When we initially reviewed Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus with its release last year, we were blown away by its quality and level of story as well as the sheer thrill of blasting Nazis at full force with some of the best weaponry around. But we admit we had our doubts about whether the game could effectively run on the Nintendo Switch considering its juggernaut-like size.
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Alas, Panic Button has proved us wrong. Again. The team that brought us Rocket League and last year’s highly enjoyable port of the 2016 shooter Doom have worked their magic on Wolfenstein II for Nintendo’s platform. And even though some content (namely the DLC) may be missing, it’s a port that’s well worth the download.
For those that need to catch up with the plot, B.J. Blazkowicz finds himself at odds with a mighty Nazi regime in an alternate storyline, working alongside a few rebels in the hopes of turning the tide against tyrannical forces, led by the devastating Irene Engel. Really, it’s best to experience all the game’s twists and turns for yourself especially that awesome second act when things really pick up.
The developers at Panic Button was able to cram the game into around 22GB of space — no small feat when it originally released at around 55GB. And yet it’s somehow lost very little of its detail in its transition. That’s not to say the port is perfect but it’s damn impressive.
Graphics and Control Types Aplenty
First off, if you’re going to play in handheld mode, there are some nuances you’ll need to get used to. The graphics tend to drop in framerate, around 20 FPS or so, during the more frantic moments. Also, the Joy Cons can take a little getting used to when it comes to fine-tuning your aiming. But other than that, the game passes the handheld test with flying colors which is good news if you’re taking the game on a road trip.
Where it really shines, however, is in docked mode. The game runs at a much more steady framerate in this mode even though things tend to be a little bit fuzzy compared to other versions of the game. You probably won’t see too much of it, save for those moments when explosions are happening rather close to you. And it plays sooooo much better with a Pro Controller, especially when it comes to aiming and melee attacks. This is the preferred way to play though handheld is fun once you get used to it.
The game does have motion controls, but they take a little getting used to. Some of the precision aiming stuff is pretty cool, but the rest is a bit iffy compared to the routine control set-up. Still, if you’re curious, it’s worth a try…and you may like what it has to offer.
Oh, and the cinema sequences. These are especially well done, even if the video quality is a slight step down from other versions of the game. They still look great, even in handheld mode. So don’t skip the story unless you already know what’s happening.
A Well-Rounded Package For Good Ol’ Blazkowicz
Speaking of which, save for some lulls at the beginning, the loading time for Wolfenstein II is quite impressive. It probably goes a little quicker as a full digital download than on the cartridge version, but either way it gets into new stages pretty rapidly.
As for the sound, we didn’t notice any lulls at all during our field test. The voice acting is pretty top notch as always (especially Engel, who sounds sadistic with her delivery); and the music cues are great as well, even though they’re on the minimal side.
But again, we have to marvel at the technical performance of Wolfenstein II on the Switch. It keeps a fairly steady frame rate for the most part; and the little tricks that Panic Button performs to keep it all up and running are nice, even if that means an extra wall here and there or smaller items cut off. (You can see more of that work in this video.) You likely won’t notice anyway as you’re blasting holes into Nazi forces.
It isn’t the highest recommended version out there, but if all you have is a Nintendo Switch or you just have a reason you need to take the game on the go, Wolfenstein II is highly recommended for the platform. It may not be a complete adventure, but what’s here is still well worth your time. Long live Blazkowicz!
Disclaimer: A review code was provided by the publisher.
