Wolfenstein

[TRMNTR]

id Software's newest chapter in the legendary "Wolfenstein" series will deliver players deep behind the enemy lines of a war-torn Germany, where Nazi experiments with technology and the supernatural threaten to turn the tide of World War II. Utilizing a revolutionary new graphics technology targeted specifically at next-generation hardware, this new Wolfenstein experience will draw players into a world of unmatched exploration, action and espionage.

 

Source: IGN

 

 

Screens

 

 

 

Wolfenstein Teaser Trailer

 

 

 

 

 

 

__________________________________

[TRMNTR]

Wolfenstein First Look

 

Wolfenstein 3D is the granddaddy of all first-person shooters; a fitting description considering that since it debuted in 1992 it's fair to say a sizeable percentage of today's shooter audience was still in their diapers, and another large chunk wasn't even born yet. This may be why Activision, id Software, and Raven Software wound up naming this entry in the franchise simply Wolfenstein. That's because the companies view this as a new Wolfenstein game aimed at today's gamers who may not know the franchise, but one that also includes all the elements that fans have come to know. We got our first look at Wolfenstein in action just prior to QuakeCon in Dallas, and here's what it's about.

 

This isn't a remake of the original Wolfenstein, and this new game is set immediately after the events of 2001's Return to Castle Wolfenstein. You once again take the role of Allied super soldier William Joseph "BJ" Blazkowicz as he takes down Nazis and demons during World War II. Yes, that's right. The Wolfenstein games have always been a bit like Raiders of the Lost Ark in how they blend history with the supernatural, so in addition to mowing down legions of Hitler's finest you also have to tackle the paranormal as well. This isn't just another World War II shooter, though it's clear that Raven has picked up some tips from recent games.

 

 

The story deals once again with the Nazi's obsession with things arcane. Sure, BJ took out Germany's occult division in the previous game, but this time the Nazi scientists have discovered a powerful new power source called Black Sun that they intend to tap. Black Sun, though, is found in a different dimension, and you know what happens when man tinkers with things that he does not fully understand.

 

The theme of the game, according to project lead Eric Biessman of Raven, is basically choice. This is a departure from the rigidly narrow and linear corridor shooters that Wolfenstein is known for. The tactical situations in this new Wolfenstein will feature multiple approaches to them. For instance, if you're facing an entrenched German position during a street battle you can charge it headlong, or find a nearby staircase that takes you to the rooftops so you can shoot down, or you might find a sewer grate and try going beneath it. Another situation will require you to take out two machine gun nests. You can go up the middle, or try to work your way along either flank.

 

 

Choice will also extend in a number of other key ways, as well. You'll have a choice in pursuing side missions that characters offer you, and these could lead to discovering more gold and treasure. This newfound wealth can then be used to purchase upgrades both conventional and paranormal, customizing your play style. Then there's the most dramatic and supernatural ability at your command; the ability to enter "The Veil", which is sort of an intermediary dimension between our reality and that of Black Sun.

 

By using a special ability, BJ can enter a greenish realm where opponents have a sort of aura to them, which lets you spot them easier. Moreover, BJ can use special abilities in the realm, such as Mire, which causes others to move slower than him. Other special abilities weren't really identified at this point. However, you'll also discover strange creatures inhabiting the realm, such as Geists, which are strange worker drones that move around the world to collect energy, only to return with it somewhere. Take out a Geist that's fully charged and it'll explode, sending lightning shooting outwards. Keep in mind, the Nazis have discovered The Veil first, so they've already made use of it. One sign of this are markers in the real world that indicate something special in The Veil. For instance, a solid brick wall blocking your way in reality might have a gaping hole in it in The Veil.

 

The game features conventional German forces, as well as friendly forces that assist you, which is a first of sorts for Wolfenstein. You won't control these forces directly, but they can fight alongside you. In our demonstration, BJ found a safe house manned by one of these factions where he received a mission from a character. In a first for the franchise, BJ will also have a voice and a personality, so he's no longer a strange cipher of a character.

 

Then there are the supernatural and unconventional foes, such as a Nazi heavy trooper armed with a particle cannon that works like a disintegration beam. Hit a German trooper with it and he vaporizes. The heavy trooper is protected by a shield that will deflect conventional arms in the real world, but shift to The Veil and you can target his weak spots.

