5 Best Wolfenstein Games of All Time, Ranked

When you think back to the inception of the FPS genre, the Wolfenstein franchise should pop to mind. If it doesn't, Doom should come to mind; if neither does, we'll have to brush up on your video game knowledge. But what better way to do it than with the five best Wolfenstein games of all time, ranked. Which, in fact, is one of the oldest and longest-running, video game genres of all time, originally debuting in 1981.

We're no mathematicians, but that marks a 41-year-long stint in 2022. During this span, Wolfenstein released 13 complete game entries to its franchise. It's no doubt that Wolfenstein has been a monumental franchise, even hall of fame worthy. This isn't just credited to its long career, but also due to how much it's influenced and shaped the FPS genre. Without Wolfenstein, you probably wouldn't be playing some of your favorite titles like Call of Duty, or even Doom. With so much history and stature, it's time to see what the best Wolfenstein games of all time are.

5. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood

One of the only standalone releases in the Wolfenstein series came as a breath of fresh air. That is Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, which act's as a standalone prequel, after The New Order, and before The New Colossus. This time around the story wasn't the anchor, it was the gameplay. MachineGames went back to their roots with Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, by delivering a fast-paced, adventurous FPS that still incorporated stealth gameplay.

The arsenal of weaponry added to the fun, and we can't forget about our faithful Pipe. Which thanks to its multitool purpose has bailed us out more than once. What really capped off the game was its Wolfenstein 3D-inspired Nightmare Levels. This is not only a tribute to the game, but it's also a fantastic touch of nostalgia that allows us to reminisce with one of the franchise's original titles. Overall, the game was not flawless and had some faults, but it did return to its roots in more ways than one, which we ultimately appreciate.

4. Return To Castle Wolfenstein

After the release of Wolfenstein 3D and Spear of Destiny in 1992, the series ironically had a period of rest. The next game didn't come till nine years later in 2001 with Return to Castle Wolfenstein. The wait was certainly worth it, as the game brought the franchise back into the spotlight and set it in a great direction for future installments. Furthermore, the castle setting opened up a range of sci-fi possibilities for the game, which is unquestionably appropriate to the atmosphere.

To no surprise, the game utilized the sci-fi setting the best way possible – with its enemies. Instead of just getting into firefights with Nazis, you had a variety of enemies to combat, which played differently than most of the basic NPC fights. There were Zombies, Mechanical Dogs, Super Soldiers, and even that weird floating X-Creature, which for its time was pretty inventive. This combined with the strong level of design and narrative gave us a thorough Wolfenstein title for the first time in nearly a decade.

3. Wolfenstein 3D

It's time to brush up on your video game expertise with Wolfenstein 3D, our pick for the third-best Wolfenstein games of all time. Wolfenstein 3D was the first amongst a long list of important games that characterized the 3D FPS genre, inspiring other titles like Doom and Quake. Its release in 1992, completely changed how developers would look at FPS games. Wolfenstein 3D's approach was to make a fast-playing FPS with diverse levels that don't have just one path.

Instead of the boring and straightforward style of FPS at the time, Wolfenstein 3D brought an element of mystery to its FPS. Players actually have to explore, not sure when an enemy or ten would be hiding around the corner, or behind a door. It made players carefully consider their decisions, or be ready at a moment's notice. Which is now the bread and butter of FPS games like Call of Duty and Battlefield. Without Wolfenstein 3D, the FPS genre would probably look a lot different and play a lot different than it doe's today.

2. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, like Return to Castle Wolfenstein, succeeds by building on what already works. This time though, it was working off of Wolfenstein: The New Order, which was a fantastic game. That meant that following it up posed a challenge and exceeding it would be even more difficult. We can confidently say that The New Colossus met, and in some cases exceeded, our expectations from the prior game.

Everything in the game was broken down to a science, and in turn, was executed flawlessly. The levels felt fun and derailed at times, gunplay was fast and constant, and the story was an emotional rollercoaster with a satisfying ending. All around the game was an improvement from The New Order, evidently why it succeeded most players' expectations. We're not knocking the game by any means with this ranking and rightfully feel it could be justified as the best Wolfenstein game of all time – but the majority of the game's greatness is credited to its predecessor.

1. Wolfenstein: The New Order

Here you have it, Wolfenstein: The New Order is our pick for the best Wolfenstein Games of all time. We've previously said that the game deserves a lot of credit for influencing the subsequent title, but what precisely did it achieve that was so great? First, instead of being in the midst of WWII, The New Order set's you after it. In this alternate universe, the Nazis have won the war, completely changing the scope of the story.

MachineGames fully realized this concept, bringing it to life in The New Order. Right out of the gates you're submerged in an atmosphere that truly feels like the Axis won the war. This is further brought to life with characters' personalities and consequential narrative choices that kept the story in perpetual motion. Sure it was risky, but it ultimately succeeded with flying colors.

Then to wrap everything in a nice bow, you have customizable weapons and an engaging melee system that harnesses the feel of the original Wolfenstein games. Wolfenstein's greatness, across all its games, can be found in The New Order, and since it did it before The New Colossus, it takes the cake.

So, what's your take? Do you agree with our top five? What other Wolfenstein games do you feel should be in the top five? Let us know in the comments below or over on our socials here!