Facts about Wolfenstein!

Facts about the new game in the wolfenstein franchise, Wolfenstein

Introduction

Since Wolfenstein was officially announced in 2005 (it was unofficially "announced" in a slip up by id Software CEO Todd Hollenshead during an interview in 2004), fans of the series have been craving for details about this new game. The game was talked about at Quakecon 2006 during the Q&A session with id Software, but nothing really specific was mentioned.

Following a year of silence, id Software talked briefly about Wolfenstein at Quakecon 2007, basically confirming that it was still in development. In 2008, things started to shape up. Wolfenstein got attention around the time of E3, being the cover story for Game Informer, and with the E3 teaser trailer(s) being released. New info was revealed. At Quakecon 2008 however, we didn't get any new information, other than there would be news about the game "coming soon".

During the fall and around Christmas of 2008, various gaming websites had articles about the game. Still, we basically didn't get information we couldn't find in the old Game Informer article. In the new year, a few more gaming magazines featured Wolfenstein. The game was previewed at a hands-off event to journalists during NYCC 2009, resulting in more preview articles appearing on the internet. The GTTV episode of March 20th was the first exclusive hands-on Wolfenstein preview with gameplay footage, which sparked controversy in the RTCW / W:ET communities all over the internet.

Wolfenstein has had a very slow media build up during the last few years. Especially information on the multiplayer has been scarce. This article will provide all information on the game that's available. Enjoy.

Wolfenstein overview - development, platforms and technology

Development:

As of March 2009, Wolfenstein is still in development. This is a quick overview of the companies involved and their role in the development process of the game:

id Software - Owners of the IP, producers of the game (currently primarily overseeing production).
Raven Software - Working on the singleplayer portion of the game.
Threewave Software - Completed 8 multiplayer maps in the end of 2007 and worked on Wolfenstein MP up to a beta stage.
Endrant Studios - Began work on the multiplayer component for Wolfenstein in April 2008, following the completion of Threewave Software's work on the project.
PI Studios - Working with Raven Software on the singleplayer portion of the game.

Nerve Software - Earlier in the development of Wolfenstein, Nerve was supposed to do the multiplayer part of the game.

The first year of development was, according to id's Kevin Cloud, spent on "... focusing on technology improvements and getting those ready for what we're going to do with the rest of the game."
When the game is released (it's due out summer of 2009) it will have been in development for about 4-5 years. According to Brian Raffel of Raven Software, the Wolfenstein project had a reboot some 2 years ago, probably adding to the long development time.

The XBOX 360 is the development platform of choice for Wolfenstein because, according to John Carmack, the development tools that the 360 has to offer are better than those of the PC.

According to id Software's Peter Sokal, "the game is being developed simultaneously on the PC, 360, and PS3. We want to give gamers on all three platforms the same great experience."

Release platforms:

Wolfenstein will be released simultaneously on the:

PC (Windows)
XBOX 360
PS3

Though not confirmed, it's possible that there will also be a Linux and a Mac version of the game.
All versions will be "functionally identical" across all platforms.

System Requirements:

Official minimum system requirements for Wolfenstein:

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS:
Microsoft® Windows® XP or Windows Vista® (Windows 95/98/ME/2000 are unsupported)
Microsoft DirectX® 9.0c (included & required for Windows XP & Vista)

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS:
CPU: Intel® Pentium® 4 3.2 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 3400+ processor
RAM: 1GB RAM
Video Card: 256MB NVIDIA® Geforce® 6800 GT or ATI Radeon™ X800
Sound Card: 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
HDD Space: 8GB (Plus an additional 800MB for Windows swap file)
Media: 100% Microsoft Windows compatible DVD-ROM drive
Internet: Broadband connection and service required for multiplayer

Technology:

Wolfenstein is being developed on 2 engines, one for the singleplayer part and one for the multiplayer part.

The singleplayer engine is being built by Raven Software, and is an iteration of their Quake 4 engine. It is frequently referred to as "id tech 4 plus" by the developers. According to John Carmack of id, "the renderer probably has no relationship [to id tech 4] other than high-level architectural stuff to the original Doom stuff..."

The multiplayer engine is being built upon the ET:QW engine, originally created by Splash Damage. There will be no megatextures in this version of the engine though, as the multiplayer maps are "roughly on par with RTCW maps."

Features of the engine (it is not known if these features will be present only in SP, MP, or both):

- Wolfenstein will have Havok physics implemented in the engine. This is confirmed in the Game Informer article on the new Wolfenstein game.
- There will be destructible environments to some degree.
- There will be depth of field focus effects.
- There will be motion blur effects.