 

Since Raven began work on the game several years ago, it based it on a modified version of the Quake IV engine. There are enhancements to add depth of field effects and other graphical features, to be sure. However, if you were expecting id Tech 5, id's latest engine, you'll have to wait for future games.

 

 

So where is Wolfenstein in terms of development? In classic id and Raven faction, it'll be done "when it's done," and the build that we saw was described as still pre-alpha, which means it's not feature complete. In addition, Raven barely talked about multiplayer, and that's an important part of any Wolfenstein game, so who knows what state it is in now? So it sounds like there's still a fair bit of work left to do. Based on looks, I'd guess that this is a 2009 game, and it'll ship simultaneously on the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

 

The bigger question is how much weight does the Wolfenstein name have with gamers today? It has been more than seven years since the last game, and 16 since the original. During that time, there have been no shortage of World War II shooters, and a number of them have also blended the historical with the fantastical as well. That's what happens when you're the granddaddy of an entire genre; everyone wonders if you have what it takes.

[AtheK]

awesome one of the first FPS that i really enjoyed a lot looking forward to this one

[Madmage]

This one is so going to kick some major asss

[TRMNTR]

Just look at that first screen :shock3:

 

BEAST

[Doobz]

drool drool drool drool

 

sm1 gimme a bucket or my droolin will cause a flood

[TRMNTR]

^

 

Here you go...

 

 

[Somebody]

QuakeCon 2008: Wolfenstein First Look

The veil is finally lifted on the latest adventure of B.J. Blazkowicz.

 

Deep behind the front lines of World War II, a secret Nazi faction known as the Thule Society is researching its own brand of weapons of mass destruction--those of the occult. After years of sinister research, it has discovered a dark, limitless power called Black Sun, and the Nazis have begun efforts to harness this energy for use against the free world. Unfortunately for the Nazis, they did not count on two things: secret agent B.J. Blazkowicz and his flamethrower.

 

After a seven-year hiatus, the Wolfenstein franchise is reborn. Id Software, with internal development teams already devoted to Doom 4 and Rage, has again enlisted the aid of Raven Software, which last worked with id on Quake 4. With Wolfenstein, Raven aims to hold true to the themes that made Wolfenstein 3D and Return to Castle Wolfenstein such hits: intense combat, secret treasure, and a story-driven experience. At QuakeCon 2008 this week in Dallas, we sat down with both id and Raven for our first look at Wolfenstein.

 

The story takes place in Isenstadt, a fictional German city at the height of World War II. When the Allies learn of the Nazis' nefarious discovery, they send in their own weapon of mass destruction, B.J. Upon arrival, B.J. links up with one of the few resistance groups in the city, the Kreisau Circle. Historically, the Kreisau Circle was a group of German aristocrats planning the future of Germany after the fall of the Third Reich. In Wolfenstein, members are bona fide freedom fighters bent on the destruction of Nazism by any means necessary, which usually involve excessive force. Isenstadt is open for B.J. to explore, and Kreisau safe houses are scattered around the city. There, B.J. stocks up on ammo, receives intelligence, and is assigned missions to aid the resistance. In the mission we saw, the Germans have activated a mysterious new weapon, and B.J. leads a team of Kreisau fighters to blow it to pieces.

 

 

At first, combat seems like basic first-person-shooter fare. B.J. blasts his way through the German defense using authentic WWII weaponry like tommy guns, emplaced MG42 machine guns, and his trusty flamethrower. There's no dedicated squad-command mechanic; instead, your allies will fight, and sometimes die, beside you. Raven is trying to give you as many choices as possible, so you can take multiple paths to eliminate your enemies. In one instance, Raven had B.J. take to the rooftops and flank a German machine gun nest while his Kreisau allies fought in the streets below. Or, Raven says, B.J. could have descended through a manhole into the sewers and popped out behind a very surprised German squad. Or you could go the traditional route and take cover behind walls and sandbags in the streets, picking off foes one by one.

 

Standing between the Nazis and Black Sun, besides B.J., is a parallel dimension that is superimposed on our own, known simply as "the veil." The Germans are trying desperately to break through the veil and harness the power of Black Sun directly, which would spell doom for the Allies and, later, the entire world. So far, the Nazis have tapped only a small fraction of the power of Black Sun, but they are rapidly approaching their goal and disturbing the inhabitants of the veil in the process.

