Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot is a first-person shooter video game developed by Arkane Lyon in conjunction with MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks. A spin-off in the Wolfenstein series, Cyberpilot is a virtual reality experience. The game was released for Windows PC and PlayStation 4 in July 2019. It received mixed or average reviews upon release.
| Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Arkane Lyon MachineGames |
| Publisher(s) | Bethesda Softworks |
| Series | Wolfenstein |
| Engine | id Tech 6[1] |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows PlayStation 4 |
| Release | July 26, 2019 |
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay
editUnlike previous entries, Cyberpilot is a virtual reality experience.[2] Cyberpilot is a side story that takes place chronologically a week prior to the events of Wolfenstein: Youngblood. Set twenty years after the events of The New Colossus, the protagonist is depicted as a computer hacker known as Cyberpilot who works for the French Resistance against the Nazi regime. Through hacking, the player character takes over hostile armored war machines and uses them against Nazi soldiers.[3] The game features four levels and three pilotable machines, including the Panzerhund, the Zitadelle, and a small drone for a stealth mission. During combat, players can occasionally deploy a shield to defend themselves.[4] In between missions, players can explore a Resistance bunker.[5]
Development
editCyberpilot was primarily developed by Arkane Studios in Lyon, with franchise developer MachineGames providing additional development. Arkane Lyon envisioned the game as a "different" kind of Wolfenstein game, and therefore, did not try to emulate the gameplay of the main games in the series.[6] The game was announced by publisher Bethesda Softworks during its press conference during E3 2018.[7] It was released on July 26, 2019 for Windows PC and PlayStation 4.[8]
Both Cyberpilot and Youngblood were the first in the franchise to make use of the "social adequacy clause" introduced by Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK; the German software ratings board) in August 2018, which allowed the use of Nazi imagery and symbols in video games in relevant scenarios, reviewed on a case-by-case basis.[9] Despite being officially rated by USK, major German retailers, such as MediaMarkt, Saturn, and GameStop, refused to sell the uncensored version, offering only the separately sold German version, which lacks all Nazi imagery and references and features German as the only language option.[9][10]
Reception
editThe game received generally "mixed or average" reviews upon release according to review aggregator Metacritic.[11][12]
The game's visuals and presentation received some praise.[5][13] Many critics criticized the combat for its simplicity and clunkiness, and remarked that firearms in the game lacked a sense of impact.[5][13] Critics were also disappointed by the game's thin narrative, feeling that they did not reach the standard set by previous Wolfenstein games.[14][5] Its short length and lack of replayability was also criticized.[5][13]
References
edit- ^ Arkane Lyon, MachineGames (2019). Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot (PlayStation 4). Bethesda Softworks. Scene: End credits.
Uses id Tech®. Copyright © 2011-2019 id Software LLC.
- ^ Silva, Marty (June 11, 2018). "E3 2018: Prey and Wolfenstein VR Experiences Revealed". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 2018-06-13.
- ^ Miucin, Filip (June 20, 2018). "E3 2018: Wolfenstein VR Leaves Out Everything We Love About the Series". IGN. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ Bishop, Sam (June 22, 2019). "Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot preview". Gamereactor. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Barbosa, Alessandro (August 5, 2019). "Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot Review - Falling Short". GameSpot. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ Lewis, Anne (July 25, 2019). "Everything you need to know about Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot, out tomorrow for PlayStation VR". PlayStation Blog. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ Conditt, Jessica (June 10, 2018). "'Wolfenstein Cyberpilot' takes the fight to VR". Engadget. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ Romano, Sal (March 27, 2019). "Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot launches July 26". Gematsu. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ a b Fröhlich, Petra (22 November 2019). "Wolfenstein 3D: Bundesprüfstelle hebt Indizierung auf" [Wolfenstein 3D: Federal Department lifts indexation]. GamesWirtschaft (in German).
- ^ Fröhlich, Petra (14 August 2019). "Wolfenstein Youngblood: MediaMarkt, Saturn und Gamestop boykottieren Originalversion" [Wolfenstein Youngblood: MediaMarkt, Saturn, and Gamestop boycott original version]. GamesWirtschaft (in German).
- ^ "Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot for PS4 reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ "Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot for PC reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ a b c Higton, Ian (July 28, 2019). "Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot - A VR spin-off with a lot of potential". Eurogamer. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ Riccio, Aaron (July 31, 2019). "Review: In Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot, Killing Nazis Is a Robotic Affair". Slant Magazine. Retrieved December 7, 2022.