Return to Castle Wolfenstein

Return to Castle Wolfenstein is the third sequel to the video game Wolfenstein 3D created by id Software. Created in 2001 by developer Gray Matter Studios using Quake III Arena technology. It was a highly anticipated game and quite a success, especially in its multiplayer aspect. On August 12, 2010 the source code, both single and multiplayer, was released under the terms of the GPL license.

In single player mode, the story takes place during the year 1943 in Nazi Germany. The protagonist is the command of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) William Joseph "B.J." Blazkowicz, sent along with another agent to investigate rumors about a new project by Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler related to the "Schutzstaffel Paranormal Division".

The agents are captured shortly before completing their objective and imprisoned in Wolfenstein Castle. Blazkowicz's partner is interrogated, tortured and executed by members of the SS. For his part, Blazkowicz manages to escape before being questioned. From here the player puts himself in the shoes of the agent, having to escape from the fortress, continue with the investigation and put an end to the plans of Hitler and his followers.

Mission Features

Return to Castle Wolfenstein includes missions of a pure military style similar to those of other titles of the FPS genre such as the first installment of the Medal of Honor saga or Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (infiltrate a German airbase or help the Resistance to protect a deserted scientist, among others), and horror and survival missions, where the protagonist must face supernatural creatures or technological enemies.

Missions

• Mission 1: disturbing rumors.-

The plot begins by showing an SS doctor who is torturing Blazkowicz's partner in the dungeons of the old castle of Wolfenstein, in the Bavarian Alps. At that moment, the scientist orders a soldier to bring subject 2 (Blazkowicz) to him for interrogation and later kill him. But when the soldier walks into B.J. he kills him and steals his regulation Luger. Thereafter the player steps into the shoes of the American OSS agent until the end of the game. Shortly after leaving the cell the SS doctor can be seen doing galvanizing experiments on the corpse of the other agent. The rest of the escape is summarized in a journey through passageways, spiral staircases and snow-covered patios to the cable car station that connects the castle with the nearest town.

- Part 1: Escape!

- Part 2: Castle Tower

- Part 3: Cable Car Ride

• Mission 2: Dark secret.-

The second act begins at the home of Herr Kessler, B.J. in the Circle of Kreisau, with whom he has met just after leaving the cable car. B.J. He enters the well-defended town of Wulfburg through a secret passage and must reach the cemetery on the other side, where according to Intelligence the SS occultist Helga Von Bulow is carrying out various excavations in the catacombs. B.J. discovers firsthand that the rumors about Himmler's archaeological expedition are true; The SS, associated with various experts from the Thule Society, intends to revive Heinrich I, an arrogant and ruthless former feudal lord, and his knights to use as an ultimate weapon against the Allies. The catacombs are protected by Zombies and Zombie Warriors, Nazi soldiers and various traps. These lead to B.J. to a small gothic church where he must face the elite guard of Helga Von Bulow and fight against her group of elite defense team, extremely agile and armed with Sten submachine guns captured from the British Army in North Africa. Said church has a nave in ruins, and there B.J. he finds a huge and cruel being summoned by Helga Von Bulow, which he must defeat before he can leave Germany to inform his superiors.

- Part 1: Town

- Part 2: Catacombs

- Part 3: Crypt

- Part 4: The desecrated church (1 and 2)

• Mission 3: Revenge weapons.-

B.J. is parachuted into a wooded region between Germany and Austria. His primary objective is to reach a rocket base without arousing suspicion from the small garrison deployed in the valley. Once you have penetrated the perimeter, you must sabotage a V2 missile before it is launched on London, later destroying a state-of-the-art radar system. Finally he has to steal the "Kobra"rocket plane, located in a hidden airport in those areas, which houses prototypes of "Kobra" and others similar to the B-2. As soon as the device is prepared for escape, B.J. Realizing that Himmler is serious about killing him, he sends SS Black Watch soldiers armed with FG 42 rifles, who come by airlift and parachute in to neutralize the American agent. Once safe, B.J. return to the "Kobra" to fly to the allied base in Malta.

