Wolfenstein 3D (1992: MS-DOS) – Review

Before reading my review, here are my criteria concerning review scores.

Ah, the legendary Wolfenstein 3D, one of the pioneers of the first-person-shooter genre that John Romero, John Carmack, and friends developed shortly after Catacomb 3D (1991: MS-DOS), which I will review in the future. Wolfenstein 3D itself has a sizable following with its budding modding scene and series of reboots during the 2000s and 2010s, those being Return to Castle Wolfenstein (2001: Windows), Wolfenstein (2009: Windows), Wolfenstein: The New Order (2014: Windows), Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (2015: Windows), and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (2017: Windows). As mentioned, I played Wolfenstein 3D via ECWolf (analogous to GZDoom). Finally, I will discuss the first three episodes of Wolfenstein 3D for this review. After this review, I will review Wolfenstein 3D: Nocturnal Missions (1992: MS-DOS) (Episodes 4, 5, and 6). Let us see how good Wolfenstein 3D is!

Gameplay – 60 points

Controls:

Of course, the first part of Wolfenstein 3D to discuss is the controls. Of course, Wolfenstein 3D, regardless of whether you play on MS-DOS (or DOSBox) or Windows (via ECWolf like I played with), has customized controls, so I will reveal the control scheme I used:

• W, A, S, and D are the movement and strafe keys (i.e., the D-pad on classic controllers). I want to mention that while I played regular levels, I used Turn Left as A and Turn Right as D. For the three bosses (Hans Grösse, Dr. Schabbs, and Adolf Hitler), I used Strafe Left as A and Strafe Right as D.
• Left-click on the Mouse to use your current weapon.
• The Number 1 uses the knife.
• The Number 2 uses the Pistol.
• The Number 3 uses the Machine Gun.
• The Number 4 uses the Chaingun.
• The Tilde key displays the Automap.
• The Tab key displays your status.
• The Escape key pauses Wolfenstein 3D.
• F1 allows you to access the Help Menu.
• F2 Saves your current state.
• F3 Loads any of your save states.

I will also display the MS-DOS and DOSBox controls (see below). However, the control scheme for Wolfenstein 3D is excellent. While it takes some time to get used to the Wolfenstein 3D Engine (I got used to Doom’s controls in two seconds), the controls are some of the best I have experienced in a first-person shooter. The controls are comfortable and feature zero input lag, which is unsurprising considering Wolfenstein 3D features Alfonso John Romero and John Carmack II in its staff.

My score for the Controls section is 12/12

Frame rate and Stability:

Wolfenstein 3D runs at 17 frames per second (with zero slowdown) when you play on DOSBox or the following operating systems:

• MS-DOS
• Windows 3.0
• Windows 3.1
• Windows 95
• Windows 98

Modern computers can run Wolfenstein 3D via ECWolf at 70hz with zero slowdown. A locked frame rate for first-person shooter games is essential, and Wolfenstein 3D plays differently at both frame rates. When playing Wolfenstein 3D at 17 frames, Wolfenstein 3D plays similarly to a stealth game, which is unsurprising considering the origins of the Wolfenstein franchise. I would be open to remakes of Castle Wolfenstein (1984: MS-DOS) and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein (1984: MS-DOS), two games I would like to review in the distant future. Anyway, playing Wolfenstein 3D at 70hz is more customary or desirable for fans of the first-person shooter genre. I hope your computer has no problems running a first-person shooter released not even three months after the Atlanta Falcons traded Brett Favre to the Green Bay Packers.

Wolfenstein 3D System Requirements | System Requirements

My score for the Frame rate and Stability section is 12/12

Polish:

Wolfenstein 3D is an exceptionally polished video game, which goes without saying. According to the Wolfenstein 3D Wiki, this game only has twenty glitches. Of course, there are limitations to the Wolfenstein 3D Engine since the engine is well over thirty years old! John Carmack’s immaculate programming is on display with Wolfenstein 3D, and most of the glitches or programming errors will not discourage 95% of Wolfenstein 3D players. However, be mindful of glitches related to the pushwalls since soft locking can result in an absolute mess.

Bugs and Glitches | Wolfenstein 3D Wiki | Fandom

My score for the Polish section is 11/12

Level, Game, and World Design:

Similarly to Doom (1993) and Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994: MS-DOS), Wolfenstein 3D is divided into several episodes. I will segment this portion similarly to my ActRaiser (1991: Super Nintendo Entertainment System), Doom (1993), and Doom II review:

Escape from Wolfenstein

Escape from Wolfenstein is a classic chapter in video game history that reestablishes the Wolfenstein franchise (remember the two games from the 1980s I mentioned above). Escape from Wolfenstein starts with the Nazis taking William J. Blazkowicz to the lowest level of Castle Wolfenstein and eventually killing a Nazi guard and taking his Pistol. The Level Design in Escape from Wolfenstein features classic Wolfenstein level design while establishing the franchise tropes excellently, including Nazis popping out of corners to surprise Blazkowicz or hiding until you open a door, with the latter appearing frequently throughout TNT: Evilution (1996: MS-DOS), and hidden secrets behind pushwalls.

