Reviewed: July 12, 2003
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Publisher
Activision

Developer
Nerve Software

Released: May 6, 2003
Genre: FPS
Players: 2 / 16
ESRB: Mature

9
9
9
10
9.6

Supported Features:

It took almost ten years for a next-gen PC sequel to arrive and another two years before Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War made its way to the console arena. Those trying to make a platform decision will need to note there are a few significant additions that were added during the port to the Xbox, all of which contribute significantly to the story and the overall gameplay.

Those who have already played the PC version or RTCW will instantly recognize and appreciate several additional levels that preface the original PC missions. On the PC you started the game locked away in some cell in a castle high in the mountains. On the Xbox (and PS2) you get to flesh out the story a bit more by starting the story before your capture and subsequent imprisonment. It’s a nice surprise for veterans of the PC game but it won’t be long before you start treading over familiar territory.

Other bonuses like new movies, a shiny new shotgun and the ability to peek around corners further demonstrates the commitment by the design team to make this the best FPS game on the Xbox and the best version of RTCW you can play. When you add the stunning 5.1 surround mix and system link and Live support for up to 16 players in solo or squad modes you know you have something special.

The rest of the controls are simple enough and you will slip right into the game after only a few minutes. If you don’t like the default commands you are free to configure everything to any button of your choosing. The menus, inventory, weapons cycling, and other commands are all intuitive and the HUD that occupies both lower corners of the screen keep you informed on critical information. My only complaint about the controls is that later in the game when your inventory and arsenal increase in size it can take precious seconds to cycle to the item you want.

RTCW is all about killing Nazi’s and in later levels hordes of hideous undead creatures being resurrected by Hitler and his devious scientists bent on world domination. Even though your missions will often include benign objectives such as securing documents, smashing a radio, destroying supply lines, etc. these are just clever ways of saying “kill everything that moves and chop up the bodies just to be sure”.

To make this blood fest more enjoyable you are provided with dozens of traditional and several non-traditional weapons including the Xbox-exclusive shotgun for unleashing your specific brand of justice. Enemy AI has been significantly enhanced, at least over the PS2 version. Sure, many enemies will still charge directly at you like mindless zombies, but for no apparent reason other than pure randomness, the occasional soldier will dive for cover, retreat to the nearest alarm or go summon reinforcements. You never know until each encounter if it’s going to be shooting fish in a barrel or spearing fish in a river.

Stealth gameplay is much more realized in the Xbox version, perhaps even more so than the PC and certainly more than the twitch gaming of the PS2 version. You are encouraged to crouch, move silently, peek around corners and backstab your opponents, and in return for you covertness you are awarded bonus items and the obvious perk of not having that soldier sound an alarm summoning even more Nazi hordes.

Most of the time the enemy is alerted to your presence long before you even see them. Even in the very first mission you will peek around the second corner of the first alley and a gunman will open fire from a pottery stand further down the street the split-second you break the visible plane of the corner. All you’ll see is the muzzle flash while he can obviously see the whites of your eyes. It’s quirky stuff like this that makes the sniper rifle all but worthless. Trying to zoom in with a sniper scope is virtually impossible unless you plan on sucking up significant damage from the target who is already firing on your less-than-covert position. I’d swear the Good Year Zeppelin was flying over me with a big LED readout saying “B.J. is below – open fire!”

Multiplayer is easily what sets this game apart from any other FPS game currently out there and even has HALO fanatics switching camps when it comes to multiplayer gaming. PC gamers already know the fun waiting to be had when you take Wolfenstein online and the Xbox offers several alternatives for sharing the love and the carnage.

Those of you that are broadband challenged can still enjoy 2-16 player deathmatches and squad-based combat using the System Link. If you don’t feel like lugging your hardware around you can still enjoy two-player split-screen co-op action where you can team up with another Ranger and tackle the main story with the help of a friend. Unfortunately, any versus modes are limited to the System Link or the Xbox Live service.

