There's definitely something to be said for developers who have a lot of faith in their product, and the guys at Machine Games are clear examples of this. The media released on the studio's upcoming project, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, has been as frequent as it has been entertaining; just yesterday we got another 3 minutes of developer commentary over Bethesda's UK YouTube media channel. Check it out (Warning: Graphic Violence):
Videos by FanBuzz
The biggest takeaways here are that the previously unremarkable stealth system in Wolfenstein has been slightly redesigned - commanders will now summon multiple waves of reinforcements, for example - and dual wielding has been improved to allow for different weapons in each hand. There's also going to be a lot of new tech, according to Wolfenstein II's senior game designer Arcade Berg.
"The Nazis have really expanded when it comes to research with the technology. You will see old versions coming back, but improved with new technology. But you will also see completely new enemies."
Jerk Gustafsson, the executive producer at Machine Games, added onto this in stating that the enemies in Wolfenstein II would be quite a bit harder than in the first game:
"We have bumped them up a bit. They are a little bit bigger, more intimidating, more fun to kill I hope."
What stuck out the most though are the developers' comments regarding the emotional appeal of the narrative. One of the reasons Wolfenstein: The New Order was so well-received was because of the way it carried its own story; despite a bit of wackiness and comic relief, the general tone was never sacrificed for the sake of entertainment. The characters were largely sympathetic and likable, which credited the game even more when some of them inevitably started to die. As Jens Matthies, the game's creative director, put it:
"No matter how crazy things get, you are always emotionally invested in what you're doing. We don't want the player to just play BJ Blazkowicz. We want the player to feel like they actually are BJ Blazkowicz."
For more information, check out Bethesda's official website for Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, or follow the studio's Twitter account to receive immediate updates any news related to the game.