Speaking of secrets, most of the secrets behind the pushwalls include Treasure the Nazis confiscated, which will award you points. Other secrets include weapons, ammunition, First Aid kits, Food, or a One Up. 40,000 points will reward you an extra life (with you being allocated nine lives at a time). You will also be rewarded points for killing Nazis and Mutants.

Here is an example of one of the numerous secrets discovered in Wolfenstein 3D. For this particular secret, you need to push this wall with the Adolf Hitler painting (which I did while taking this screenshot), which will move back and reveal secrets (which I collected all but one before taking the second screenshot).

Wolfenstein 3D, like Doom (1993) and Doom II, also features secret levels (the first is Floor 10). Floor 10 is one of my favorite levels in Wolfenstein 3D. Floor 10 is the first Wolfenstein level that fits the mazey trope the franchise is known for. The purple hue gives Floor 10 an eerie vibe that contrasts with the other levels (although the reds and blues are excellent in Wolfenstein 3D). The rest of Escape from Wolfenstein is Wolfenstein 3D at its finest. Excellent showcases of the Wolfenstein 3D Engine with its inclusion of pseudo-3D graphics, textured walls, patrolling enemies, and pseudo-stealth gameplay. Of course, secrets influenced future first-person shooters like Doom, Quake, Duke Nukem 3D, and Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (2015: Windows) (The Remaster). After you overpower Hans Grösse, your following mission is to defeat the Nazis’ army of Mutants (undead warriors) in:

Operation Eisenfaust

Operation Eisenfaust is the second episode of Wolfenstein 3D, and I consider it the weakest of the three episodes, although this episode is not atrocious. Anyway, Operation Eisenfaust is considerably more challenging than Escape from Wolfenstein due to the inclusion of the Mutants, which are more aggressive than the previously encountered Nazis (Guards and SS/Elite Guards). The level design in Operation Eisenfaust is considerably more maze-like than Escape from Wolfenstein, and the Mutants hide in discrete locations not too dissimilar from the Chaingunners in TNT: Evilution. Operation Eisenfaust makes excellent use of hub areas where Blazkowicz starts each level, making each level appear open-ended at first glance.

Floor 1 (E2) demonstrates this hub area concept satisfactorily, although the Mutants make this level uncomfortable for newer players. DO NOT forget the Machine Gun and Chaingun. Floor 2 (E2) is another challenging level featuring fewer Mutants but does not include many health items, so tread carefully in this level. Floor 3 (E2) is a breather level compared to the rest of Operation Eisenfaust in that it not only features a lower Mutant count but resembles the levels seen in Escape from Wolfenstein, with a focus on exploration and obtaining Treasures.

As I mentioned in the first paragraph of this section, the rest of Operation Eisenfaust is considerably more maze-like. While I experienced frustration with the second half of Operation Eisenfaust in particular, that was my fault since I am used to playing Doom games, and these maps made me realize that when playing Wolfenstein 3D, I have to learn to take my time and not play too hastily. Not to mention, Floors 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are enormous and feature numerous Mutants, meaning players should tread carefully even more so. After defeating Doctor Schabbs, your next mission is to assassinate Adolf Hitler (and what remains of the Third Reich) himself in:

Die, Führer, Die!

Yes, the final of the original three episodes of Wolfenstein 3D concludes with Blazkowicz assassinating Adolf Hiter, who has retreated to his bunker in Berlin. This glorious episode features the best level design of the classic Wolfenstein (3D) era with straightforward levels that emphasize all of the strengths of Escape from Wolfenstein and multiply them by eleven! Floors 1, 2, 3, and 4 resemble the levels appearing in Escape from Wolfenstein with straightforward gameplay and cleverly placed secrets. Floor 5 (E3) is where the challenge increases, although the last four floors are much fairer than the mutant-loaded floors of Operation Eisenfaust.

Die Führer, Die! makes excellent use of red, teal, blue, and gray to differentiate each level throughout this episode. Pillars separate rooms (seen during Floor 7 (E3), resembling levels seen in Doom II. Floor 8 (E3) includes an enormous maze, which is ironic considering Floor 10 (E3) in this episode is reminiscent of a level seen in the legendary Arcade game Pac-Man (1980: Arcades), with appearances from the Ghosts. While the levels in Die Führer, Die! feature secrets, the secrets in this episode are not nearly as ridiculous as those in Operation Eisenfaust. Interestingly, the levels in Die Führer, Die! resemble some levels that would appear in the early years of the Doom franchise.