Wolfenstein - storyline

The story of Wolfenstein takes place just after the events in RTCW.

You are sent on a special mission into the heart of the Reich to investigate evidence of the Nazi's possession of a new and mysterious power.

While behind enemy lines, you discover they have done much more than develop a new weapon. The Nazis are harnessing the power of a dark parallel dimension called The Veil; in order to create a weapon of war-ending magnitude.

Move between the Nazi's dark reality and yours as you command an enormous arsenal of Resistance and Axis Weapons. You can also turn to the Black Market for weapon upgrades, or unleash the Nazis own dark powers and perverted science against them with supernatural weapons and Veil-enhanced firepower.

Gameplay (singleplayer)

As always, you're playing OSA agent B.J. Blazkowicz.

- Wolfenstein will be set mainly in one large city (called Isenstadt), which opens up to the player as he progresses through missions and quests.

- The player will complete parts of the game alone, and parts of the game aided by NPC resistance fighters of the Kreisau Circle.

- There are 3 factions that Blazkowicz can interact with in the game: The aforementioned Resistance fighters, the Black Market group and the Golden Dawn Scholars, who are studying the occult.

- Randomly generated content will block the players path from time to time.

- B.J. Blazkowicz will be able to replenish ammo, receive new missions and intelligence at the various resistance safehouses all around Isenstadt.

- A large part of Wolfenstein's gameplay revolves around the "Veil". The Veil is some sort of alternate dimension. B.J. Blazkowicz will move faster when he is inside The Veil. You will also be able to see the weak spots of some enemies, encounter strange creatures, and find alternate paths while inside the Veil. The veil can only be controlled by the player when Blazkowicz has a magic amulet in his possession.

- The Black Sun is the mysterious power source the nazis are exploiting to enter the Veil.

- Blazkowicz will also acquire supernatural powers of his own. He will fx be able to slow down time for a limited amount of time. His powers are limited by a recharging meter.

- According to id's Kevin Cloud, there will be "some puzzle elements" in the game.

- Players will be able to upgrade their capabilities via treasure. (Both powers and weapons will be upgradeable using the gold you find on your way). Weapon upgrades are a "pretty big part of the game" (Greg Miller, IGN).

- You will be able to replay the singleplayer missions again and again, to collect any gold you missed last time.

- Some of the upgrades are recoil suppression, attaching a bayonet to the Kar-98 and adding a silencer or a scope to a weapon.

- There will be iron sights in the game.

- There will be no lean, prone or bunnyhopping.

- There will be blood and dismemberment in the game.

- The music in Wolfenstein is written by composer Bill Brown, just like in RTCW.

- There will be 4 difficulty levels: Can I Play Daddy?, Don't Hurt Me, Bring It On, I Am Death Incarnate. Players will be able to switch difficulties while playing.

- Playing on I Am Death Incarnate, there is no crosshair.

Gameplay (multiplayer)

- There will be 3 classes in the multiplayer part of Wolfenstein: Medic, Soldier and Engineer.

- The two opposing teams will be the Resistance and the Axis.

- The gameplay is objective based.

- Standard player numbers will be 8 vs 8.

- The maps are "roughly on par with RTCW maps".

- According to id Software's Peter Sokal, "... if you were a fan of RTCW's multiplayer you can expect to see many of the elements that made it such an awesome experience, along with some new ones."

- The maps currently known are: mp_bank, mp_canals, mp_chemical, mp_facility, mp_hospital, mp_manor, mp_rooftops, and mp_tesla.

- The Veil will be implemented in the multiplayer, somehow.

- There are no vehicles in the game.

It remains to be seen if there will be iron sights in Wolfenstein mp, if the movement speed will be different from sp, and how the weapon spread is.

Weapons

At this point, it is unknown which weapons will be in SP and which will be in MP. The fact is, though, that these weapons will appear in the game one way or the other:

- Thompson Submachine Gun
- MP40 - Automatic Submachine Gun 32 clip/ 200 pouch
- Kar 98 - Bolt Action Rifle 5 clip/30 pouch
- MP43 - Automatic Assault Rifle 30 clip/200
- Shotgun
- Mauser (scoped)
- MG 42
- Flammenwerfer - Flamethrower 200 charge 3 units continuous
- Panzerschreck - Rocket Launcher 500 charge
- Particle Cannon - Veil Beam Weapon
- Tesla Cannon - Electric charge weapon
- Stick Grenade

Enemies

These enemies have been confirmed for the game (singleplayer part, at least):

SS Infantry

"The SS Infantry are fearless soldiers and fanatical believers that the 3rd Reich is destined to rule the world."

