which the Nazis had taken complete control
of in order to excavate rare Nachtsonne crystals necessary to access the "Black Sun"
dimension.
It was developed by Raven Software, produced by id Software and published
by Activision, and released in 2009 on three major platforms.
Wolfenstein: The New Order (2014)[edit]
Main article: Wolfenstein: The New Order
The New Order is set after the end of World War II, in an alternate universe where the
Axis powers won World War II. In 1946, as the Nazis expand their regime all over the
world, OSA agent William "B.J." Blazkowicz is sent to assassinate General Deathshead,
as part of a last all-out effort by Allied airborne and commando forces. The mission is a
failure and, after the unit is slaughtered by the Nazi forces, Blazkowicz barely escapes
the compound, sustaining a critical head injury which renders him unconscious and
subsequently puts him in a coma.
In 1960, fourteen years later, B.J. finds himself settled in an asylum, unaware of the
events that took place during his coma, and about to be executed by the Nazis who
have ordered the asylum liquidated. Awakened into full strength, Blazkowicz fights his
way out of the building, escaping with a wounded nurse, Anya. B.J. locates the
Resistance and helps them fight the Nazis, dismantling them and ultimately crippling
their dominance around the world.
After Activision handed over the publishing rights to Bethesda Softworks, development
on the game began in 2010 by MachineGames, and was released four years later on
multiple platforms, including next generation consoles.
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (2015)[edit]
Main article: Wolfenstein: The Old Blood
A prequel to The New Order, set in the same chronology, it deals with William "B.J."
Blazkowicz and Richard Wesley, also known as Agent One, who are sent to infiltrate
Castle Wolfenstein and obtain a top secret folder that contains the whereabouts of
General Deathshead. The mission goes awry as they are discovered by the Nazi
troopers and are captured. During brutal interrogation, Agent One is killed, but
Blazkowicz manages to evade the Nazi forces and escape the castle.
With the aid of Kessler, the leader of a local resistance group, he discovers that the
folder is held by Helga von Schabbs, a Nazi neurologist who has just arrived in the
village of Wulfburg. Evidence begins to emerge of supernatural activities taking place
under the command of von Schabbs, who is conducting an archaeological excavation in
an attempt to find a hidden underground vault containing occult knowledge previously
possessed by German King Otto I.
The game is a loose remake of Return to Castle Wolfenstein, with heavy resemblances
noticed within the storylines of the two games, as well as the existence of various
characters as homages to the ones from the older title. Developed by MachineGames
and published by Bethesda Softworks, the game serves as a stand-alone expansion
pack to Wolfenstein: The New Order, and was released in 2015.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (2017)[edit]
Main article: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
Set five months after the events of The New Order, "B.J." Blazkowicz awakens from the
coma he succumbed to in the aftermath of surviving a near-fatal explosion, residing on
a stolen Nazi U-boat commandeered by the Wiesenau Kreis. After an attack ensues on
the base orchestrated by Frau Engel, many of the resistance members are captured,
and the leader of the group is killed. Escaping the clutches of Nazi forces with the rest
of the team, Blazkowicz takes over the leadership of the Resistance and proceeds to
what would have been the next step in the plan to liberate America from the Nazis and
use the country as a center base to free the rest of the world from their monstrous
regime. Recruiting new members to the resistance along the way, Blazkowicz and the
group intend to assassinate prominent leaders in the Nazi regime to bring the public
conscious into the idea of liberty and freedom, thus urging everyone to rise against the
hefty powers who are running the government. But, before they ignite the operation, the
resistance must attack and take over Engel's airship, the Ausmerzer, to disable its use
against their own by the Nazis, and hijack its command systems in order to start a
revolution, thus reclaiming the land of freedom that was once theirs.
