Playstation2 owners finally get a chance to assume the role of Army Ranger and old time war hero BJ Blazkowicz, as he finally makes his return to Castle Wolfenstein two years after his original PC visit. Unfortunately, what made Wolfenstein so great for the PC and Xbox versions is non existent for the PS2 version, but all is not lost. The PlayStation2 version does have quite a few new things to keep the single player game interesting and fresh; including a whole new level to help introduce BJ and a point system for finding secret areas that can be used to add health or other items at the end of each mission.
If you're looking for a game that has ground breaking graphics then keep looking. You won't find them here. Return to Castle Wolfenstein's graphics are about as average as you can get. Environments and player models are typical and plain looking as nothing stands out as being overly impressive. Not to say they are bad, as they aren't by any means, but they are pretty average by today's standards. Certain areas, such as missions taking place at night or cave areas, can be near impossible to navigate since the game is very dark to begin with. Even cranking the brightness settings on the in-game system controls doesn't help much.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, First person Shooter games and consoles don't mix. Much to my surprise though, the controls for RTCW are pretty good once you get the hang of it. Controlling BJ with the right analog stick to strafe was smooth and very fluid while using the left analog stick to aim was the exact opposite. Getting the cross hair to move exactly where you wanted it quickly without over shooting your mark is something that takes a while to master. But the crosshair will lock on to an enemy when you target them, which make things a bit easier.
The storyline is the same from the PC version where you are sent into Germany to stop the Third Reich from resurrecting an ancient soldier that would bring doom and destruction across the land. Along the way, you are thrown into side missions which include finding the latest weapons that the Nazi's are developing, helping to get a defected scientist out of harms way in an obliterated city, and assassinating some of the top Nazi generals while they relax in a countryside villa. Most of the action in Return to Castle Wolfenstein is run and gun and kill everything in your path which is a blast to play, but to break up some of the heart pumping action, there are some stealth missions thrown in here and there where you need to complete a set of objectives with out alerting the guards and having the alarms go off. Each level of the game also has secret areas strewn throughout where you can nab some treasure. These secret areas can be very tricky to find at first. Once you locate a few, you can begin using use the points you obtain to add to your maximum health points, armor points, and obtain helpful items; such as a wine bottle, health packs and armor.
With the inclusion of seven new missions and a lot of the new goodies thrown into an already good game, it is very disappointing that the developers decided to leave out the very popular multiplayer aspect of play. Had the multiplayer been included, the hours of game play would have been endless and the disc probably would never leave your console for months at a time, but without it, the eight to ten hours of gameplay will probably be all that the game gets from you. However, if you search the game throughout for all the secret areas that can be found, it will be slightly longer.
Return to Castle Wolfenstein is a fun and action filled romp through many different areas. It has a great Indiana Jones style story that anyone, who hasn't played the game for other platforms, will enjoy. After you get past the learning curve of the controls and the darkness of the graphics, the game is definitely worth checking out. Even with the exclusion of the multiplayer features, the single player adventure will be enough to satisfy the average gamer.