Scribes

"With the discovery of an archeological dig site that revealed connections with the Black Sun, the Nazis quickly recruited their brightest scholars. The scholars, known as Scribes, were given orders to discover the secrets of the Black Sun by any means necessary. Scribes use the power of the Black Sun to empower other Nazi soldiers."

Veil Heavy Trooper

"The Heavy Trooper Personal Protection System was the first technology that utilized the power of the Black Sun. The Heavy Trooper's suit grants its wearer an incredible increase in strength and a much improved resistance to damage."

Veil Assassin

"Volunteers for the Assassin program were given cybernetic implants allowing them the unique power to vanish into the Veil at will. The experimental procedure was unbearably painful and drove the test subjects insane. An Assassin is seldom seen until moments before a victim's death."

Despoiled

"When resonated at certain frequencies, Black Sun energy can revitalize dead tissue. The 'Despoiled', are creatures created by the Elite Guards through the revitalization process. However, there are rumors that the Elite Guards may be misusing their power."

Elite Guard

"Highly trained in the use of hand to hand weaponry, the Elite Guard also controls the dark power of the Black Sun. The Elite Guard uses the bodies of fallen comrades to create the twisted undead creatures know as the "Despoiled.""

Drache Troopers (Flame Troopers)

"The Drache Troopers, also known as Dragon Troopers, use flame throwers to burn their victims to ashes."

The Altered

"The Nazis' early forays into the realm of the Black Sun resulted in many unfortunate deaths. Those who entered the Black Sun, returned as horribly twisted and mutated creatures. While some of these aberrations could be harnessed, others were transformed into insane beasts known as the Altered."

General Zetta

"General Zetta is the mastermind behind the initial takeover of Eisenstadt. He also produces powerful weapons that use Veil energy. However, General Zetta has his own agenda - one he does not even share with his superiors in Berlin."

Powers and upgrades

These powers and their upgrades have been confirmed for the game (singleplayer part, at least):

- Veil Sight:

Inner Light - Store extra power in your cystals, increasing your veil energy pool.
Veil Sight - Tune your crystals to reveal enemies even through solid matter.
Inner Brilliance - Increase your veil energy pool even further.
Crystal Harmony - Tune your crystals to increase energy pool regeneration.

- Tesla Gun:

Upgraded Battery - Swap out the standard battery pack for greater charge, increased ammo.
Step Transformer - Upgrade transformer for greater amperage, increasing damage.
MK2 Generator - Replace the generator for a second generation device, decreasing spin up time.
Arc Nodes - Equip metal reinforced nodes at the muzzle, for melee that electrocutes and stuns.
Coil Upgrade - Enhance the Tesla coil with improved materials, for greater number of arcs.
Current Induction - Improve total voltage output in order to chain through multiple enemies.

- Mire:

Slowing Crystal - Bring time to a virtual stand-still.
Sheering Crystal - Obliterate nearby foes.

- Particle Cannon:

Particle Lens - Add a magnetic lensing device to forward armature to increase maximum range.
Veil Catalyst - Reduce the time it takes to spin up and fire.
Improved Veil Capacitor - Replace standard power pack with improved Veil based technology, increasing total ammo capacity.
Beam Intensifier - Improve the particle reservoir to increase beam density and deliver more damage.
Flux Arc - Tune beam to a frequency that resonates with living matter, causing it to bend towards the enemy.

- Shield:

Reflective Crystal - Used with the shield ability, this crystal reflects bullets back at enemies.
Reactive Crystal - The organic resonance of this crystal disintegrates anyone who touches your shield.

- Flammenwerfer (flamethrower):

Improved Fuel Pump - Upgrade the fuel pump, increasing maximum burst duration.
Expanded Tank - Expand the fuel reserves with an auxiliary storage tank, increasing total ammunition capacity.
Carburetion - Add an air pump to produce a hotter flame that inflicts greater damage.
Pump Overdrive - Overhauls the fuel pumping system to produce a more powerful jet and increase range.

Note: Much of the specific mp info, like player numbers in MP, are based on statements made by "wolf1337", the guy also responsible for leaking the mp screens to Wolfenstein Zone. We have no reason to doubt his claims, but things may have changed since he posted the info, since Wolfenstein is still in development.