Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Operation Resurrection

Is it worth returning to Castle Wolfenstein on the PS2, or are the bandages crumbling on this zombie?

Before it was overpowered by Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, Return to Castle Wolfenstein led the PC?s charge into WWII combat. Backed by new levels and features, it?s now landing on the PS2 shores, but the splash isn?t nearly as impressive?the action just feels more generic than riveting.

More Eviler Nazis
Spiced by a campy occult presence, Wolfenstein follows the adventures of an Army Ranger as he attempts to snuff the Nazis?Eexperiments with zombies, superhuman soldiers, and more. The Operation Resurrection tagline refers to the PS2 edition?s seven new prologue levels and its new player-upgrade system, which rewards you for finding secret areas. Even in the PC original, the gameplay was more of a fun, mindless, run-forward-and-shoot twitchfest than a strategic, immersive epic, but unfortunately, Wolfenstein doesn?t even fare that well on the PS2. The new levels are just plain boring, and the action doesn?t really pick up until you hit the original PC missions. Far worse, the game completely?and lamely?lacks multiplayer action or online support.

Between the jerky animations and the jaggy textures, the mediocre visuals are a big part of the problem. The sound fares a bit better with amusing dialogue and movie-style music, but the weapons effects ring flat. As for the controls, everything performs smoothly except the auto-aim option, which isn?t as crisp or effective as it should be.

?X?EMarks the Spot
If you?re interested in a console version of Wolfenstein, the Xbox edition gets top honors for its sharper graphics, online support, and multiplayer modes. If the PS2?s your only option, Wolfenstein is best enjoyed as a rental?it just doesn?t pack $50 worth of punch.

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