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Its a little too realistic and a HUGE install

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 10
Date: December 29, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game presents the best the Quake III engine has to offer, I ran it on a 1 ghz pentium with 256mb or ram and a GeForce 2 and it ran beautifully. However, a friend tried to run it on her AMD 600 with a Voodoo 3 and even on the lowest detail settings it was a bit choppy. Also the game takes up over a gigabyte of hard-drive space, if you don't have a top notch system you might want to upgrade because the minimum system requirements are a joke. However it should be noted that on a good system this game really shines, dynamic lighting, AI that rivals Half-Life, and a very engaging and beleivable story line (except for the assassins, women in the 1940's wearing skin-tight leather and running around with machine guns, ok...) Even the zombies work well into the story, which leads me to believe that there was a strong Half-Life influence on this game, thats not a bad thing mind you. My only complaint about the story (aside from the psycho-chicks, what were they thinking?) is that in parts the game is too realistic, knifing old drunks in the back and murdering men in their own homes, all in full 3-D, dynamic lighting and all, just strikes me as a little excessive. The problem is, that these actions are actual mission objectives, in one scene you hear a man (a Nazi officer) talking to his wife in the other room, you shoot the man (who's gun is across the room) then proceed to the wifes room where she is half-dressed so that you can get some stolen gold from the dresser, meanwhile she is pleading for her life. (you can't kill her though, the game ends if you kill "civillians") In another scene a mechanic gives you key information on how to progress in the level, then he pleads for his life, the problems is, if you let him live; he and 5 of his SS buddies will try to kill you on the way back, your better off just shooting him as he's begging for his life. So essentially the story is really too realistic, even though you are killing Nazis, the experience isn't particularly gratifying, the story never establishes how evil the Nazis truly where, this is the story's one fault, but an important one since it leaves you feeling sorry for characters that you kill. I would highly recommend FPS fans buy this game, but parents and people with older systems might want to pass this one up.

Great, but need some tech skills to install and run

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: December 31, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Ok, this is a review in progress. I'll edit and expand it as I get further.
Got the game, install went smoothly.
Tried to get it to run, got OpenGl error. Figured this was a video card driver issue (yes, I've installed high-end-graphical games on my system before) with my NVidia TNT2 64 card (32 megs). Download updated drivers. Still doesn't work. Download DirectX 8.1. Still doesn't work.
RTFM. Read the manual. Or, in this case, go check out activisions website support page. Right at the top of their incredibly handy list of top solutions is the fix. I need to edit my win.ini, to remove a single line. That done, I need to tinker with a couple other things, specifically setting my virtual memory and setting my screen resolution to 640 and 16 bit color.
Mind you, the game doesn't _play_ in 16 bit 640x480 color, you just need to get your desktop to that setting before playing. Set it back after you play.
The weird thing now is: I start the game, I get a grey screen. That screen lasts for 15 minutes (I kid you not). Then the game starts and runs beautifully. No crashes. No glitches. Smooth and sweet. But, before then, I need to customize my desktop, end task everything, and wait 15 minutes. This is, btw, a 750 mhz system with 256 megs of ram and a 32 meg vid card.
So I'm finally playing. It's sweet. You start as a prisoner, escaping from detention (great premise. Lots of games don't explain why a top-of-the-line soldier would start a fight with a knife and no friends. This one does). The detail is great. You can smash things (flags, chairs, radios, alarm boxes). You can sneak up and backstab people. You can move things (chairs). You can eavesdrop on conversations. You can read letters you capture. You can snipe. You can play "guess how long I have to hold the grenade so you can't kick it back". You can kick a grenade back. It's got great graphics, and they aren't slow, or grainy or anything. My girlfriend turned off her movie and came over to watch the game. Her words: "maybe I should learn how to play this". She's never played a computer game before.
The AI seems pretty smart. Ducking, using cover, working in teams, running away when hurt.
So far, it's a total win, once you get past install. When you have trouble, try the website for tech support. It rocks.
Regards,
Indra

Looks Great-Plays Long

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 10, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Graphics beat Max Payne, that's saying a lot. I've replayed it more than twice the hours of Max Payne. Never going to put RtCW on ebay. Ran *smooth* on 866 P3 with 32 meg NVidia GF2 GTS. No bugs no patch, high framerates. You need 1600x1200 resolution to get the full photorealism. For that, used 1.53 Althlon and GF3. Make sure you at least look at it in 1600x1200, even if you are running a slide show. RtCW is without a doubt the game of the year. It gets beat in the mag ratings because of a weak story. For whatever reason, FPS games do not provide stories like the best movies and books. Does Half-Life compare to Apocolypse Now? Give up looking for high art stories; appreciate the immersion and graphics.

