Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Thanks to spot-on controls and a compelling alternate-history story, this post-apocalyptic World War II first-person shooter is one of the most engaging shooters of the year. Like its predecessor, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is set in a version of our world in which the Nazis won WWII and now control the United States and the rest of the planet. As former American soldier B.J. Blazkowicz, you have to work with the resistance to stop them -- which involves shooting lots of Nazis and blowing up their stuff. Good thing you have some effective weapons, including some sci-fi ones, as well as some power armor with some helpful augmentations.

But while shooting Nazis is always fun, what makes this particular game so compelling is the sci-fi alt-history setting and story, because it provides interesting places to do all the shooting. That and the intricate, multi-path levels, which let you sneak around, thinning out the herd before you go all guns a-blazin'. All of which is driven by an engaging, darkly comic (and also, sadly, topical) story. There are some minor issues: B.J. doesn't always grab loose ammo off the floor like he should. It can also be hard to know where you're supposed to go through these intricate levels; plus, some enemy commanders are dummkopfs -- they behave stupidly or are easily killed in action. Nintendo Switch owners will also deal with visuals that aren't nearly as sharp or visually detailed as the other versions; faces and environmental details can be a bit blurry and somewhat generic. This visual downgrade is worth it for the game performance on the Switch, though -- no corners were cut for the size of each level, and the game runs without a hint of slowing down on the less powerful system. Aside from these issues, all the other aspects of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus work so well together that they make it one of the year's best shooters.