 

Early on in Wolfenstein, B.J. will gain the ability to enter the veil at any time. It's important to note that the veil isn't a separate world entirely. Similar to the shadow world in the Lord of the Rings films (as seen when Frodo puts on the One Ring), the veil is simply an alternate dimension to our own. In the veil, the world is tinted dark green and inhabited by strange creatures that don't exist in our realm. Black Sun is leaking, and pools of condensation of pure energy dot the landscape. Giant blue insects called geists collect the energy like bees collecting pollen. When geists are filled with energy, B.J. can shoot them, igniting the volatile dark energy within them and killing all nearby enemies.

 

As the Nazis continue to interfere in the veil, the realm becomes increasingly dangerous. Raven says there's a lot more living in the veil besides docile giant blue bees, and you probably won't want to be around to see these creatures. The Nazis too grow stronger as they continue to harness Black Sun. We ran into a German heavy trooper with a suit of impenetrable armor powered by Black Sun energy. None of our traditional attacks had any effect on the trooper as he disintegrated our Kreisau comrades with one blast of a deadly particle cannon, a technology B.J. had never seen before. Luckily, B.J. has talents the Nazis have never seen before.

 

 

Within the veil, B.J. gains mysterious new superpowers and abilities. He moves faster, can see enemy soldiers more clearly, and can see secret paths that don't exist in our own dimension. As the Nazis explore the veil, they mark differences between the two dimensions by writing symbols on walls. We watched as B.J. encountered one such marking on a wall, then slipped into the veil. In that dimension, the wall didn't exist. A group of unsuspecting enemies, still in our own dimension, saw what they believed was a solid wall. B.J. then fired off a few rounds through the passage and eliminated the soldiers. While we saw only one such passage, you can bet that Isenstadt will be littered with secret veil routes (in addition to the aforementioned sewers and rooftops).

 

None of this helped B.J. against this deadly heavy trooper, so he activated one of his veil powers, known as mire. Mire slowed down time so B.J. could quickly get behind the trooper and blast the canisters of dark energy powering the suit of armor. We only saw mire, but there appear to be four slots for B.J.'s veil powers, so we're excited to see what other abilities B.J. will unlock. Whatever they are, he'll need them. Creatures in the veil as well as the Nazis will grow increasingly powerful throughout Wolfenstein. Said Biessman, "The Nazis are developing a lot more than just particle cannons."

 

After the heavy trooper exploded within his suit of armor, B.J. picked up the particle cannon. Through the next door, several heavily armed Nazis awaited, and he had some disintegrating of his own to do.

 

Like in the original Wolfenstein, there are plenty of hidden treasures and artifacts in the gameworld. Gold bars and valuable artifacts abound, should you take the time to find them. Biessman remembers that in the original Wolfenstein 3D you had to jump with the space bar over and over to find secret passages through the brick walls. Expect plenty of secrets here, too. All that loot has a monetary value and can be traded for weapon upgrades such as larger ammo clips and more firepower. But there are some groups outside the Kreisau Circle that are, shall we say, more in tune with the occult nature of the veil and will help you upgrade your veil powers, such as mire. There is a recharging meter that limits overuse of the veil powers, but you'll use your supernatural abilities quite a bit.

 

Online multiplayer is being developed in the same vein as in Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, which inspired the more recent Enemy Territory: Quake Wars. Expect class-based, team-based gameplay as opposing forces do battle over control points. Only this time, you will be able to play with a whole lot of Black Sun-powered weaponry, supernatural abilities, and the veil itself.

[Doobz]

karan bucket too small i need a buckethead

[TRMNTR]

For that please contact Umang a.k.a. Mr. Balti

[Doobz]

i was about to contact ibibo bt umang snds betta LOL

[SchizoidFreud]

FUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCK!

 

 

Cant wait for wolfenstein, id software rules

[Doobz]

seriously w8in for em to announce da mp stuff want to vaporise xeno's a*s with the particle cannon

 

 

dis bucket aint enough to store my drool fr dis game

[devd]

seriously w8in for em to announce da mp stuff want to vaporise xeno's a*s with the particle cannon

dis bucket aint enough to store my drool fr dis game

rage

[The JACKAL]

Is Jhon carmack working on this game too??

[KnackChap]

Is Jhon carmack working on this game too??

:rofl2: :rofl2:

No

[Tyler]

New Preview from 1Up...

