After such a strong start with The New Order, The New Colossus really needed to deliver on its promise of depicting the liberation of America from the Nazis by being bigger and bolder in its gameplay and particularly its story. In some ways, it surely delivers on that, and in others, it does not.
To start with its story, for the most part, The New Colossus towers above its predecessor, delivering a much more involved narrative that explores B.J.'s abusive, deeply troubled past and digs into his psyche as he's brought back from the brink at the end of the last game only to emerge as a broken man.
It's riveting stuff and the stakes are surely high this time, as, despite their previous victories, the Kreisau Circle is no less close to liberation from the Nazis than they were before. However, that's until the new cast of rebels joins on, including the incredibly written Grace, performed wonderfully by Debra Wilson, as well as the tenacious Horton, performed by Chris Heyerdahl, who leads the New Orleans communist revolution.
Really, the writing in this game is top-notch, not just in the new characters but across the board, with truly some of the best dialogue I've ever heard in a video game, particularly when B.J. first meets Horton at their hideout and argues with him into joining the resistance. Overall, there's a fantastic cinematic flair and presentation to the narrative this time that really come together.
However, that narrative is not without its faults. For one, this game is kind of all over the place tonally, more so than the first game. While, for the most part, I didn't mind the balance they struck with comedy and drama here, I can easily see why some would not be on board. I equate it to Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman movies, particularly the second one, where the script is so down to clown that you're not entirely sure if you should take the serious moments seriously, lest there be a comedic rug-pull at the other end.
Like I said, I was personally fine with it in this case, but I can totally see why some may not be into it.
The ending is also something I take umbrage with. Not so much the ending scene itself but the fact that that's where they end things. It feels much more like the end of the second act of the larger story than the end of the story altogether. I can only assume that they were confident that Wolfenstein III would soon follow this one, since it's a bizarre choice for a conclusion.
The terrible heavy metal cover of 'We're Not Gonna Take It' they use over the end credits is also a bizarre choice.
As for the gameplay, it does deliver a heavier, harder combat experience compared to the last game. I wouldn't really say on the whole that it's better or worse than the combat of The New Order; it's just... different. The guns, takedowns, and general movement feel like they have more weight to them, and unfortunately, as a trade-off, stealth feels less like a viable plan of attack than it was in the last two entries.
As a result of this heavier feeling of combat, perhaps my biggest issue is how difficult it is, even on the normal and easier difficulties. While there were issues with difficulty imbalances in the combat arenas of The New Order, here it feels like the entire game is a crapshoot of varying levels of challenge. Whether that's down to AI or encounter design is neither here nor there, but it's just more frustrating than anything else.
Regardless, I still believe The New Colossus to be a good sequel to The New Order. In terms of story, for the most part, it delivers on writing, characters, and plot very well, although its tone and choice of ending scene stop it from being out-and-out superior to the first game. Gameplay-wise, its heavier, faster combat delivers too, but at the expense of some uneven difficulty in enemy encounters.
Overall, though, it's surely enough to make me wonder where Wolfenstein III is already.
7/10
To start with its story, for the most part, The New Colossus towers above its predecessor, delivering a much more involved narrative that explores B.J.'s abusive, deeply troubled past and digs into his psyche as he's brought back from the brink at the end of the last game only to emerge as a broken man.
It's riveting stuff and the stakes are surely high this time, as, despite their previous victories, the Kreisau Circle is no less close to liberation from the Nazis than they were before. However, that's until the new cast of rebels joins on, including the incredibly written Grace, performed wonderfully by Debra Wilson, as well as the tenacious Horton, performed by Chris Heyerdahl, who leads the New Orleans communist revolution.
Really, the writing in this game is top-notch, not just in the new characters but across the board, with truly some of the best dialogue I've ever heard in a video game, particularly when B.J. first meets Horton at their hideout and argues with him into joining the resistance. Overall, there's a fantastic cinematic flair and presentation to the narrative this time that really come together.
However, that narrative is not without its faults. For one, this game is kind of all over the place tonally, more so than the first game. While, for the most part, I didn't mind the balance they struck with comedy and drama here, I can easily see why some would not be on board. I equate it to Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman movies, particularly the second one, where the script is so down to clown that you're not entirely sure if you should take the serious moments seriously, lest there be a comedic rug-pull at the other end.
Like I said, I was personally fine with it in this case, but I can totally see why some may not be into it.
The ending is also something I take umbrage with. Not so much the ending scene itself but the fact that that's where they end things. It feels much more like the end of the second act of the larger story than the end of the story altogether. I can only assume that they were confident that Wolfenstein III would soon follow this one, since it's a bizarre choice for a conclusion.
The terrible heavy metal cover of 'We're Not Gonna Take It' they use over the end credits is also a bizarre choice.
As for the gameplay, it does deliver a heavier, harder combat experience compared to the last game. I wouldn't really say on the whole that it's better or worse than the combat of The New Order; it's just... different. The guns, takedowns, and general movement feel like they have more weight to them, and unfortunately, as a trade-off, stealth feels less like a viable plan of attack than it was in the last two entries.
As a result of this heavier feeling of combat, perhaps my biggest issue is how difficult it is, even on the normal and easier difficulties. While there were issues with difficulty imbalances in the combat arenas of The New Order, here it feels like the entire game is a crapshoot of varying levels of challenge. Whether that's down to AI or encounter design is neither here nor there, but it's just more frustrating than anything else.
Regardless, I still believe The New Colossus to be a good sequel to The New Order. In terms of story, for the most part, it delivers on writing, characters, and plot very well, although its tone and choice of ending scene stop it from being out-and-out superior to the first game. Gameplay-wise, its heavier, faster combat delivers too, but at the expense of some uneven difficulty in enemy encounters.
Overall, though, it's surely enough to make me wonder where Wolfenstein III is already.
7/10
cowboyjosh
4 months ago