Awesome! My Favorite FPS

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: March 19, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I am really into this game. The graphics are very good, even on my mid-grade system. I installed more ram and it really made a difference.
First of all the single player is fun and challenging. A little problem I have noticed is if the enemies just get a slight glimpse of you they are coming after you. I guess I have been spoiled by Metal Gear Solid 2, but this game is mostly about killing everyone in sight(except on a few levels where if you are caught the mission is over.) It will take around 8-10 hours to beat on medium difficulty.
Now for the real reason to buy this game, MULTIPLAYER!!! You play is two teams as either the Allies(Americans) or the Axis(Germans). You have different objectives on the maps like stealing secret documents, blowing up satellite towers, sinking enemy submarines, etc. Their are 4 classes on the teams to play as, soldier, engineer, medic, and Lieutenant. The voice commands are very helpful during the game like asking for ammo or a medic, backup, etc.
This is a great game and it doesn't require a 2ghz pc to run. If you are a quake or just a first person shooter fan this game is definitely for you! I've had it since December 01' and it has quickly became my favorite game.

AMAZING!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: May 17, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Return to Castle Wolfenstein is simply the best first person shooter that I have ever played. I remember thinking the same thing when I first played Half-Life, then again with Medal of Honor but Wolfenstein truely delivers every aspect of an excellent FPS. This game has excellent graphics, great control, an awesome story line, excellent AI, very cool cut-scenes, and awesome weapons!!! What more could you ask for? Another thing that I like in Wolfenstein a little more than Medal of Honor is that Wolfenstein has plenty of blood and the dead bodies don't disappear as soon as they die. I know that this isn't really a big deal but I think that it adds a bit to the game. On top of all of these bonuses for the single player game, the multiplayer version is also very cool! Running on the Quake III engine, the online game is absolutely great and will keep you coming back for more and more.
I highly recommend this game to anyone who appreciates first person shooters. This is a great game and should become a classic in the years to come. Personally, I can't wait for an expansion game or a sequal to come out. Buy the game!!! You won't regret it.

Wow!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: October 12, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Like everyone else I've only tried the Multiplayer Test. The graphics are incredible. It is very similar to the engine Quake 3 Arena uses, but better. The Multiplayer is really smooth and really good and its just a beta. You get sick of the beach map, but its still fun to play, When this game comes out I'm going to rip it right off the shelves. The single player is going to be really cool and will have tons of more maps for us to use. Overall I'm sure not many will be disappointed in this game when the retail version comes out. Yet, another great fps by ID.

GO AMERICA!

Return to Castle Wolfenstein

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 15
Date: May 17, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Back in 1992 i had a lot of fun playing the first FPS game ever Wolfenstein 3D, It is probably the greatest and along with simcity the most important game in history, Without Wolf 3D there would be no Doom, Quake, Duke Nukem or Half-Life. Raven software is a great company i loved their Heretic - Hexen serries games and i trust them to make a worthy sequal to the great game.

Mediocre. Don't buy it because it says "Wolfenstein"

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 13
Date: January 06, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I remember the good old days of Wolfenstein, the first true first person shooter. The game was so simple, yet it was such a breakthrough title, leading the way for Doom and probably most of the games you play today. Unfortunately, I feel Return to Castle Wolfenstein is trying to use the name Wolfenstein for sale increases. Personally, I really enjoy the multiplayer, which is very well done and balanced, but I can't give the multiplayer a review without looking at the singleplayer. I feel the single player episode is very lacking in many aspects, especially when compared to other games. A technical achievement in graphics isn't even present (contradictary to what others say), with the Quake 3 engine being poorly used. When compared with Medal of Honor: Allied Assault's models and art, this poor attempt is almost humorous. The third-person models of guns in MoH:AA are numerous times better than the first-person "high-detailed" unrealistic models in RtCW. The enemies are unvaried and most of the time unfair. The weapons sometimes make no sense, considering last time i checked, you don't drop a rocket launcher after you fire one shot. The sounds are nothing special, and what I really feel is horrible, and this is just a personal gripe, is the GERMANS DO NOT SPEAK GERMAN! It feels like fighting random people when you're supposed to be in the middle of intense combat with foreigners. It's something small, but small things make up games. This game is mediocre, and sometimes even below average. The AI is pretty good, but it does not make up for the rest of the lackluster properties of the game. Save your money for a real game, such as Medal of Honor.