- Part 1: Forest Complex

- Part 2: Rocket Base

- Part 3: Radar installation

- Part 4: Assault on the air base

• Mission 4: Deadly designs.-

B.J. start the mission in Kugelstadt, a town near the Secret Weapons Complex where the scientist nicknamed "Skull" works. The first task is to support a tank as it advances through the streets full of infantry. Secondly, you must help the Kreisau Circle protect the Nazi scientist who has abandoned the Calavera research team and finally advance through an old factory destroyed by Allied bombing and a train repair shop that leads directly to the complex of "Skull". Both the desolate streets and the bowels of the compound are defended by Himmler's Black Watch. It is at the compound where B.J. seizes a Venom rotary machine gun and confronts the "Loopers", as he later calls in his reports a series of genetically mutated monstrosities that move around on their arms like apes and fire electric shocks with a spherical generator located below the waist. In the end, B.J. He enters a submarine base and after eliminating the resistance, he finds an employee and interrogates him.

- Part 1: Kugelstadt

- Part 2: The bombed factory (1 and 2)

- Part 3: The Train Depot

- Part 4: Secret Weapons Complex

• Mission 5: The playground of Calavera. -

The objective of this mission is to take down the Wehrmacht project called "Uber-Soldat". The action takes place between a heavily defended Norwegian valley and some hidden laboratories (Los Laboratorios X) where "Calavera" has developed the Uber-Soldat in recent years. Aside from regular soldiers, B.J. You will run into members of the Black Watch on your way to the Calavera research facility. Once inside, several "Loopers" and working prototypes of Uber-Soldat, which are heavily armored humans of lightly armed hydraulic robots. The final scene takes place in the main "Calavera" lab, where the first Uber-Soldat (not prototype) will attempt to annihilate B.J. with his Tesla cannon. When he is destroyed, & # 34; Calavera & # 34; curses the daring of the US agent and escapes in a "Kobra " manned without the latter being able to do anything to avoid it.

- Part 1: Norwegian Ice Station

- Part 2: X Laboratories

- Part 3: Super Soldier

• Mission 6: Commitment to return. -

"Skull" he has managed to escape, but after all he was just a pawn in the dark plot of the SS. This new mission begins near the Bramburg Dam, where B.J. will try to infiltrate after parachuting. After finishing off the small garrison stationed at a dam, he will have to head to the nearby town of Paderborn. Once there, plans change. He now has to act stealthily and cautiously or else the alarm will sound and the mission will fail. The objective is to eliminate five officers of the SS Paranormal Division and reach the castle, but first you have to cross the Château (Fortified House) in order to go to the other side of the town. Here all the guards are elite or members of the Black Watch. On the other hand, in the surroundings of the fortress there is an area called "Unconsecrated ground", which leads directly to the archaeological excavation of Castle Wolfenstein. However, the path is blocked by elite guards. B.J is confronted by two heavily armed Uber-Soldat, and when he defeats them, the witchcraft practiced by the "enchantress" is on her. causes lightning to fall from the sky and open the way.

- Part 1: Bramburg Dyke

- Part 2: Village of Paderborn

- Part 3: Schufstaffel Castle

- Part 4: Unconsecrated ground

• Mission 7: Operation Resurrection. -

According to the report, the SS Paranormal Division was experimenting with Uber-Soldats to turn them into something more devastating, they were the 'Black Knights'. Starting the mission, a scene appears in which "the sorceress" casts a spell turning 3 Uber-Soldat into "Black Knights" Similar to "Zombie Warriors", but more difficult. He then ends up successfully summoning Heinrich I and he turns "the enchantress" into a "zombie". Once in the tunnels of the excavation, the US commando will have to face humans and robots if they want to reach the place where Himmler planned to resurrect Heinrich I. The infantrymen have exchanged their MP40s for Sten submachine guns and are now stronger. The last section of the excavation of the castle is guarded by members of the Black Watch and "zombies", who guard the access door to the site where Heinrich I, "the sorceress" and the three "Black Knights" they find each other. At the end Himmler watches through binoculars as Blazkowicz, to Himmler's own displeasure, defeats Heinrich I.

