What Wolfenstein Game is Open World? An In-Depth Look at Youngblood‘s Pivot

The only currently released open world entry in the seminal Wolfenstein first-person shooter franchise is 2019‘s Wolfenstein: Youngblood. Developed by MachineGames and Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks, Youngblood stands out as a major departure for the typically linear series thanks to its free-roaming 1980‘s Paris setting. But how well does semi-open world gameplay actually suit the fast-paced Nazi-busting action that Wolfenstein is known for? As both a passionate fan and critic of FPS games, I believe the jury is still out.

A Brief History Lesson: How Wolfenstein 3D Kickstarted the FPS Genre

To appreciate why Youngblood feels like such a dramatic shift for Wolfenstein, it helps to understand the series‘ pioneering background. Many credit 1992‘s Wolfenstein 3D as essentially inventing the first-person shooter genre on PCs, building on concepts introduced in earlier games like MIDI Maze and Catacomb 3D.

Sporting cutting edge (at the time) pseudo-3D visuals, smooth animations, and violent, nail-biting gunplay, Wolfenstein 3D dropped players into the boots of American spy William "B.J." Blazkowicz fighting to escape from the Nazi‘s secret Castle Wolfenstein. With its rapid-fire Tommy gun action and nerve-wracking confrontations with chain gun-wielding mutant soldiers, the game created a sensation and spawned one of gaming‘s longest running franchises.

Each subsequent Wolfenstein entry, like 2001‘s Return to Castle Wolfenstein and 2009‘s franchise reboot Wolfenstein, stuck closely to the formula of intense linear FPS action through confined levels and corridors exploring occult Nazi themes. So for 25+ years, blazing through linear levels while unleashing hot lead at anything in a swastika was the Wolfenstein series‘ bread and butter.

Wolfenstein: The New Order – Laying the Foundation for Open World Ambition

While still fundamentally a linear FPS campaign, 2014‘s Wolfenstein: The New Order did crack open the door a bit for the series‘ eventual open world transition.

Set in an alternate 1960‘s timeline where the Nazi‘s won WWII thanks to advanced technology, The New Order took cues from modern shooters like Call of Duty with segmented levels stitched together through a main hub area. This small open playground, the resistance movement‘s stolen submarine base, offered B.J. a space to explore, interact with characters, and select missions more freely between story beats.

The New Order went on to become both a critical and commercial smash hit for publisher Bethesda and development studio MachineGames. Naturally, its 2017 story follow-up Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus expanded on these open hub areas while retaining largely linear levels.

Wolfenstein had dipped its toes into open-ended designs…the time seemed ripe for the franchise to dive fully into free-roaming worlds.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood Ditches Linear Roots for Semi-Open Paris Playground

When initial details for the next Wolfenstein chapter, Youngblood, leaked in 2018, series fans realized this installment represented a radical change. The core premise alone signaled a new direction:

• Set in an alternate 1980‘s where B.J. Blazkowicz‘s twin daughters must save him in Nazi-occupied Paris

• Designed from scratch for two player cooperative gameplay, another Wolfenstein first

• Features leveling systems, skill trees, gear scores and other RPG elements not seen before

But above all, pre-release demos confirmed Youngblood would feature a freely explorable open world, the first ever for the Wolfenstein franchise after 20+ years.

In place of linear missions, Youngblood offers a miniature open world version of 1980‘s Paris split into distinct boroughs bridged by Metro tunnels. Players can freely run, drive vehicles, and fast travel between objectives, take on side quests, tackle missions in any order or simply explore for loot and collectibles.

The playable area isn‘t Fallout or Elder Scrolls massive but more comparable to titles like Rage 2, offering several key districts with Parisian flavor like cafes, alleys and landmarks spread across a contiguous zone. Think condensed open world areas stitched together versus one massive seamless environment.

Critically though, Wolfenstein‘s trademark fast-paced combat, health/armor pickups and destructive weaponry remain intact. These satisfying gunplay mechanics now supportoptional approaches to missions depending on playstyle from frontal assault to stealth.

In this way, Youngblood tries blending old school FPS action with modern open world trappings for something both fresh yet familiar. A risky gambit.

Polarizing Reception to Open World Shift From Critics and Fans Alike

Youngblood undeniably modernized Wolfenstein‘s antiquated formula on paper. But fans and reviewers weren‘t universally on board with this new direction based on critical reception and sales figures, which I‘ll break down here:

Metacritic Scores

Steam Reviews

• 57% positive (5,358 reviews)

Launch Month Sales Down 62% From Predecessor

• The NPD Group reported Youngblood sold only 25% as many copies as The New Colossus in their respective launch months

The above data highlights reviewers‘ and core fans‘ common critiques around repetitive open world activities, lack of melee options despite co-op focus, and unrewarding progression/loot systems ultimately feeling rather shallow.

While still enjoyable in co-op spurts, to many Youngblood failed delivering the depth expected of proper open world experiences today set by luminaries like The Witcher 3 or Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Instead the game occupied an awkward middle ground trapped between old school Wolfenstein‘s simple run-and-gun roots and the rich systemic play seen in contemporaries like Borderlands 3 or Rage 2.

And for diehard series fans accustomed to purely guided narratives versus loose open formats, the shift felt outright sacrilegious.

Does Wolfenstein Need Open Worlds Going Forward?

In my view, Wolfenstein should double down on large explorable sandbox spaces but executed with far more depth, richer world simulation and rewarding progression better aligned to player agency.

The sensation of freely traversing through a retro-alt-history Paris as kickass freedom fighter sisters really resonates and selling further into this fantasy could be powerful.

Bethesda clearly wants to expand Wolfenstein‘s scope to escape the perception of played out corridor shooters, so I expect forthcoming sequels to also feature open world environments.

However, basic Ubisoft-like busywork padding these spaces would continue jeopardizing the potent core fantasy. Instead, excellent systemic design marrying action, stealth, driving and progression like in Days Gone or Rage 2 may offer the right template going forward.

If not done with proper conviction though, perhaps MachineGames should quit this open world experiment and laser focus on delivering supremely polished linear story campaigns where Wolfenstein originally shone.

Because forcing players to endlessly trudge across vacant ghost towns with repetitive activities triggered waypoints eventually disenchants even the most radically retro locales.

Ultimately with Youngblood, Wolfenstein took a bold risk but initial execution clearly demands improvement before B.J.‘s daughters warrant our help again in more gloriously free Parisian adventures. Here‘s hoping MachineGames realize the full open world potential this franchise deserves.