Going into Wolfenstein: Youngblood was something I was looking forward to. The series as of late has been nothing more than fun with its over-the-top action, set pieces and storytelling. Even the stand-alone game Oldblood was fun in its right. However, Youngblood feels shallow and nothing more than a placeholder.
Set in 1980, you have the choice between picking between either Jess or Sophia Blazkowicz, the twin daughters of B.J. and Anya that were eluded to in The New Order and The New Colossus. When B.J. goes off the grid, the girls set out to find their father with the help of Abby – the daughter of Grace from The New Colossus.
Equipped with power suits and their geeky book-quoting wit they must liberate Paris from the clutches of the Nazi regime. I’m not one to compare the cost of a game to the length and/or experience, but Youngblood is nothing short of an under-par product. The game consists of 6 main story missions, and a dozen side-missions, with the occasional repetitive, randomly generated miscellaneous mission. These missions are divided into distinct districts that have a vertical feel to them thanks to Arcane Studios’ co-development design.
As you progress throughout the game Jess and Soph level up acquiring abilities that their power suits can use whether it be muscle, mind, or power. Missions also generate these points as well as XP and money. This is where the grind comes in. Certain abilities have a higher set of point requirements, and obtaining them are not as easy as it sounds. Once you complete all the missions available from the onset, there are only two ways to achieve these points or even more XP.
These ways include participating in the weekly or daily challenges – which doesn’t give you a great sum -, redoing the missions online with a friend or matchmaking with randoms. Repeating missions are also helpful in generating silver coins – the currency used to upgrade weapons. Weapons can be modified with different attachments, and these attachments can also be improved in the same respect.
Luckily the gameplay, for the most part, is still fun. If you have played the past Wolfenstein games then you will still be pleasantly surprised by the core gunplay and combat within. Since the game focuses heavily on the co-op aspect, perks can be used to give your sister a boost in combat, such as a health or armor upgrade. On the opposite end of the spectrum, most – if not all – the levels in Youngblood feature opening doors to get into new locations. This requires both players to cooperated and open at the same time. It’s a neat gimmick, but after the third time is gets old, especially when there’s a bunch of backtracking involved.
During my time with the game, I couldn’t help by feel perplexed by the decisions – or lack thereof – that the developers chose within the game. With an emphasis on the 1980s the game sure doesn’t feel this way except for collectibles – one of them being a mock Purple Rain cover. There’s also the inability to “pause” the game when playing offline, instead, you can use the menu but the game’s still running in the backdrop. Finally, some story beats are kinda spoilers to the inevitable Wolfenstein 3. They practically layout what major things happen in between The New Colossus and Youngblood.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a mixed bag and shallow game that’s rather left in the 80’s (I’ll see myself out).