Going online is where the fun really starts. You have full access to all of the Live services including Optimatch, Player Scoreboards, and real-time voice chat during the game. This is great for squad-based matches where you pit the Axis team versus the Allies. To sweeten the pot, Activision is releasing additional multiplayer maps. As of this review they have just released their second map in a planned series of three downloadable levels. These add new environments and objectives and give this title incredible longevity.

One of the core elements that makes the multiplayer as much fun as it is are the various classes of solider you can choose. Whether you are a grunt, engineer, medic, or lieutenant, picking a class will not only dictate how you play the game but also compliment your particular squad. The group dynamic and team aspects have never been this involved or integrated into the gameplay.

A good example is the duties and skills each member contributes to the whole. There are no traditional power-ups like ammo and Medkits lying around the battlefield. You must use your medic to heal your team and only your lieutenant can replenish ammo and call for air strikes. Engineers are used to repair turrets, diffuse and plant explosives, and your grunt soldiers are your main fighting force. Tides of War almost becomes as strategic as chess in some ways provided you have a group of gamers willing to diversify and play a varied group of characters.

The potential for cooperation and strategy are endless and the slick Xbox Live interface only contributes to the fun you will have playing online. It’s never been easier to setup games and stick with your team during combat and rejoin them after an untimely demise. You have countless options that let you tweak and fine tune the game to your exact liking. Tides of War is the uncontested king of Xbox Live – even surpassing the PC online experience - and will set the bar for all future online console titles.

The new levels that take place in Egypt are exceptionally well done, probably because they had to be created for this game. The rest of the game (that existed in the PC) looks nearly as good with a few spots of hit-and-miss quality issues. The textures range from stunningly detailed to pixilated messes, almost as if the designers didn’t expect you to get “that close” to a particular wall.

Lighting, volumetric smoke, particle effects, fire, explosions, and such all look incredible and the blood flows more freely than a Mortal Kombat game. There is also a nice persistence to the environments so damaged items, broken urns, smashed crates, and of course, dead soldiers, all remain throughout the entire level. Nothing disappears and nothing regenerates or magically repairs itself. It might sound trivial, but when you are lost and re-exploring a level it’s nice to witness you previous handiwork.

The single-player mission levels are quite large, especially the ones making the trip from the PC and at times their size and complexity can exhibit some less-than-perfect framerates. Generally the game is quite playable and only starts to hiccup in outdoor areas with lots of action going on. If you are playing the split-screen co-op you can expect a few more frames per second to get sucked out of your experience, but it never got so bad as to render the game unplayable.

Perhaps most surprising is that the online experience is nearly flawless, even with 16 players provided you are playing on a nice speedy dedicated server with good ping times. A big part of this is that the multiplayer maps are significantly smaller and less complex than the story missions and the CPU isn’t being split up to control enemy AI and scripting.

Sound effects and speech round out the rest of this impressive sound package with thunderous and authentic sounding weapon effects and excellent speech (even though the Germans speak English), or repetitive groans and moans from the undead. The entire sound package is wrapped up nicely in a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix that will have your neighbors think they are being invaded by Axis forces.

Chances are, one trip through the story will be enough, two if you decide to replay with a friend in co-op mode, but Tides of War achieves immortality with it’s massive potential for linked and online gaming. If any game is ever going to spawn an Xbox LAN party or send you running to the store for your Xbox Live Starter Kit then this is it.

You won’t want to overlook the added bonus of new content like the multiplayer maps being released by Activision. Stick these new maps on your Xbox hard drive and you have even more areas to explore and plan your perfect strategy.

Bottom line – if you are active on Xbox Live or frequently link your Xbox with other gamers then this is a must-have title. Solo gamers will still have plenty to like but the joy will be over after a week or so and then you will be looking for your next Xbox fix.

Activision and Nerve have set the new standard for online console FPS games, and I can’t wait to see what title will eventually knock them off their throne. I’m guessing, HALO 2, but only time will tell.