Review: Wolfenstein is insane, funny and smart

The new Wolfenstein game packs a monster punch - but there are frustrations.

How killing Nazis became controversial in 2017 is both horrifying and mystifying, but the new Wolfenstein game offers a cathartic release in the current political environment.

Picking up almost immediately from the previous installment, The New Colossus sees hero B J Blazkowicz awake in an nearly dead state on a U-boat invaded by Nazis.

The explosive first chapter sees Blazkowicz, confined to a wheelchair, precariously rolling around the sub while popping out to take down the intruders.

The storyline is funny, intelligent and deeply sad. Blazkowicz's abusive childhood is revealed in a series of flashbacks in which his father commits acts of violence and racism, sometimes forcing his son to take part.

Rather than it being a hamfisted background story, we are also shown tender moments between father and son and see Blazkowicz reckon with his own history.

Unfortunately, the gameplay in The New Colossus doesn't quite match the excellence of the story. The guns can feel as pithy as air rifles as Nazi soldiers seem to weather shot after shot.

There is no indicator to show a shot connected, nor that an enemy has died. A lack of feedback often means death is a mystery. Most frustrating is being forced to pick up ammo and health manually rather than collecting it automatically.

Often a reload in the heat of battle instead goes towards picking up an item. Nonetheless, the challenging combat and insane set pieces keep the gameplay engaging and fun.

And The New Colossus is absolutely insane. Adolf Hitler makes an appearance, which needs to be seen to be believed, Blazkowicz's heavily pregnant girlfriend Anya strips down for a nude massacre, bathing her naked body in blood, and a live TV show is ... greatly disrupted.

The final scene of The New Colossus is rousing and evokes elements of Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator, while tragically referencing Ernst Lubitch's masterpiece To Be or Not To Be.

The nod to Lubitsch is as subtle as the film-maker's own hidden tragedies and elevates the Wolfenstein franchise to new heights.

Wolfenstein: The New Colossus

Rating: R16
System: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Verdict: Insane, funny, and smart with a couple let downs.