Wolfenstein The New Order: You Can't Escape The Violence
"I wonder if there's anything in this world worth saving."
It was Martin Luther King, I believe, who once said, "Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness." He was saying this in order to dissuade his fellow African Americans from pursuing a campaign of violent comeuppance against whites, unlike his contemporary Malcolm X who encourage a rowdy uprising as the only way to make whites take the plight of their people seriously. In the end, it was the message of Martin Luther King that stood the test of time, ironically because of an act of violence. It was his assassination that deified Dr. King and made him a martyr in the eyes of history. But what if Malcolm X's message prevailed? What if violence begat violence?
Wolfenstein: The New Order by MachineGames takes place in such a world, where it seems that violence is about the only way that people can effectively communicate. While Wolfenstein games have not been exactly lauded for their complex plots, The New Order aims to create a darker (if not more realistic) take on the source material. Instead of being ashamed of its source material, Wolfenstein uses it to dramatic effect, doing so in much the same vein as Man in the High Castle tackled its alternate history that featured an Axis Powers victory of World War II. Indeed, the overall plot is largely similar: the Allied Powers lose World War II and the game follows a horrific scenario wherein Nazi Germany conquers most of the known world, including America. The game follows B.J. Blazkowicz, the player character of the previous Wolfensteins, who has become disillusioned with the war. Near the end of World War II, he is placed in a vegetative state for fourteen years, before awakening in Poland in 1960.
Once he wakes, he rescues his nurse Anya, with whom he begins a romantic relationship. When they reach her grandparents' house, they bring a Nazi officer in tow for interrogation. The first thing Blazkowicz does after he has learned that the the war is over, the Nazis have won, and America has been bombed to hell and back is to go into the garage and torture the Nazi for information. It is clearly cathartic for Blazkowicz to vent his fury by revving up a chainsaw and letting its massive rotating blades kill the officer even after he tells him where the resistance fighters are in Berlin Blazkowicz lives and breathes conflict; everyone does in this new world. Even the grandparents, who shoot and kill Nazis as they help Blazkowicz and Anya make their way to Berlin.
Later, after Blazkowicz has saved the resistance fighters and is actively assisting them, it doesn't stop. Wyatt expresses his frustrations with Blazkowicz that he's been forced to lead a resistance even at such a young age, even telling Blazkowicz that it's his fault for saving his life all those years ago. He mentions an occasion where he sent a soldier to his death because he didn't know any better. Caroline Becker is paralyzed from the waist down, unable to escape the life that she has chosen for herself and still leads the resistance despite probably failure. J doesn't believe that the American leadership was any better than the Nazis. He relates that since he's black and he was treated as subhuman much the same as Nazis treat all non-Germans, he has no reason to place faith in the Americans. Klaus' whole family was murdered by Nazi soldiers just because his son was born disabled. Max, Klaus' adopted son, was similarly thrown into the trash for having a mental disability, who is later forced into violence despite his peaceful nature. No one can escape the violence.
Least of all Set Roth, a Jewish scientist who was placed in a concentration camp in Croatia. When Blazkowicz comes to break him out, he tells him that it's hard to believe in a God who would sanction such violence, as the pair watch a woman being savagely beaten by Frau Engel, the woman running the camp. Blazkowicz shakily replies that it may be a test of faith; Set just says that if it's a test, then humanity is "failing gloriously." Even Set's organization, the peace-loving and ever-faithful Da'at Yichud who were responsible for great technological inventions, was eventually compromised when the Nazis used their technologies to create war machines that killed millions of people. Even the attempts at peace are foiled.
Not even the nurse Anya is saved from this cycle of violence. It's revealed, subtly throughout the later chapters of the game, that Anya is actually the serial killer that has been murdering Nazis. It starts off with her scared, only killing Nazis that she knew to commit evil deeds. Eventually, she begins to seduce Nazi officers and kill them in bed. When she gets pregnant from this, she chooses to abort the baby because she believes that it, too, is a Nazi; her disgust is uncountable. It becomes second nature to her, even running over a Nazi soldier in broad daylight just because the urge struck her. Anya is forever stuck in this cycle of violence; the Nazis harmed her and so she causes more harm in turn.
Everyone in this world perpetuates violence, whether they want to or not. The Nazis are evil, to be sure, especially their leaders. There is no contesting that. But even the resistance has been so tainted by the Nazis, have been fighting this hopeless war for so long that it seems as if they have adopted some Nazi-like traits, as well. They show no mercy and care little for environmental, property, or collateral damage. They solve everything with violence, much as the Nazis do. In the end, they've become what they hate - all in the hope of an oblique and highly unspecific need for freedom.
