Looking Ahead - Watch Dogs and Wolfenstein: The New Order

Early adopters of next-generation video game consoles haven’t had much choice when it comes to brand new games that push the envelope of what we know games are capable of. Games like “Battlefield 4” and “Infamous: Second Son” give us a glimpse of what is possible but new titles for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are few and far between right now. But not for long.

This coming Tuesday, May 20, “Wolfenstein: The New Order” is releasing for PS 3 and PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One and PC. A first-person shooter developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks, this new Wolfenstein title is an interesting take on World War II – what would happen if the Nazis won?

Players take control of series protagonist B.J. Blazkowicz who wakes up in an asylum after being in a coma for several years to find out that the Nazis now control the world following the end of WWII.  Back in action, Blazkowicz takes the fight to the Nazis as he tries to gain control of the super weapons they used to dominate the world and end the Nazi menace.

I can still remember playing the original Wolfenstein 3D shooters back when I was much younger. I played through all the original chapters (I think there was six), even defeating Mecha-Hitler (who wasn’t the final boss of the series, somehow). 

What, you thought I was joking?

This new chapter adds an interesting twist to the series. In the original games, Blazkowicz had infiltrated behind enemy lines to take down the Nazis but in “The New Order,” the Nazis control the world making practically everywhere “behind enemy lines.”  I’m anticipating lots of big, set-piece moments to break up the Nazi killing action. Since this is a reimagining of the history, I’m assuming there will be all sorts of interesting weaponry too. I’ve also read that there isn’t any multiplayer support for this game, which means that hopefully the single player campaign offers lots of replayability to warrant a purchase.

The following week, on Tuesday, May 27, Ubisoft’s “Watch Dogs” will be released on PS3 and PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC.

Watch Dogs follows protagonist Aiden Pearce, a hacker capable of manipulating the system which controls almost all aspects of the city of Chicago, called ctOS. Pearce operates as a vigilante, able to glean all sorts of information from ctOS as well as being able to tap into all manner of systems and use them to his advantage. Not much has been made known about the overall plot or story of Watch Dogs so it’s hard to say what kind of character arc or missions we can expect for Pearce.

What we do know is that Pearce is a highly skilled hacker, capable of using his smart phone and other gadgets to access information about any character in the city. He can use his phone to discover information about NPCs,  steal money from bank accounts, tap into security cameras, cause traffic lights to malfunction and create accidents and much more. There will allegedly be many more hacks available to Pearce, so it will be interesting to see if each hack requires special input or mini-game or if they’re available at the press of a button.

Unlike “Wolfenstein: The New Order,” Watch Dogs will feature an element of multiplayer that’s fairly creative and reminds me of the multiplayer from “Assassin’s Creed” in that it’s much more intimate than most multiplayer modes.

In Watch Dogs, a second player can infiltrate your game, unannounced to you, and will begin searching for you. Once you’re discovered, the infiltrator will begin stealing data from your character and only confronting them or escaping to a safe distance (to interrupt the hack) will end the encounter. There’s also mention of an 8-player free roam mode as well. This brand of multiplayer won’t appeal to everyone and you’ll be able to select a single-player only session, without the possibility of infiltration, if you wish.

Outside of enhanced visuals, I’m interested to see just how “Wolfenstein: The New Order” and “Watch Dogs” make use of next-gen console technology. Wolfenstein and Watch Dogs are two very different games but both have great potential. Wolfenstein is a unique twist on the classic series and it will be fun to see what the alternate history timeline brings to the table. While Watch Dogs already has a ton of buzz around it, the relative unknown in terms of the plot will probably determine whether it’s a huge hit or just another open-world title.