After completing Floor 8 (E3), you arrive at Adolf Hitler’s bunker. First off, you will see a Fake Hitler with a flamethrower mounted to its chest. After defeating this puppet of the Führer, you will encounter several more Fake Hitlers and the remaining Nazis. Shortly after defeating these enemies, you will find a Key, which will unlock Hitler’s bunker and a showdown with the Führer and several Officers. I recommend defeating the Officers before even attempting to challenge Adolf. After killing the Officers, the surprisingly challenging showdown between Blazkowicz and Hitler commences! After the first phase, Blazkowicz destroys Hitler’s mechanical suit, and all that remains is the Führer himself. Blazkowicz assassinates Hitler with Blazkowicz’s heroic action ending World War II.

Overall, the first three episodes of Wolfenstein 3D have a fundamentally solid design that has stood the test of time. Although Operation Eisenfaust (Episode 2) has occasional hiccups and an overload of Mutants, I cannot deny the excellence of Episodes 1 and 3. Even Episode 2 has its merits (challenge, legitimately fascinating maze design), but it could have used some ironing out by Romero and friends.

My score for the Level, Game, and World Design is 11/12

Difficulty, Enemy AI, and Competitive Balance:

While not an elementary game, Wolfenstein 3D is what you make of it. Wolfenstein 3D incorporates four difficulty options, which are the following:

1. Can I play, Daddy? (The Easiest)
2. Don’t hurt me (Normal mode)
3. Bring ’em on! (Hard mode)
4. I am Death Incarnate! (The Hardest)

Bring ’em on is the default hard mode for Wolfenstein 3D, although it is not as challenging as Castlevania or Mega Man on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I will attempt I am Death Incarnate during my next playthrough. Overall, Wolfenstein 3D’s first three episodes are very balanced and give a reprieve, even when the situation looks rough. Secret areas away from Nazis and Mutants contain Health packs and ammunition. Wolfenstein 3D had state-of-the-art artificial intelligence for 1992 standards, but this artificial intelligence looks primitive compared to even DOS-era Doom. Other factors to consider while playing Wolfenstein 3D are the enemies do not infight like in Doom and try to keep your distance while fighting even regular Guards since their shots deal a shocking amount of damage compared to enemies in Doom.

Difficulty levels | Wolfenstein Wiki | Fandom

My score for the Difficulty, Enemy AI, and Competitive Balance is 12/12

The overall score for GAMEPLAY is 58/60

Story – 10 points

As expected, Wolfenstein 3D contains a rudimentary narrative. However, Wolfenstein’s overall background and lore add intrigue to the Wolfenstein franchise not expected for a classic first-person shooter. Technically speaking, the events of Wolfenstein 3D follow the events of Wolfenstein 3D: Nocturnal Missions, which I will review after this game. Anyway, as I mentioned previously, Wolfenstein 3D starts with the protagonist, William J. Blazkowicz, being captured by the Nazis and taken to the lowest level of Castle Wolfenstein. Shortly after, Blazkowicz kills the Nazi guarding his cell with his knife after pretending to share private information in return for medical attention. That in itself is pretty badass. Anyway, Blazkowicz takes the Nazi’s Pistol and fights his way through Castle Wolfenstein with Hans Grösse enforcing the protection of Castle Wolfenstein.

After killing Hans Grösse, Blazkowicz escapes from Castle Wolfenstein to no one’s surprise and follows up with thwarting Operation Eisenfaust. Operation Eisenfaust, the name of the second episode, tasks Blazkowicz with thwarting Dr. Schabbs’ plans of creating an army of zombie Mutants who Blazkowicz previously defeated in previous conflicts. Eventually, Blazkowicz endeavors through this onslaught and assassinates Dr. Schabbs.

After assassinating Dr. Schabbs, Blazkowicz eventually moves on to Berlin to assassinate Adolf Hitler himself, who moves to his bunker in Berlin. Technically speaking, assassinating Adolf Hitler is Blazkowicz’s final mission. After defeating Hitler’s elite forces, Blazkowicz enters Hitler’s floor and has to overpower not only Hitler himself but Hitler’s occult hellish powers manifested in the form of Fake Hitlers that spew fire at Blazkowicz. Eventually, after killing Hitler’s remaining forces and these Fake Hitlers, our hero encounters the Führer and several hidden Officers for his showdown. Eventually, the Officers and Hitler are defeated, and World War II ends.