- Part 1: The Excavation

- Part 2: Return to Castle Wolfenstein

- Part 3: Heinrich II

Weapons

In the game there are a total of 16 weapons that are divided into 10 types:

Knife

The most basic weapon, essential in stealth missions.

Guns

There are two types of gun:

Luger: Very loud, but a muffler can be found. Shares ammo with the MP40 and Sten. Officers, radio operators, and resisters use this pistol.

Colt.45 – Two can be used at the same time, which translates to a lot of firepower. Shares ammo with the Thompson. No soldier uses it, since it is a weapon of the allies.

Submachine Guns

There are 3 types of submachine guns:

MP40: It is the first usable submachine gun. Shares ammo with the Sten and Luger. Foot soldiers are the only ones who possess this weapon.

Thompson - Used by the Kreisau Circle, provided by the US military. Shares ammo with the Colt.45. No enemy uses this submachine gun for the same reasons as the Colt.45.

Silenced Sten - Appears in Mission 2 Part 1. Shares ammo with the MP40 and Luger. She is used by the elite guard and foot soldiers, but at higher levels. If it fires for a long time it overheats and you have to wait for it to cool down

Sniper Rifles

There are only two sniper rifles in the game:

Mauser Kar 98k: featured with and without scope. Shares ammo with the FG42. Sentinels use it without a scope, while snipers use it with a scope.

"Snooper", Sniper Rifle with Infrared Scope: It is the best ranged weapon, since with just one bullet it eliminates any type of soldier. No enemy uses the rifle for the same reason as the Thompson and Colt M1911.

Assault Rifles

There is only one assault rifle:

FG42: This rifle is the main weapon of the Black Watch. It shares ammunition with the Mauser Kar 98k.

Explosives

In total there are three types of explosive in the game:

Stielhandgranate: These are the most common explosives. You can only carry a maximum of 15 grenades in the game. Very rarely do the Germans use it.

Hand Grenade: Less damaging than Nazi grenades, but have a greater impact on the environment. They are provided by the OSA in Mission 4 Part 1. Like the Nazi grenades, you cannot carry more than 15 bombs. No enemy soldier uses them as they are allied explosives.

Dynamite: The most dangerous kind of explosive, capable of annihilating B.J himself even though he has full health and good protection. It is equipped with a timer that allows calculating the exact moment of explosion. It is obtained in mission 2, part 1, you can only have 10 charges at the same time and it is possible to adjust the time from 5 to 45 seconds. The Germans do not use this explosive.

Special Weapons

Five weapons of this type appear in the game, the most powerful of all being:

MG42 - Fixed position machine gun, appears in mission 1 part 2 and also in other parts of the game. The number of projectiles is infinite, the weapon is destructible and is used by the Nazis, which can be used at times when necessary.

Panzerfaust – A Wehrmacht expendable rocket launcher obtained in Mission 3 Part 3. The maximum number of rocket launchers that can be carried at one time is 6. This weapon is often used by foot soldiers.

Venom: A rotary machine gun ideal for opening fire with force. It is obtained in mission 4, part 4 and the maximum number of bullets in the magazine is 1500 bullets. Like the sten, this one overheats

Flame Thrower: This classic WWII weapon takes out one or more enemies with ease. It is achieved in mission 4, part 1, and its tank can hold up to 150 liters of gasoline.

Tesla Cannon: It is the ultimate weapon and the last to appear. It is a cannon that induces voltaic fields. It is first obtained in mission 5, part 3, after eliminating the second enemy at the end of the level. The Uber-Soldat have this weapon in their arsenal.

Multiplayer mode

In multiplayer there are two factions, the axis and the allies, within each of which the players have to choose a character among infantry soldier, engineer, doctor and lieutenant. Each member of the squad has a special ability; for example, medics can bring their companions back to life, and soldiers carry heavy weapons.

