It’s been nearly ten years since id Software’s startlingly innovative kicked-started gaming en masse, and inspired a whole genre of lucrative titles; mimicking it’s first-person style. Just think, without the original Wolf3D there would never have been Doom, Quake, Half-Life, Duke Nukem, Soldier of Fortune or Jedi Knight – gamers, and the PC games as a whole, has a lot to thank Wolfenstein for. Now Wolf’s back too, thanks to and their charges Gray Matter, who promise to deliver a game that sparks the imagination as the original did. Whether it quite succeeds is debatable, but what isn’t is the progress which it exemplifies since the original; I wonder if id could ever have envisaged the future when creating this game’s predecessor?

The most instantly notable feature of the game; is the attention to detail it is blessed with; from the menu systems, through to the cinematics, the cut-scenes, the level design, and even the multiplayer; Return to Castle Wolfenstein is a meticulously planned prospect. The cut-scenes are the game’s first opportunity to really shine, and Gray Matter have not foregone this opportunity, the being of the highest standards; and must have been very expensive. The mission-briefings which follow this (and divide the single-player game) are nicely-designed too, continuing the cinematic ambience using in-game graphics.

Of course, as seems customary in the genre, the plot is as ever a little far-fetched, though the cinematics, cut-scenes, and continuity of the story throughout the single-player missions help give life to a highly plausible setting – thus generating a great deal more atmosphere and immersion than a less-cohesive effort would have managed. Just don’t expect this to be Saving Private Ryan, and suspend your disbelief.

The level style and design is perhaps the games strongest aspect; the highly-versatile Quake 3: Arena engine helping generate environments brimming with realistic visual-effects, rich detail, and cunning layouts, brought to life with a smorgasbord of textures, curved surfaces, and vividness. In short Return to Castle Wolfenstein contains the most convincing world of any game in the genre – a highly immersive world that positively enthrals the senses. A similar level of praise could be directed at the detail and animation of in-game characters too, as they bring to life the human-terror of the Nazi’s in chilling fashion. The AI is an improvement over many games in the genre too; and this can easily be seen in the unpredictable behaviour of guards and other enemy. It’s nice to see that the of the game is well-balanced as well, as fire-fights are particularly exciting; thanks to the cunning level design and original settings.