Overall, the overarching story for Wolfenstein 3D is rudimentary, but it gets to the point quickly and does not bore the players, which always deserves praise. And, of course, I have to mention that technically speaking, William J. Blazkowicz is the great-grandfather of the Doomguy, as confirmed by Tom Hall, meaning all the lore within both franchises is connected. And yes, Commander Keen is part of this family tree (he is Doomguy’s father). Speaking of, I have to get around to playing Commander Keen soon.

The Apogee FAQ: Section [2.8.6.2]: What’s B. J. Blazkowicz’s relationship with Commander Keen?

The overall score for STORY is 7/10

Graphics – 10 points

As for the graphics, while younger players will think the graphics are crude or rudimentary, Wolfenstein 3D had graphics unlike anything preceding it. The sprite work is iconic, the animations and effects are excellent, and the environments give off a foreboding and ominous vibe that impresses me in 2024. Wolfenstein 3D uses the following colors excellently: red, blue, gray, brown, purple, and teal. I wish Wolfenstein 3D had something similar to the gorgeous skyboxes in the classic Doom games.

The overall score for GRAPHICS is 10/10

Music – 10 points

While the music in Wolfenstein 3D is not as iconic as Doom’s, Wolfenstein 3D has a classic soundtrack. Bobby Prince’s work for Wolfenstein 3D is fantastic and gives off a heroic vibe. Of course, most of the music in Wolfenstein 3D is like this (Get Them Before They Get You, The March to War, and The Ultimate Challenge are examples). However, some themes subdue the mood and make the environment depressed or isolated. Examples of such themes include:

• P.O.W. (prisoner of war)
• Wondering About My Loved Ones (the pause theme)
• Kill the S.O.B.
• Lurking…
• Enemy Around the Corner
• Twelfth Hour

These themes are stark reminders that you are an imprisoned American (United States) spy during World War II and that you only have yourself, your knife, and a few weapons as means of defense. The contrasting yet complementing styles within its soundtrack make the Wolfenstein 3D soundtrack an underrated classic.

The overall score for MUSIC is 10/10

Wolfenstein 3D Soundtrack – YouTube

Wolfenstein 3D Music Remastered – YouTube

Replay Value – 5 points

The all-important question is, is Wolfenstein 3D a fun game? Yes, of course it is! During my most recent playthrough of Wolfenstein 3D (this week!), I realized what makes Wolfenstein 3D so beloved by retro computer games. While it takes time to get used to the Wolfenstein 3D Engine when compared to games developed in the id Tech Engine (1 and 2) or the Build Engine, Wolfenstein 3D includes clever maze-like design and pseudo-stealthy gameplay that kept me on my toes the entire time (Nazis or Mutants popping out of a corner to surprise attack Blazkowicz). Wolfenstein 3D lacks multiplayer, but the modding scene and speed-running more than make up for it.

The overall score for REPLAY VALUE is 4/5

Bonus Content – 5 points

Wolfenstein 3D contains near-infinite Bonus Content due to easily accessible modding tools and downloadable mods playable on most computers. ECWolf and similar tools let players play Wolfenstein 3D on almost any computer without MS-DOS support. The only unfortunate thing about Wolfenstein 3D is that the game is not available on the current generation consoles (the Nintendo Switch, Sony PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X) and does not see nearly the support that classic Doom does.

The overall score for BONUS CONTENT is 5/5

My overall Score for Wolfenstein 3D (1992: MS-DOS) – 94% or an A

Overall, I enjoyed Wolfenstein 3D significantly more than I anticipated. While most gamers do not enjoy Wolfenstein 3D as much as classic Doom, you should not play Wolfenstein 3D should not like Doom or Duke Nukem. However, a stealthier approach should be employed while playing Wolfenstein 3D. While certain design oddities in Operation Eisenfaust irk me, those quirks do not deter me from this landmark title from John Romero and crew. Wolfenstein 3D is a game fans of the first-person shooter genre should play at least once. Wolfenstein and Doom should coexist even thirty-plus years later as the titans of the first-person shooter genre.

Links to keep in mind:

Wolfenstein 3D | Wolfenstein Wiki | Fandom

Wolfenstein 3D – Wikipedia

Wolfenstein 3D – The Doom Wiki at DoomWiki.org

Wolfenstein 3D – PCGamingWiki PCGW – bugs, fixes, crashes, mods, guides and improvements for every PC game

About – ECWolf

Wolfenstein 3D Windows, DOS game – ModDB

Nerdly Pleasures: How many FPS? – DOS Games and Framerates

Wolfenstein 3D engine | Wolfenstein 3D Wiki | Fandom

Wolfenstein 3D (1992)

Wolfenstein Resources