Based on Castle Wolfenstein, a fondly remembered 1981 Apple II action game, id Software's Wolfenstein 3D in 1992 popularised the idea of the modern-day first-person shooter, now a multi-billion dollar genre.

Another Wolfenstein is upon us, and if you are all like me you still have a sour taste in your mouth from the previous game. Yes, Wolfenstein 2009 was a bit of a disappointment for me, especially considering how great Return was, and it just felt like a flat experience.

The New Order takes place largely in an alternate history 1960s, with the prologue being set in World War II. In the game's story, the Nazis win the war through advanced technology, and they rule the world as very mean men after that. They're super mean, those Nazis.

Niggling issues aside, Wolfenstein: The New Order is an action packed and enjoyable first person shooter, with its FPS mechanics being the defining factor.

This game starts off strong but loses steam near the end. I enjoyed the smaller character driven parts such as sneaking past the border in the trunk of a car or breaking out of the concentration camp more so then fighting wave after wave of robots which is what comprises the last level.

The Wolfenstein series has a special place in gamers' hearts, especially those who are old enough to remember playing Wolfenstein 3D back in the early 90s on DOS PC systems. Since Wolfenstein's success, the game has become a bit of a nostalgic hilarity, something that id Software themselves were...

A serious spin on the Wolfenstein franchise with far more mature themes; yet it never forgets how hilarious it can be; making it one of the most fun Nazi-killing games to date

Sometimes it takes itself too seriously; contains more than one questionable plot points and a few tiresome combat zones that include too many waves of enemies

Set in an alternate reality 1960s Earth, the Third Reich has won World War II and taken over the world. Only one man could possibly stand against the new mechanical might of the Nazis. That man is not Doomguy, or Duke, or even the Chief. He is William BJ Blazkowicz.

There have been a lot of "what ifs" throughout history, but one of the biggest ones was "what if the Nazis won World War II?" Wars are always fought over conflicting viewpoints, distorted sense of right and wrong and most certainly greed.

+ Fantastic group of characters; + Great level variety; + Tons of weapons to murder Nazi's with; + Tons of content for first person shooter; + Single player only; + Fun but challenging perk system

- Would have loved more choices during the campaign; - Tedious armor/ammo pick up; - Clueless AI

With Wolfenstein: The New Order , MachineGames set out to re-write history, in terms of both the story behind their single-player title and the way gamers will remember the Wolfenstein franchise. While series protagonist William "B.J.

Great mix of stealth gameplay and fast-paced action; A unique interpretation of a familiar story; Strong character development

New players would benefit from a franchise history lesson; The prologue is one of the longest chapters in the game; The novelty of some collectibles wears off due to volume

I'd love to hold up Wolfenstein: The New Order as one of the best shooters of the past few years, not because it does anything overly new, but rather because it does the fundamentals so well. It tells a formidable and exciting story, helped by the intriguing nature of a Nazi-controlled 1960s world.

+ Great story and characters; + Hard as hell; + Surprisingly competent stealth component; + Solid if uninspiring visuals

- AI balancing act; - Cutscenes to gameplay is jarring