Anya says near the end of the game, "I believe there are still places on this earth where people can go. And live happy." Blazkowicz sadly replies, "I believe so too. But not for me and you."
Wolfenstein: The New Order by MachineGames takes place in such a world, where it seems that violence is about the only way that people can effectively communicate. While Wolfenstein games have not been exactly lauded for their complex plots, The New Order aims to create a darker (if not more realistic) take on the source material. Instead of being ashamed of its source material, Wolfenstein uses it to dramatic effect, doing so in much the same vein as Man in the High Castle tackled its alternate history that featured an Axis Powers victory of World War II. Indeed, the overall plot is largely similar: the Allied Powers lose World War II and the game follows a horrific scenario wherein Nazi Germany conquers most of the known world, including America. The game follows B.J. Blazkowicz, the player character of the previous Wolfensteins, who has become disillusioned with the war. Near the end of World War II, he is placed in a vegetative state for fourteen years, before awakening in Poland in 1960.
Once he wakes, he rescues his nurse Anya, with whom he begins a romantic relationship. When they reach her grandparents' house, they bring a Nazi officer in tow for interrogation. The first thing Blazkowicz does after he has learned that the the war is over, the Nazis have won, and America has been bombed to hell and back is to go into the garage and torture the Nazi for information. It is clearly cathartic for Blazkowicz to vent his fury by revving up a chainsaw and letting its massive rotating blades kill the officer even after he tells him where the resistance fighters are in Berlin Blazkowicz lives and breathes conflict; everyone does in this new world. Even the grandparents, who shoot and kill Nazis as they help Blazkowicz and Anya make their way to Berlin.
Later, after Blazkowicz has saved the resistance fighters and is actively assisting them, it doesn't stop. Wyatt expresses his frustrations with Blazkowicz that he's been forced to lead a resistance even at such a young age, even telling Blazkowicz that it's his fault for saving his life all those years ago. He mentions an occasion where he sent a soldier to his death because he didn't know any better. Caroline Becker is paralyzed from the waist down, unable to escape the life that she has chosen for herself and still leads the resistance despite probably failure. J doesn't believe that the American leadership was any better than the Nazis. He relates that since he's black and he was treated as subhuman much the same as Nazis treat all non-Germans, he has no reason to place faith in the Americans. Klaus' whole family was murdered by Nazi soldiers just because his son was born disabled. Max, Klaus' adopted son, was similarly thrown into the trash for having a mental disability, who is later forced into violence despite his peaceful nature. No one can escape the violence.
Least of all Set Roth, a Jewish scientist who was placed in a concentration camp in Croatia. When Blazkowicz comes to break him out, he tells him that it's hard to believe in a God who would sanction such violence, as the pair watch a woman being savagely beaten by Frau Engel, the woman running the camp. Blazkowicz shakily replies that it may be a test of faith; Set just says that if it's a test, then humanity is "failing gloriously." Even Set's organization, the peace-loving and ever-faithful Da'at Yichud who were responsible for great technological inventions, was eventually compromised when the Nazis used their technologies to create war machines that killed millions of people. Even the attempts at peace are foiled.
Not even the nurse Anya is saved from this cycle of violence. It's revealed, subtly throughout the later chapters of the game, that Anya is actually the serial killer that has been murdering Nazis. It starts off with her scared, only killing Nazis that she knew to commit evil deeds. Eventually, she begins to seduce Nazi officers and kill them in bed. When she gets pregnant from this, she chooses to abort the baby because she believes that it, too, is a Nazi; her disgust is uncountable. It becomes second nature to her, even running over a Nazi soldier in broad daylight just because the urge struck her. Anya is forever stuck in this cycle of violence; the Nazis harmed her and so she causes more harm in turn.
Everyone in this world perpetuates violence, whether they want to or not. The Nazis are evil, to be sure, especially their leaders. There is no contesting that. But even the resistance has been so tainted by the Nazis, have been fighting this hopeless war for so long that it seems as if they have adopted some Nazi-like traits, as well. They show no mercy and care little for environmental, property, or collateral damage. They solve everything with violence, much as the Nazis do. In the end, they've become what they hate - all in the hope of an oblique and highly unspecific need for freedom.
Anya says near the end of the game, "I believe there are still places on this earth where people can go. And live happy." Blazkowicz sadly replies, "I believe so too. But not for me and you."
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