An alternative approach is to offset rote gameplay with a barrage of shocking narrative moments – see every Call of Duty game since Modern Warfare 2. It’s only during moments that subvert the usual gameplay mechanics that moments become memorable – think of Modern Warfare’s stealth-centric “All Ghillied Up” mission or commanding the AC-130 gunship in “Death From Above”.

Since then, narrative-driven FPS titles have boomed but sadly most of these games live up to the “corridor shooter” moniker, reliant on funnelling players to direct their attention, enemies popping up ahead of them increasingly greater numbers, turning the game into an elaborate shooting gallery with no room to manoeuvre. Medal of Honour and Call of Duty games, love them or hate them, pioneered spectacular campaigns filled with exciting (albeit increasingly clichéd) scenarios. More often than not, developers pick a priority and narrative suffers in servive of gameplay, or vice versa. It’s not that other first-person shooters haven’t pushed narrative in the last decade, most now provide interesting stories and some spectacular set-pieces, it’s just that they’re often poorly written (pacing issues, inconsistent logic, plotholes) or let down by awkward animation and bad voice acting. Every level in 2014s Wolfenstein: The New Order made an impression on me, not just because the environment and shooting mechanics were perfectly tailored for each other, but because there was a great narrative that linked these encounters together and provided context for my actions. Three years on, with the sequel launching tomorrow, I can still recall every location, the weapons, intense firefights, the protagonists, the villains, and their interactions. What struck me most about MachineGames take on the Wolfenstein IP was how I enjoyed the gunplay and the narrative in equal measure.

Wolfenstein the new order voice actors