Like its two predecessors, The New Colossus is developed by MachineGames and
published by Bethesda Softworks, as well as released on multiple platforms in 2017. [51]
Wolfenstein: Youngblood (2019)[edit]
Main article: Wolfenstein: Youngblood
Two decades after liberating the United States from the Nazis occupation in the Second
American Revolution in 1961, the newest members of the Global Resistance, twin
sisters Jessica and Sophia Blazkowicz embark on a search mission to France in the
capital city of Paris when B.J., their father, goes missing in action. As they task
themselves to locate and reclaim B.J., they must also fight the Nazi regime in Europe
that still remains withstanding.
Developed by MachineGames in collaboration with Arkane Studios and was published
by Bethesda Softworks and released on July 26, 2019, the players control B.J.
Blazkowicz's and Anya Oliwa's twin daughters this time around. The game can be
played in single-player and multiplayer modes for the story campaign.[52] Additionally,
players who purchase the Deluxe edition of the game are able to invite friends to their
sessions, regardless of whether the invitee owns the game. [53]
Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot (2019)[edit]
Set twenty years after the events of The New Colossus, the protagonist is depicted as a
computer hacker known as Cyberpilot who works for the French Resistance against the
Nazi regime. It takes place chronologically a week prior to the events of Youngblood,
serving as a separate side story to the main narrative. Unlike its predecessors,
however, the game is specifically designed to be a virtual reality experience.
[54]
Cyberpilot was released alongside Youngblood on the same day in 2019.[55]
Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot and Wolfenstein: Youngblood were the first games to make use
of the "social adequacy clause" introduced by Unterhaltungssoftware
Selbstkontrolle (USK; the German software ratings board) in August 2018, which
allowed the use of Nazi imagery and symbols in video games in relevant scenarios,
reviewed on a case-by-case basis.[56] Despite being officially rated by USK, major
German retailers, such as MediaMarkt, Saturn, and GameStop, refused to sell the
uncensored version, offering only the separately sold German version, which lacks all
Nazi imagery and references and features German as the only language option. [56][57]
Related games[edit]
Commander Keen series (1990–2001) – William Joseph "Billy Blaze" Blazkowicz II
(Commander Keen) is the grandson of William "B.J." Blazkowicz.
Doom (1993) – Doomguy is the great-grandson of B.J. Blazkowicz.
Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994) – Level 31 (Wolfenstein) of Doom II is based on the
first level of Wolfenstein 3D, and Level 32 (Grosse) is a Wolfenstein-based level
mixed with elements of Doom.
Quake Champions (2018) – B.J. Blazkowicz appears as a playable Champion,
alongside characters from other id Software franchises.
Super 3D Noah's Ark (1994) – A non-violent total conversion of Wolfenstein 3D with
Christian themes.
Rise of the Triad: Dark War (1995) – Was originally going to be a sequel
to Wolfenstein 3D called Rise of the Triad: Wolfenstein 3D II.
Wolfenstein 1-D (2011) – A demake of Wolfenstein 3D.
Film plans[edit]
In an announcement made at the 2012 American Film Market (AFM), producer Samuel
Hadida and Panorama Media said they have tapped Roger Avary to write and
direct Castle Wolfenstein.[58]
References[edit]
1. ^ Halter, Ed (2006). From Sun Tzu to Xbox: War and Video Games. PublicAffairs.
p. 155. ISBN 978-1-56025-681-6.
2. ^ Castle Wolfenstein (1989)(MUSE Software). 1989. p. 10.
3. ^ "The History of Wolfenstein". SAPPHIRE Nation - Community blog by SAPPHIRE
Technology. 2017-09-27. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
4. ^ Jump up to: Electronic Games - Volume 01 Number 04 (1982-06)(Reese Communications)
a b
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Categories:
Wolfenstein
Dieselpunk
Retrofuturistic video games
Video games about World War II alternate histories
Experimental medical treatments in fiction
Video games about Nazis
Video game franchises introduced in 1981
ZeniMax Media franchises
Microsoft franchises
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