Wolfenstein: Youngblood Reviews
Wolfenstein: Youngblood is as run-of-the-mill as you can get. The Nazi-killing angle and co-op functionality give the game an interesting edge, but the forced RPG mechanics and limitations that arise from it keep Youngblood from greatness.
With this latest installment, it feels as though Machine Games is both running out of ideas and losing the plot a little with what fans have celebrated about this modern era of the Wolfenstein.
Thanks to questionable tactics, a tedious and boring structure, bullet spongey enemies, and a narrative that's completely throwaway, Wolfenstein: Youngblood is far and away the worst entry in the franchise this generation. Some of its inventive combat mechanics remain intact, but they're completely overshadowed by throwaway side quests that we were tired of five years ago. This is a boring, tedious slog through Nazi-occupied Paris that you can probably skip.
Ultimately, Wolfenstein: Youngblood feels more like the product of a shareholder meeting, where non-gamers pushed this idea of turning Wolfenstein into a quasi service-type loot shooter, only without loot.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood feels like a short co-op experience stretched out over a barebones RPG skeleton. It doesn’t feel comfortable in its own skin. It’s too thin in some parts while being bloated and lumpy in others. Whatever it is, I don’t really want to touch it. Ultimately, it’s just a disappointing sidestep in an otherwise fantastic franchise.
Intentions to do something different are appreciated, but the way these additions sabotage the previously pristine core mechanics will only make your blood boil instead.
Wolfenstein holds a high position among a lot of FPS gamers. Wolfenstein: Youngblood seeks to carry the torch of this respected series but not only drops the torch but sets fire to everything around it. The cutscenes share The New Colossus' extraordinary quality and the new protagonists Jessica and Sophia provide authentic entertaining performances. However, many of the archaic mechanics that were vexing in the previous games are still present here. Wolfenstein: Youngblood starts strong, with a brilliant cast of characters and incredibly choreographed cutscenes but slowly falls due to the repetitive missions and bullet sponge-like enemies.
If you're looking for something to tide you over until the inevitable Wolfenstein 3, Youngblood probably won't scratch your itch. It takes many steps back to the point where it feels like a lesser experience even when compared to shooters beyond this series. There's little of value added and it fails to even be declared average at best thanks to bugs and poor AI.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood takes one of my favorite FPS series and ruins it with repetitive grind, bloated FPS mechanics, a broken, mandatory co-op system and a frankly insulting story. Don't touch this one with a ten foot pole.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood is an adequate shooter, buried under a glut of unnecessary RPG elements and an obnoxious focus on cooperative play. Fans should look to the other games in the series to quench their thirst for straightforward Nazi killing.
If you're a Wolfenstein fan, don't buy this game. Not yet at least, wait until it's at least 30-50% off. This game is not worth full price.
"Tango takes two."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Ignoring the bugs I encountered for a moment: I have enjoyed Wolfenstein: Youngblood. It's an odd entry into the franchise and I'd love to know the thought process that led to its creation, but for those seeking a 10-12 hour co-op shooter, you could certainly do worse than this mixed bag.
All in all, I quite enjoyed playing Wolfenstein Youngblood. I thought the two character’s relationship was fascinating and their journey was captivating to see how far they would go in order to find out what happened to their dad. Yes it was a little samey at times, and I couldn’t care about what the side missions had to offer, apart from levelling up of my character, but I enjoyed using the different weapons in deciding the best ways to kill the “Zitadelles”, “Zerstorers” and “Ubersoldats” as well as the many, many soldiers standing in my way. This isn’t a great game compared the previous Wolfenstein games, but this is more of a bridge in the gap to fill whilst waiting for the mighty Wolfenstein 3. Therefore I gave this a sexy Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood manages, at least against the competition, to create a coherent, cooperative game structure, which, however, is stumbling especially on the motivational level. The initial narrative profundity paired with the excessive, hyperbolic spikes neither manage to successfully level the following story neglect nor the missing sympathy of a Wolfenstein. The usual level of difficulty and the resulting tactical scale can at least temporarily comfort the viewer about the repetitive structures and banalities within the quest structure. Meanwhile, both the solid technical framework and the visual dedication, along with Bethesda's attractive Buddy Pass offer, manage to give Youngblood at least some of the raison d'être it desperately needs. What remains is an entertaining journey into the abstruse realms of the parodistic 80s, which thanks to a high degree of uniformity and an inconsistent narrative ultimately gambles away immense potential.
Review in German | Read full review
The story and characters and shooting that make Wolfenstein shine are still all here. But, the structure has shifted those elements around, producing something that just doesn’t feel like Wolfenstein anymore. If you like loot-shooters and would like to play one with a Nazi-killing coat of paint, Wolfenstein Youngblood is basically that. But, if you come to Wolfenstein for well-realized characters and pulpy stories, Youngblood is defined by their absence.
Wolfenstein Youngblood suffers from a myriad of issues including bad game design, unnecessary gameplay clutter, and a forced shift to co-op gameplay that hardly feels ideal. It is a disappointing entry in the classic Wolfenstein series that has delivered some of the best first-person narrative-focused shooters this generation.
A very polarizing game, that doesn't want you to love it despite your efforts. A lighthearted romp through some beautiful scenery coupled with some novel ideas, bogged down by a plethora of nuisances and annoyances.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
In reality, it’s developed into a shallow game with little to no story content but lots of tedious busywork. Its great moment-to-moment gameplay isn’t enough to distract from how the game is built around artificial padding that even houses a pay-to-win microtransaction economy