Achieving victory requires completing several objectives, which vary by map.

Characters

Foot Soldier: The basic type, can use all three submachine guns, the Mauser rifle, the Panzerfaust, the Venom machine gun, and the flamethrower. To win it is necessary to have at least one in the team.

Engineer: The only one capable of demolishing buildings and repairing damaged MG42s. Both sides must have an engineer, since in all missions there are one or more objectives that require the use of explosives.

Medic: This unit is very important as it can revive casualties and heal the wounded.

Lieutenant: A unit that supplies ammunition and orders airstrikes and artillery barrages.

Versions

Return to Castle Wolfenstein was released first for PC and Macintosh, and later for Xbox, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 consoles.

PC version

The PC and Macintosh multiplayer versions were published by id Software. Soon after, he published the SDK so that users could use the game engine freely. The "Game of the Year Edition" includes the "Wolfenstein 3D" original.

Xbox Version

It was called Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War. Includes the "Wolfenstein 3D" original as a bonus for those who manage to complete the campaign mode.

PlayStation 2 version

Its title is Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Operation Resurrection. This edition includes the "Agent One" missions.

Maps and MODS

The Enemy Territory community is one of the most active in the creation of maps and modifications, one of the best known modifications is the TrueCombat:Elite and within the competitions is the ETPro, a competition MOD, the ETAdmin for the control of the servers, JayMod that changes the style of play and NoQuarter that adds more weapons and levels for the different classes. Most mods and maps can be found at returntocastlewolfenstein.filefront.com

• Return To Castle Wolfenstein: Cooperative Campaign

There is also a free mod created by the Austrian user WolfETPlayer the version is called RealRTCW available on steam, which allows you to play the cooperative Return To Castle Wolfstein campaign with 8 players online and local lan network, its first version was released In 2012, it continues to be updated, the last one was in 2020, which to play it you need to have the original game, but it is installed independently. its latest update RealRTCW 4.0 August 4, 2022.

The mod version was officially released on steam on October 15, 2020

Mod site on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/1379630/RealRTCW/

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Mod page link on Mod DB site

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Games based on Return to Castle Wolfenstein

In 2007, id Software and Splash Damage released the game Enemy Territory: Quake Wars based on the game style of Return to Castle Wolfenstein, keeping the soldier, medic, spy, lieutenant or engineer classes, although set in the future and with two races as sides the Humans and the Strogg. In the summer of 2009, the second part of RTCW was released, solely titled "Wolfenstein".

Adaptation

In 2015, Bethesda Softworks and MachineGames released a prequel to "Wolfenstein: The New Order", called "Wolfenstein: The Old Blood" takes place years before what happened in "Wolfensten: The New Order", but it is nothing more than an adaptation of "Return To Castle Wolfenstein", since if we analyze the trailer we notice that the story and places are almost the same as in "Return To Castle Wolfenstein", even the gameplay (already available) of all levels winks at "Return To Castle Wolfenstein" (and more). Although the game was slightly changed in history, since it happens after the events of Wolfenstein 2009, aside from the fact that B.J in some parts of the game mentions things like the X Laboratories, or the Wolfenstein 2009 Farms, apart from that, at the end of the game, Fergus frees us from a Rock that fell on us, and then with the document folder (where the coordinates of the Calavera Complex are), at the end the military airport is seen to prepare to attack the Calavera Complex (and starts the "Wolfenstein: The New Order"), obviating that it should start Wolfenstein 2009, apart from the fact that Wesley (Agent One) is alive, when he should be dead, and many say that it is not an adaptation like such, and if it is, since if B.J had escaped from the castle, when he returned (as many say) they would immediately recognize him and kill him, apart from the fact that he should be accompanied by another agent. It was released on May 5, 2015 in digital, and physical on May 15, 2015 for Xbox One, PS4 and PC (previously only physical was going to be released for PC and PS4, and on Xbox One only digital, but by claim of the fans, Bethesda gave in and pulled out physically for all platforms).