MachineGames’ upcoming shooter, Wolfenstein: The New Order, takes place during the 1960s in an alternate timeline in which the Germans won World War II. Today, two new trailers for this new entry in the Wolfenstein franchise have been released by publisher Bethesda, showcasing the game’s more story-based elements and hinting at the game’s stronger focus on narrative-based single player experience.
The first trailer introduces Tommy Tordsson Björk, developer MachineGames’ narrative designer. Speaking on everything from his favorite books to his greatest fears, he also notes that his proudest creation in the game is antagonist Frau Engel, described on the Wolfenstein website as “A leading figure behind Bund Deutscher Mädel (League of German Girls), the girl’s wing of the Nazi party.”
In fact, Frau Engel is heavily showcased in the second trailer of Wolfenstein: The New Order and is arguably the centerpiece of the unusually suspenseful four and a half minute video. Titled “On a Train to Berlin,” the video shows the player character, Wolfenstein stalwart B.J. Blazkowicz, masquerading as a Nazi soldier. Actual gameplay does not involve any shooting, but instead calls for B.J. to participate in a tense psychological test forced upon him by Frau Engel to see if he meets the criteria of a “pure Aryan.”
At the conclusion of the trailer, a striking 60s-styled pop tune sung in German plays. The trailer credits the song to the “Neumond Recording Company”, and directs viewers seeking more of its music to the company’s website, which is actually a promotional site for the game.
While nearly devoid of any real action, the trailer shows MachineGames’ efforts to craft a new Wolfenstein that is dedicated to a single player-only experience. Also of note in the trailer is the conspicuous presence of the swastika on the uniforms of the German soldiers, as well as the weaving of the Nazi belief of Eugenics into a gameplay segment. Both of these are likely to have the game banned in Germany, something that has happened to previous games in the series.
Wolfenstein: The New Order is being developed for the PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox 360 and One, as well as the PC. The game is scheduled to be released in North America on May 20 and Europe on May 23, and pre-ordering the game will come with an invite to a beta for next Doom game.