Sometimes it is awkward imagining how much our present would be different if we changed events that took place in the past, but we cannot help ourselves. Just imagine how much difference a change of outcome to one of the great wars would make. Luckily, we have the aid of various media that have the freedom to go as imaginatively and as broadly as the brain of the author would allow it and offer us the alternative reality so brutal that we can only be satisfied with the moment we are now. An excellent example are Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, games that throw us into an alternative past where the Third Reich achieved victory over the Allied forces in World War II. America is under the boot of the occupier, and we take over the role of Blazkowicz, a fighter against the Nazi forces, who was marked in this world as one of the main terrorists alongside his subgroups from the Kreisau Circle group. Before you start The New Colossus, you will get short snippets from The New Order to refresh your memory of the main moments.

After a few introductory minutes, Wolfenstein 2 starts immediately without letting down its guard and clearly suggests that brutality is not something that the MachineGames team is afraid of displaying. One of the first interactive parts is Blazkowicz’s childhood memories, in which his racist dad makes a young man to kill his own dog just because he is hanging out with an African American girl. The game puts you in front of the shotgun tube while your furry friend is standing in front of you.

Wolfenstein 2 is already shocking at the first level, and you can only imagine what everything that is coming after that will be like. But that’s not all that the first level has to offer, because one of the members of the resistance will soon roll around the room, that is, her head will in front of the crazy General Engel who, with a smile on her face, forces her own daughter to watch it

Still, not everything is so dark in Wolfenstein 2, there is also a fair amount of scenes with light comedy and relationships between the members of the resistance as an excellent contrast to the events during the shooting. It is the celebration of life and enjoying in it that is perhaps the most powerful weapon against the Nazi regime that our fellow fighters are fighting against.

You will be a part of the mission at Eva’s Hammer Submarine, find out more about your fellow fighters, their fears, hobbies, and imperfections that will leave the impression of real people of blood and flesh, with which not many games can boast. Naturally, great acting and facial animation also contribute to this. The only thing that could bother you is an occasional lagging in synchronization of the character’s lips with their speech.

Graphics are also in place, although we did not expect anything less from the idTech initiator; only on several occasions I felt a slight drop of frames on open maps with lots of shootings and explosions that otherwise look great. However, most of the time Wolfenstein 2 holds a stable 60 frames per second at 1440p resolution if you play the PlayStation 4 Pro version. And the high number of frames per second in The New Colossus is quite important as it is dynamic and will require you to move intensively.

As for the fighting approach, your hands are free and you can go on a mad march with two guns in your hands, accurately tackle your opponents behind the cover, or sneak up easily and get rid of the Nazi in an elegant manner – using a metal axe that will separate their limbs like a circular saw.

The only bigger objection to the game is the level design, since I did not feel any exciting sections or twisted paths. In addition, a minor objection could go in the direction of innovativeness, as besides a better story I did not feel any significant improvement over the first part. It’s not bad either because The New Order was great, but I was expecting a bigger breakthrough.

Wolfenstein 2 is a true singleplayer FPS experience at its core and it does not shy away from it. It does not follow trends, there is no need for micro-transactions or multiplayer, but still offers pleasant fifteen hours of entertainment. The focus is on an excellent storyline, great acting and a combination of harder political themes and entertaining scenes that create unexpectedly good synergy and put it on a list of FPS title that you should not miss.