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Recent reviews by nkenny

Showing 1-5 of 5 entries
4 people found this review helpful
4.5 hrs on record (2.3 hrs at review time)
Intuitive and fun dressup system and simply superbly researched. A great resource for anyone interest in period clothing, or perhaps writing their own stories in the setting. :)
Posted 23 March, 2024.
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No one has rated this review as helpful yet
514.6 hrs on record (481.4 hrs at review time)
I would write a review, but I just need to play one more turn first.

While perhaps lacking the depth and historical consistency of previous titles, it still presents an interesting, diverse, and strategically interesting set of game mechanics well worth the playthrough.
Posted 29 July, 2015.
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2 people found this review helpful
10.2 hrs on record (9.5 hrs at review time)
Wolfenstein: The New Order
I'll cut through the chase and say that it is a very good game. For its type, I would say it easily rates a strong 5/6 rating, where six out of six are Half-Life(1-2) and Modern Warfare(1)

Strengths:
+ The gameplay rewards exploration in an organic, almost old school manner.
+ Controls for weapons and movement are tight and very responsive.
+ You get to kill nazis, by the dousins.

Weaknesses:
- Graphics
- Internal consistency

This is where it gets interesting. In my mind there are really two flaws that prevent top score. And while it may seem odd and out of character coming from me, my first comments concern graphics, the second comprises the authenticity, or internal consistency, of the story being told.

Graphics. While the character models, and indeed motivations, are wonderfully rendered-- panoramic views, or really any of the wide-angle shots, leave much to be desired. Particularly when compared to other idtech games like Rage and Quake4, which have both delivered jawdropping panoramic visuals.

From personal preference, I would say that the aesthetic design of the Nazi warmachinery, ranging from combat drones to larger war machinery, also leaves me cold and uninspired. This may be a leftover homage from the previous games of the series, neither of which I am particularly familiar with, but from a personal point of view, the concept art could be much streamlined-- which leads us to my other concern.

Internal consistency. It may seem odd to criticize the internal consistency of an over-the-top action shooter, but my point is not that the game fails to replicate Arma, it is that the game plays sloppily with the 'setting realism,' and therefore authenticity of story it presents. Certain plot elements seem improvised, the plot characters response to wounds are inconsistent, and the handling of plot elements (read high-tech military vehicles/weapons) seems ad-hoc and poorly thought out.

Contrast this to the games that earn top score. Modern Warfare, while hardly a realism game, applies its concepts consistently. Half-Life, presents a set of concepts, AND STICKS WITH THEM. In essence, these game feel authentic, even if they are not realistic, in a pedantic sense of the word. Now vehicles moving at 'the speed of plot,' are hardly new to the genre, I just prefer consistency to wishy-washy-handwaveium.


Conclusion:
Neither of my points of criticism are dealbreakers. Wolfenstein: The New Order, is a good game in all the ways that matter. Its a good game, but not a great one. MachineGames is a studio to be watched in the future.

5/6-- well worth the playthrough.

Ken
Posted 12 July, 2014.
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No one has rated this review as helpful yet
1.0 hrs on record
In short. It's terrible. As much as I enjoy BIS products its a weak strategy game with weak gameplay and a worse campaign.

It's a trap.
Posted 16 July, 2013.
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No one has rated this review as helpful yet
105.7 hrs on record (50.6 hrs at review time)
Brilliant, expansive, surprising, clever, and like many bioware titles ultimately tedious.
Posted 23 January, 2011.
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Showing 1-5 of 5 entries