Great game but probably a disappointment to the pregame hype

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: December 02, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I'll be the first to admit that I bought in to the pregame hype surrounding Return to Castle Wolfenstein's release. When the developers released their "Storm the Beaches of Normandy" level as a free multiplayer demo, they released what was probably one of the funnest online action multiplayer levels ever. While the new multiplayer levels included in the full version do not disappoint, after playing them for some time, they don't seem to have the same replay value as the beach demo that was released.

Return to Castle Wolfenstein surrounds a WWII theme of Nazis and the occult. It comes with two versions: single player and multiplayer. The singler player version is an adventure in the mold of Indiana Jones and your solo American G.I. must battle Nazis, zombies and witches. The single player version has various missions with different objectives. In one mission, you must eliminate a specific person, in the next you must infiltrate a Nazi compound while not being detected and in another you can find yourself searching for a lost archaelogical relic that will prevent the Nazis from obtaining power. The single player missions are great fun and there are many weapons that are aquired throughout the levels with more lethal weapons available in the later levels. Impressive weapons such as several sniper rifles, flamethrowers and a few others either invented by the programmers or in theme with the WWII atmosphere. Return to Castle Wolfenstein allows fun gameplay elements such as sneaking up on Nazis in the middle of top secret conversations or fighting your way through levels with a knife to avoid making noises that will alert other guards. Probably the biggest complaint I have about the single player levels is that there aren't many included on the CD and it's over before you know it.

The second version available in Return to Castle Wolfenstein is the multiplayer mode and it comes with eight maps that you can play via the internet with other gamers. The best thing about Return to Castle Wolfenstein's multiplayer mode is the teamwork required. Most team formats in FPS games have the same type of soldiers with the same weapons available for all players. Not so in Return to Castle Wolfenstein. You must pick a class of soldier to play (soldier, lieutenant, medic and engineer) which reflects the weapons you are permitted and the special abilities you can use. Some classes start with more ammunition. Each class has a specific function in the multiplayer map you pick and must be used in unison with other players and their chosen classes to complete the team's objectives. While medics might be reviving fallen comrades, lieutenants can call airstrikes on enemy positions, soldiers can use flamethrowers to sniff out enemy bunkers, engineers arm dynamite to blow up strategic walls, etc...

If the price of Return to Castle Wolfenstein was lower, I'd give it five stars in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, the price was set by the game's developers to reflect the instant demand for a game hyped such as this. Amazon.Com is actually one of the cheaper sources for Wolfenstein as I've seen retail stores that charge as high as sixty dollars for this long awaited sequel.

The price shouldn't be an issue though if the game's developers follow through with some of their promises to release many more multiplayer maps and an official map editor that will allow gamers to create their own maps. Already, websites have started releasing utilities for this game and it looks like it will have a healthy amount of mods (Modifications that either create or change new levels and gameplay elements.), new mulitplayer maps and other creative programs developed by fans around the world.

Not a poor game by any means but I think PC gamers were expecting a little bit more for the price. If you haven't done it already, download the free multiplayer demo available on the internet to see how fun the gameplay can be. A game that is fun and entertaining and promises to be much more after the developers and fans have created many more new features for it.

It's a war out there! A dark, scary, yet thrilling game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: April 20, 2002
Author: Amazon User

For the most part, the FPS genre never thrilled me much. I always thought the Quake trilogy was bland and overhyped. The idea of mindlessly shooting people to bloody pulp has gotten old. Half-Life was by far the only fps to live up to my standards with a mixture of action and adventure with a series of objectives. Return to Castle Wolfenstein brings more than what i ever really expected from and fps. RTCW manages to go beyond the limites of Half-Life or even Quake III. This is by far, the greatest fps game to date! Ironically, this game was created from the same engine used in my least favorite fps (Quake III).

RTCW's graphics are incredible and well detailed. You'll need a pretty hefty system to make them look the way they should be though. The AI is hauntingly intelligent and life-like while the sound is incredibly realistic. The creators have also done a nice job in creating a WWII/Nazi Germany atmosphere.

A word of warning though...THIS GAME IS VERY DARK!!! This could almost classify as a horror story. Do evil Nazi soldiers, zombies, unspeakable monsters ripping you up with machine guns and rockets thrill you? I'd just like to see how long you could manage playing this game with the lights off and the speakers cranked on full! Go ahead...give it a try!

Well, as for the multiplayer...I never tried it out. I personally never had much of an attraction for multiplayer. The game seems to have a promising multiplayer function but the real deal of the game lies in the single player. You just gotta check that game out. It definately worth a buy. Just look at those screen shots. You'll be convinced!

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