$20 Game of the week: Return to Castle Wolfenstein (Xbox, PS2, PC)

Although this is available on the three formats I mentioned above for $20 or less, this is mainly focusing on the Xbox version of the game. Wolfenstein 3-D was the start of two big revolutions in gaming.� It was one of the first games that bought home the actual WW2 experience, complete with zombies, mutant dogs, and a cyborg Hitler.� This is a feat that would not be achieved until years later with EA’s Medal of Honor (albeit with no zombies or cyborgs).� Secondly,� it was the birth of the genre we know as “First Person Shooters” or FPS for short.� Although it had it’s set of issues, (limited weapons and enemy varieties, repetitive levels, etc) this would continue to hold a special place in the hearts of gamers everywhere.Fast forward to 2002.� ID decided to revive it’s top two franchises in the FPS genre, Wolfenstein and Doom.� Return to Castle Wolfeinstein was the first out the gate, with many receiving it better than Doom 3.� Ton console version was even better, packing in several new features such as squad-based Xbox Live play, offline co-op, new prequel levels, and the original Wolfenstein as an unlockable.� Eschewing the silliness of the� past games, ID offers up a deep plot drawing upon the occult history of the Third Reich.� As BJ Blazkowicz, you fight your way to Nazi Germany to stop the resurrection of an ancient scientist.� With several weapons at your disposal, you must fight past Nazis, undead creatures, and evenexperimental� super soldiers. �

For WW2 fans looking for an alternative from the usual “Call of the battlefield of Honor archetypes”, this is a fun game to pick up.