If you were used to classic Wolfensteins, know that the formula has changed slightly in Youngblood. Based exclusively on cooperation, the title was designed for two players and moves away from the linear narrative FPS to venture towards a kind of RPG very inspired by Dishonored. The influences of the Arkane Studios game are much deeper, because the Lyon studio took care of the entire level design, which is felt immediately. Without being an open world, the game offers vast districts with complex topography, offering multiple possibilities for movement. Although one might believe that the campaign takes place in quite cramped streets, the knowledge of the places will become a huge asset and will make it possible to fully exploit the talent of the developers in terms of creating maps. Multiple paths are available, whether it's the sewers, jumping from balcony to balcony, small alleys that cross the city blocks, or the many apartments that can be explored.With its nag gameplay, its liters of ketchup and its multiple references to the 80s, Wolfenstein: Youngblood is one of the best cooperative FPS of recent years.
This allows a freer approach strategy than usual, the possibilities being increased tenfold thanks to cooperation. We can now take the Nazis in a pincer movement, and it is quite enjoyable to knock out - from two balconies facing each other - a big panzerhund lost in the face of two opposing targets that it cannot reach. With this new topography, we can also play the infiltration in a credible way, taking advantage of the cooperation, and the power of invisibility conferred by the armor of the binoculars, in order to silently kill the enemy soldiers. We take this opportunity to specify that the Paris of the 80s under Nazi domination is particularly successful. Haussmann architecture coexists with the concrete monoliths of the Reich, and as always, MachineGames has multiplied the references that will speak to many players. We can thus come across an ersatz Atari 2600, find NES cartridges, and enjoy the acidic remarks of Soph and Jess when we pick up the audio cassettes and VHS (which are collectibles).
PARIS WAS JOYFUL
If we will not reveal anything about the story (always a little stupid, necessarily) to avoid any spoiler, know that it is much more secondary here than in the old opuses. As in any RPG, the player will have complete freedom to follow the missions of the main quest, or to indulge in the many tasks entrusted to him by the members of the French resistance, lurking in the catacombs of the capital. In addition, after a certain time spent in the same neighborhood, the operator can even entrust us with specific objectives that must be fulfilled before leaving the premises. We will, for example, assassinate a dignitary of the Third Reich, blow up a car, steal an Enigma machine, or even put a snitch on the phone of a high-ranking Wehrmacht. As we complete objectives and pile up corpses, we gain XP, which boosts our level and allows us to recover skill points. These can be invested in a fairly simple dedicated tree, knowing that we will spend a good part of our time collecting silver coins in order to finance the improvements to our guns.
Suffice to say that the progress in the game is fast, since you can complete the adventure in about ten hours by focusing only on the main quests. Your servant has thus reached level 37, but it should be possible to go much higher given the number of perks that remain to be unlocked. Although the gameplay is more flexible, we stay on pure Wolfenstein with a DNA that always revolves around the bourrinage. Our character can walk around an impressive arsenal, use weapons in akimbo (via a skill) and dismember the Nazi with a nice selection of edged weapons (a basic axe). To show off in front of your friend, it will also be possible to pimp your lady, from the combination to the weapons, by purchasing skins against the famous silver coins. The gunfights are, for their part, always so nervous, especially thanks to the powers of the binoculars. With the double jump and the possibility of adding a dash via skills, you can literally slalom between enemies, while sending them volleys of bullets and grenades.However, don't panic if you are asocial because the AI is particularly effective, and plays better than a stranger. Indeed, during a public game, if you fall with a random player, the adventure may prove to be a little more complicated because the game does not offer any means of communication, except for a push-talk button.
The Reich has also continued to modernize its soldiers, which allows fans to observe the improvements made to the troops since the days of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. As always, the game offers a clever mix of human targets encased in heavy armor, as well as a wide choice of robots. Among the novelties, we will mention these damned suicide dogs. Packed with explosives, these doggies, as fanatical as their master, have only one goal: to grab you by the jugular before blowing up their C4 vests. Small and very fast, these mutts are one example among others of the dangers lurking in Paris. Of course, each type of target will have its vulnerabilities against a particular type of weapon, as well as its own weakspots that you will need to know. We therefore recommend the ElectroKraftWerk (the real ones will have recognized the reference to the famous music group from Düsseldorf), a kind of lightning-gun, which is particularly effective in grilling the circuits of mechas. With a friend in support, we can also take the opportunity to try inventive combos. Moreover, know that your friend will not only be a fire support, since many actions require to be carried out with two. However, do not panic if you are asocial because the AI is particularly effective and plays remembers better than a stranger. Indeed, during a public game, if you fall with a random player, the adventure may prove to be a little more complicated because the game does not offer any means of communication, except for a push-talk button. No menu allows you to use quick commands, and out of voice chat, only a marker allows you to try to make yourself understood. You understood, the game is particularly appreciated with a good friend, which was planned by the developers.
THIS IS THE ROMANCE OF PARIS
If you buy the Deluxe version of Wolfenstein: Youngblood, you will have the Buddy Pass, a code that you can give to a friend so that he can play with you. Of course, the latter can only play with you and at the same time, but the advantage is that this code can be reused endlessly. Basically, if your usual partner is unavailable, just go get another FPS fan from your list of friends to send him the famous sesame in turn. This is the first time that we have seen such a system, and we must say that we are relatively admiring of the initiative of Bethesda Softworks. The game being displayed at 39.99€ in the Deluxe version on PC, we can even imagine a purchase for two to reduce the expense. Technically, Wolfenstein: Youngblood is doing very well, and if there are still a few bugs in the great tradition of titles from the house, we have found no reason to complain. Better, the game is visually very successful, with graphics that send heavy despite the use of the id Tech 6 engine (the 7 being reserved for DOOM Eternal). Despite the absence of the RTX, the light shows are splendid. On this subject, we tell you that the optimization seems to have been well done, at least on the NVIDIA hardware. All options fully, and in 4K, we were able to play at 130 FPS on average with our RTX 2080Ti, which bodes well for those who do not have the latest equipment.
