Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a 2017 first-person shooter game developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks. The seventh main entry in the Wolfenstein series and the sequel to 2014's Wolfenstein: The New Order, the game is set in an alternate history that takes place in 1961, following the Nazi victory in the Second World War. The story follows war veteran William "B.J." Blazkowicz and his efforts to fight against the Nazi regime in the United States. Gameplay mechanics are largely similar to those of The New Order, though the team introduced improvements such as allowing players to dual-wield any combination of weapons in the game. A binary choice in the prologue alters the game's entire storyline; some characters and small plot points are replaced throughout the timelines.

The New Colossus was developed using the id Tech 6 game engine; the technology and animations required a complete overhaul from The New Order, which used id Tech 5. The goal for the team was to retain the feel of combat in The New Order and further refine and polish it, as well as introduce more freedom of movement for players. As the game is set in a Nazi-occupied America, the team was intrigued by the juxtaposition of America, which was "founded on the idea of freedom", being under totalitarian control, and wanted to explore how Germany would have attempted to subvert American culture. Continuing from The New Order, the development team aimed to characterize Blazkowicz for players to adopt his personality. Mick Gordon returned as the game's composer and is joined by Martin Stig Andersen. Both Brian Bloom and Nina Franoszek returned to provide voice and motion capture for Blazkowicz and Frau Engel, the game's primary antagonist.

It was released in October 2017 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. The Nintendo Switch version, developed by Panic Button, was released in June 2018. Its marketing campaign attracted controversy for leaning into real-life events. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus was released to a positive critical response. Particular praise was directed at the characters, narrative, cast performance, and gunplay, as well as the general presentation of the game, though its level design and gameplay received a mixed response from critics. The game was nominated for multiple year-end awards, winning "Best Action Game" at The Game Awards 2017. Following the game's launch, MachineGames released Freedom Chronicles, which is a collection of three downloadable content packs. A spin-off game, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, was released in 2019.

Like its predecessor, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a first-person shooter. Once again, the player assumes control of the series protagonist, William "B.J." Blazkowicz, who must venture into a Nazi-occupied America to ignite a revolution against the Nazi regime. Blazkowicz has a large arsenal of gadgets and weapons, such as shotguns, submachine guns, pistols, and assault rifles, as well as grenades to fight against his enemies. Players can freely mix weapons for dual-wielding, giving them an advantage over enemies by dealing twice as much damage. As in the previous game, at the beginning of The New Colossus, the player chooses between two timelines involving which of two characters (Fergus and Wyatt) will appear, resulting in alterations to the game's story and cutscenes. Choosing Fergus allows players to access the "LaserKraftWerk", an energy weapon that can be used to disintegrate enemies and obstacles while choosing Wyatt grants players the "DieselKraftWerk", which acts similarly to a grenade launcher. These weapons run on fuel or electricity, which can be refilled in dispensers found throughout a level. Also running on fuel and electricity are heavy weapons, which are typically looted from fallen soldiers. These weapons, while being immensely powerful, slow down the player's movement and attract hostile attention.

Both stealth and confrontation are viable combat tactics in the game. Players can lean around, over, and under cover, which can be used as a tactical advantage during shootouts and stealth levels. Blazkowicz is equipped with a hatchet that allows him to perform melee attacks. He can use it to silently take down enemies without being detected or execute an enemy up close during combat. The hatchet can also be thrown at distant enemies. Some areas in the game are patrolled by Nazi commanders, who may call in reinforcements if Blazkowicz's presence is alerted. Midway through the game, players can also choose from one of three "contraptions". The "Constrictor Harness" compresses Blazkowicz's torso and allows him to squeeze into narrow areas; the "Ram Shackles" allow Blazkowicz to break down doors and obstacles, and tackle enemies when he sprints; and the "Battle Walkers", which are a pair of stilts, allow him to reach high areas that are otherwise inaccessible. The game utilizes a health system in which players' health is divided into separate sections that regenerate; if an entire section is lost, players must use a health pack to replenish the missing health. Blazkowicz can consume more health packs than is necessary, entering an "overcharged" state, though his health will eventually drop to that of his maximum health. Players can also collect armor by defeating armored enemies or collecting helmets and vests scattered in a level. Armor will not regenerate and functions as a shield that reduces the amount of damage received. Depending on the player's playstyle, they will earn Perks that are divided into three categories: Stealth, Mayhem, and Tactical, once they have completed certain objectives and challenges, granting them further combat advantages.

A German U-boat named Eva’s Hammer serves as the game's hub area, where players can talk to other non-playable characters and complete side missions. A fully playable version of Wolfenstein 3D can also be found inside the submarine. Through exploring each level, players may collect weapon upgrade kits, allowing them to modify and upgrade their weapons to suit their playstyle. For instance, a pistol can be customized with a suppressor, letting players eliminate enemies from afar without drawing any hostile attention. Players will also find various collectibles, such as star cards, gold, and concept art, scattered throughout a level. Defeated enemy commanders drop enigma codes, which can be decoded by accessing an enigma machine at Eva's Hammer. Once decoded, the location of a high-ranking Nazi official (named Uberkommandant) will be revealed, and players will be tasked with revisiting previously explored levels to assassinate them. There are a total of 16 assassination missions players can complete. The game features six difficulty levels. After the player completes the main campaign, an extra hard level will be unlocked.

Immediately after the events of Wolfenstein: The New Order, the Kreisau Circle retrieves a critically-injured Blazkowicz from Deathshead's fortress before destroying it with a nuclear cannon. With Deathshead's demise and the compound's destruction, the Nazi research division is crippled, stagnating their technological advancement. Blazkowicz falls into a five-month-long coma. As he fades in and out of consciousness aboard the captured U-boat Eva's Hammer, it is revealed that Anya, Blazkowicz's love interest, is pregnant with twins. The U-boat is attacked by SS-Obergruppenführer Irene Engel, a sadistic Nazi commander who captures Caroline. Blazkowicz devises a plan to get himself captured and taken to Engel's airship, the Ausmerzer, which is suspending the U-boat above water. Engel's daughter Sigrun refuses to decapitate Caroline, so Engel kills Caroline instead. Sigrun, disgusted by her mother's abuse, tackles Engel, allowing Blazkowicz to don Caroline's armor and break free. Blazkowicz disconnects Eva's Hammer from the Ausmerzer and flees back to the U-boat with Sigrun and Caroline's body.

After Caroline's funeral, the group decides to carry out what would have been the next step in her plan to end the Nazi regime: liberate the United States and use it as a central base from which to free the rest of the world. The group sets out to contact a resistance cell hiding in the Empire State Building amid the ruins of Manhattan, which was destroyed by a Nazi atomic bomb. Blazkowicz finds and recruits Grace Walker, a passionate, scarred African-American Black Power activist (Debra Wilson), and Norman "Super Spesh" Caldwell (Don McManus), a lawyer-turned-conspiracy theorist. Grace informs the Circle of her plan to cripple Nazi leadership in the U.S. by destroying the Oberkommando in Roswell, New Mexico, near the site of an unearthed Da'at Yichud cache. Blazkowicz travels to Roswell with a portable nuclear warhead before heading to Super Spesh's hideout. Spesh takes him to his bunker and to a tunnel that leads to the Oberkommando, where Blazkowicz deposits the bomb in the base's reactor and detonates it after escaping Roswell.