 

With the press all in town for the New York Comic Con, Activision took the opportunity to walk us through the latest build of id and Raven's new Wolfenstein. It was a good chance to get a sense of how the game plays out through the first few levels. As you've likely heard by now, our hero B.J. Blazkowicz is back for another FPS in set in a WWII fictional German city. Though, this is time around it's a much more fleshed out experience -- some of your supporting NPC characters help narrate your story. For lots of people, the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to Wolfenstein is zombie Nazis. I didn't see any of those today (we only saw two levels, so maybe they'll show up later), but I did get a chance to get a better sense of how the game's weapons and special powers work.

B.J.'s introductory mission sees him at the destruction of a train containing an unknown Nazi experiment -- the premise behind the sci-fi elements within the game. During his battles, the environment periodically loses its gravitational pull, sending rubble and unsuspecting Nazis floating into the air. For whatever reason, this has no affect on our protagonist, who remains firmly planted on the ground while continually shooting at the now vulnerable and motionless enemies. It would be nice to witness the villains flailing around while spraying bullets from their weapons -- I mean, the game makes it obvious that they're still alive because when gravity sets back in, they stand right back up and fight -- so why would anti-gravity place them in a lifeless state? But maybe there's a good reason that I missed. Anyway, it's not quite as appealing to kill unresponsive and defenseless enemies while they're seemingly floating on cloud nine, but I assume this only for that part of the game, since this never occurred in the "Church" level, a third of the way into the campaign.

 

Somewhere between the first level and Church, B.J. discovers a Veil Amulet, a device that gives him access to the Veil dimension. In this dimension, the environment around you retains its shape and form, but everything has a shade of green coating; the combat with the Nazis still persists although they and B.J. are in two different dimensions. And from what I was told, the Nazis don't have access to the Veil, but are continuously seeking the energy that comes from it called the "Black Sun," the focus of their experimentation.

 

 

The Veil Amulet has an energy meter that is drained during use. It slowly regenerates over time, but to quickly fill the meter back up, you can find pools of Veil energy. This can be done easily with the help of Geist creatures -- floating bugs that are always gravitating towards the energy pools. The Geist creatures can also be useful during combat; if they are near a Nazi, shooting them will unleash Geist energy, sending out what looks like an electric current that kills the enemy.

 

Now, the Veil Amulet has its uses for combat; one such example is that B.J. will unlock powers in the duration of the campaign that are only usable in the Veil dimension. During the demonstration, I noticed that the Amulet has four round stones, and only one of which looked activated. While in the Veil dimension, console players will have a power designated to a direction on the D-pad. So I'm going to go on a whim here and assume that only four powers total are unlockable. The single power Activision was willing to show during the Church level was Mire -- an ability to slow down time.

 

In addition to the Amulet having unique powers, the Veil dimension will also grant B.J. access through walls that have a Black Sun symbol on it -- giving him the ability to surprise the enemy (maybe puzzle elements will also be included in the campaign). Another important use the Veil dimension provides became apparent when B.J. fought a Heavy Trooper (the Heavy Trooper is the product of Nazi experimentation -- a heavily armored soldier equipped with a Particle Canon, which channels the veil energy into a deadly laser). The Veil dimension revealed the enemy's weak spots by highlighting them in a red hue.

 

After destroying enemies, B.J. gets to keep the weapons he acquires in his inventory. Upgrades can also be purchased, although the details of how were not revealed. Also, multiplayer is going to be available, but it remains a mystery as to how the Veil Amulet and such will be implemented in that.

 

Wolfenstein is using id's Tech 4 engine, is being ported to PC from console, and carries a release date of "when it's done." We suspect it'll be out late this year. For more info on the game, make sure to check out our recent interview with the game's creative director.

 

http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3172674

[SchizoidFreud]

want

[Aftrunner]

Looks very generic. Sounds interesting though, will wait and watch but I am iffy at the moment on this.

[strategy]

Wolfenstein is using id's Tech 4 engine, is being ported to PC from console, and carries a release date of "when it's done." We suspect it'll be out late this year. For more info on the game, make sure to check out our recent interview with the game's creative director.

 

this year.......????

what about R.A.G.E.!....(well ..........both can be launched close.......but still)

and wheres the hype..............cant be this year..... its an id game........soo big a franchise ....

 

 

and BTW ....the first screen is real treat!