# Return to Castle Wolfenstein **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 26, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563 "2009-02-26T21:22:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/1 "2009-02-26T21:22:19Z")
[http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/207423/the-best-28-fps-games-page-1-of-3/](http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/207423/the-best-28-fps-games-page-1-of-3/) Does it have the same backround music as the original? Other than that how would you rate the game - for an old guy, anyway?I I’d use a mouse and keyboard - unless you have a better idea. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/2 "2009-02-26T21:31:21Z")
I own it on xbox and I’ve played it for a good few hours if I recall, but it didn’t suck me in for some reason. I do have a short attention span and lots of partially finished games though, so ymmv. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/3 "2009-02-26T21:40:56Z")
Kinda the same reaction here, actually. Played it on Xbox and was supremely underwhelmed, and I have a good few FPS games that I’d rank as my absolute favorites. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/4 "2009-02-26T21:53:09Z")
I don’t know that I’d include it on any “all time great” lists, but it was a solid shooter. Actually ran a bit too long for my tastes. Pretty early in the game (second or third level, IIRC) you break into an ancient tomb that the Nazis are excavating, and fight a bunch of zombies. Which is cool, but then there’s a huge zombie-less stretch in the middle that’s just a regular WWII shooter. Good, but not as good as the contemporary WWII shooters of the day. They should have ratcheted up the supernatural aspect. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/5 "2009-02-26T21:58:56Z")
How about recommending an FPS for an old fart? ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/6 "2009-02-26T23:10:41Z")
Call of Duty II remains the gold standard as far as I’m concerned. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/7 "2009-02-26T23:45:56Z")
RtCW was good fun when I played it on the PC. Apart from the end mission - see spoiler for winning strategy. Circle strafe and you’ll win easily Edit: I actually remember playing the original original on the Apple ][+ ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/8 "2009-02-26T23:51:12Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > RtCW was good fun when I played it on the PC. Apart from the end mission - see spoiler for winning strategy. > > Circle strafe and you’ll win easily > > Edit: I actually remember playing the original original on the Apple ][+ Cool! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/9 "2009-02-27T00:01:25Z")
> [@BarnOwl](#): > > Does it have the same backround music as the original? I don’t think the original Castle Wolfenstein for the Apple had background music. It’s well made but it definitely shows its roots in the computer FPS’s of the late 90’s. At the time it was the only WWII based FPS and it was the one that opened the floodgates (Call of Duty wouldn’t follow for nearly two years after its release), but it’s corridors and linked chambers with few really open areas. There’s no feeling of military combat. On the other hand that means it doesn’t fall into the straight line paths linking paintball arenas designs of modern FPS either. I enjoyed it but I can’t call it brilliant (I couldn’t even on release); it’s just a solidly made FPS. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/10 "2009-02-27T01:54:20Z")
> [@Just\_Some\_Guy](#): > > I don’t think the original Castle Wolfenstein for the Apple had background music. I’m almost positive it didn’t. The computer ran on a 6502 - not very powerful. I remember that the programmers were very clever in getting the computer to say a reasonable facsimile of “You’re caught”. The Apple ][ speaker wasn’t much cop. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/11 "2009-02-27T02:20:14Z")
I _think_ the PC version I played had, as background - or suspenseful - music the Horst Wessel song. Here’s a version of the song. [http://video.google.com/videosearch?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=Horst+Wessel+song&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=wi6nSaaHKMH7tgekpen7Dw&sa=X&oi=video\_result\_group&resnum=4&ct=title#](http://video.google.com/videosearch?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=Horst+Wessel+song&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=wi6nSaaHKMH7tgekpen7Dw&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title#) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/12 "2009-02-27T02:32:41Z")
The song is definitely in Return to Castle Wolfenstein; it plays over radios that you run across at a few points in the game. It’s not really used as more than a sound effect, though. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/13 "2009-02-27T02:37:38Z")
> [@BarnOwl](#): > > I _think_ the PC version I played had, as background - or suspenseful - music the > Horst Wessel song. > > Here’s a version of the song. > > [http://video.google.com/videosearch?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=Horst+Wessel+song&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=wi6nSaaHKMH7tgekpen7Dw&sa=X&oi=video\_result\_group&resnum=4&ct=title#](http://video.google.com/videosearch?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=Horst+Wessel+song&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=wi6nSaaHKMH7tgekpen7Dw&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title#) Wasn’t that music coming out of a radio (one that could be easily silenced with a wide variety of weaponry)? [sub]how Marathon didn’t make the list in the OPs link, I’ll never know[/sub] on edit: beaten to it. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/14 "2009-02-27T04:31:53Z")
> [@drewbert](#): > > Wasn’t that music coming out of a radio (one that could be easily silenced with a wide variety of weaponry)? > > [sub]how Marathon didn’t make the list in the OPs link, I’ll never know[/sub] > > on edit: beaten to it. I’ll Google on it, drewbert, Thank you, and **Just Some Guy** for the musical confirmation. ---
**Author:** ![Nicolas\_Bourbaki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@Nicolas\_Bourbaki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicolas_Bourbaki)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/15 "2009-02-27T09:40:44Z")
There’s really nothing special about the single-player campaign. Even when it was released, there wasn’t much gameplay-wise that hadn’t been seen before; mind you, it was good-looking, fun, and there weren’t any missteps, but no set-piece or innovation people were still talking about six months after. (Oh wait. The flamethrower. Nvm.) The multiplayer mode, OTOH, is one of the all-time greats, still awesome crazy fun seven (eight?) years after its release. There’s people online, and it even runs on dialup. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/16 "2009-02-27T11:42:14Z")
I liked it back then, especially because of the Nazi/occult mishmash theme; worked really well together for me for some reason. If you give it a go and you enjoy it, the good thing is that you’ll enjoy it for quite some time, since it’s a rather long campaign for a FPS. However, there was one mission where you had to meet with some informant (an Italian? Or something?) who just more or less jumped out from behind some barrels or something – half the time, he got dead before I even consciously noticed what was happening. I had to redo that part a few times. ---
**Author:** ![Claptree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Claptree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claptree)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/17 "2009-02-27T12:10:48Z")
I enjoyed it quite a bit. In fact, I dusted it off only last year, and it’s still decent. The multiplayer, on the other hand, was excellent. Fast-paced, objective oriented, with well-balanced classes. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/18 "2009-02-27T13:51:48Z")
I’m gonna rent the **Return to…** game for a month. If I like it, I’ll buy it. BTW, maybe 6 or 7 months ago, I went to You Tube, found a version of the Horst Wessel song I liked and while I listened, I started reading the comments. They blew me away. We still have people in this country and around the world who literally adore Adolph Hitler and Nazism, and they weren’t shy about saying so. I haven’t checked if these moronic posts are still up. They went on and on for maybe 8-9 pages. Creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/19 "2009-02-27T16:01:18Z")
Personally, I love it. _Very_ atmospheric—almost cinematic—and wonderful _original_ music, to boot. And, a plus as always for me, it didn’t choke my ol’ warhorse Mac to try and play it. (Another plus, it was AVAILABLE for a Mac) ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563/20 "2009-02-27T19:37:06Z")
Single-player campaign: A solid shooter, simple and fun. The atmosphere was nice and creepy, old castles, zombies and such. Enemies and weapons were well-balanced. Multi: A bit simplistic when compared to CoD or BF1942, but for free you can’t beat the fun vs price ratio. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/487563.md?page=2)