As it goes for a Switch game as a whole, this is certainly one of the better releases on the system from a third party company. While you get just the vanilla version of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, the fact that you get it on the Nintendo Switch in amazing form is something to behold. The game looks solid, the intensity of the original release is still intact, and the gameplay doesn't drop off much when playing it portable. It's a must-have for Nintendo Switch owners dying for a first-person shooter.
How in the world did Machine Games get Wolfenstein II onto the Nintendo Switch? I’m not saying that the Switch isn’t the little engine that could, but I am saying that Wolfenstein II is an amazing game that is bulky and beautiful, so it shouldn’t fit on this console without some considerable quality loss. So, how did Machine Games do it? I can’t fathom how it made it to the console, nor how it was made so well.
Let’s dig right into it.
TNC begins with taking players through the events of TNO, including the decision players have to make a couple of hours into the original adventure where you have to choose which one of your comrades gets to live, and which has to die at the hand of Death’s Head. This alters the story’s timeline some, and also presents a fine opportunity to replay the game as well. I believe I chose Private Wyatt years ago when I first played TNO, and I did the same this time around, although I came to kind of regret it as I didn’t like Wyatt’s character as much as the story developed in TNC. Anyway, after making that choice again and catching up with the rest of the events, gameplay begins aboard the Eva’s Hammer U-Boat, with the Kreisau Circle (the resistance force) has captured from the Nazis. Having been a safe, hidden transport for several months, Eva’s Hammer is now under invasion by General Engel’s airship. Players reprise their role as BJ, who awakens just in time to drag himself out of bed and into a wheelchair to fight back the Nazis once again.
The Switch version of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, while barebones and un-adjusted when compared to its console brethren, is impressive. It really brings the entire experience that the bigger beasts have displayed with earlier releases of the game. If you’re worried about presentation drop off, surprisingly you don’t have to be. The game, as I mentioned earlier in the review, is stunning. It pops at a good frame rate, brings all the dialogue, light, shading, textures — it brings the visual boatload you’re used to seeing from other console powerhouses such as the PlayStation 4 and/or Xbox One. It does tend to skip a little when the cutscenes are in motion, but nothing to gripe about, unless you’re trying to find something. I’m sure some Reddit member will bitch about it. Anyway.
As for the gameplay, it’s just like it was when we first reviewed it for the PlayStation 4. It’s still the same spectacular first-person shooter and it still contains that intense design that allows you to dig in deep to the narrative and go nazi hunting. It’s proper. The biggest difference between the powerhouse consoles and the Nintendo Switch, at least in my opinion, is how the portable version of the game is versus its docked version. While the big gimmick of the Switch is that you can play high-end games on the go, the biggest issue with Wolfenstein is that the portable version can be hard to play at times, though not remotely a lost cause. It is remarkable that everything translated pretty well to the Switch, but the small screen is tough to play on when you’re looking down deep hallways in search of enemies or objects. I found myself adjusting my bifocals in hopes of seeing dark shadows moving around in the background when infiltrating some of the levels because they simply weren’t obvious on the small screen at times. It’s difficult to see things on the Switch, and this isn’t the only game that does this, especially when intricate details make up the landscape, and when they’re important. I had to go actively searching for enemies because I couldn’t readily see them from afar. It was tough at times, but not impossible for the most part.
That said, the dock version of the game exceeds and excels beyond all expectations. It’s nearly perfect for the vanilla version of the game and it brings the same brutal intensity found in the previous versions. It’s a bigger and better way to play Wolfenstein on the Switch. Everything is far clearer to the eye and the beautiful details you get on the smaller screen translate fine to the bigger screen. It’s a solid looking game on a television. It does show that the Nintendo Switch has some power under the hood.
Beyond just visuals, and different ways to play, the next concern I had for the game was the Joy-Con controllers. Having had a rotten experience with Street Fighter (name a release) for the Switch, where the Joy-Cons simply didn’t work and feel comfortable, I had some concern with them going into a hardcore FPS like WNC. The cheap plastic feel to the Joy-Cons have always been a point of contention with my love for the system. I have gone through multiple Joy-Cons and I have not been impressed with the feel or construction of them. That said, they did well with WNC. While I could certainly pull off more accuracy on an Xbox or PS4 controller, the Joy-Cons were good for the Switch in this circumstance. They felt a bit loosey-goosey at times, where I would spray bullets instead of accurately shoot them, but they performed far better than I thought they would. I think after an hour or so I did get used to the loose feel of the aiming, which meant they didn’t hinder the gameplay almost at all. Still, I would prefer a better controller rather than use the Joy-Cons when it comes to WNC. Just for accuracy purposes, if nothing else.
As it goes for a Switch game as a whole, this is certainly one of the better releases on the system from a third party company. While you get just the vanilla version of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, the fact that you get it on the Nintendo Switch in amazing form is something to behold. The game looks solid, the intensity of the original release is still intact, and the gameplay doesn’t drop off much when playing it portable. It’s a must-have for Nintendo Switch owners dying for a first-person shooter.
