After the release of Wolfenstein: The New Order by Swedish developers Machine Games last month, many gamers were genuinely taken aback by the quality and vision of the title. In light of it’s impressive critical reception, with an average of 80%, creative director Jens Matthies has spoken out during an interview with Giant Bomb, in regards to a potential follow up to the game,
“We would love to do a sequel. We have a very, very clear idea of what we accomplished with this, and what we want to accomplish with a sequel.”
The resurrection of cult classic PC titles has become a more than common occurrence in modern gaming, as many big name studios attempt to cash in on market nostalgia. Often, this has left long time fans of these regarded series’ burnt and understandably frustrated by the blemishes these instalments have left on franchises they have loved. As a prime example of this trend Thief, a popular classic stealth series on PC, was released back in February for most current platforms. The game was received poorly in terms of a follow on from the original series, and it’s negative reviews put many people off the game before it was even given a chance – more importantly, the floundering release left many Thief fans cringing, as the relaunch of the brand reflected unfavorably on its original parts.
Much to the same tone, the modern relaunch of Wolfenstein was met with a level of skepticism from the gaming community. Reviving titles that already boast their own dedicated following is difficult, even more so with a game credited with, in some large part, making the FPS genre what it is today. However, in spite of these glaring obstacles, Machine Games with Bethesda launched Wolfenstein: The New Order without the mass, overblown hype typical of AAA titles today, and proceeded to stun it’s audience with all of the sinister, gritty sci-fi atmosphere of the original, combined with all of the advancements and benefits modern titles enjoy.
This interview was not the first time Matthies has mentioned producing a sequel to Wolfenstein. During a Reddit AMA he states, “We have lots of ideas for a sequel and we’d love to do one“, however development of such a game is entirely dependent on the financial success of The New Order. Unfortunately for fans, the game’s creative director is giving up little on the studio’s vision for the sequel. Bethesda has yet to announce exact figures regarding sales, but I’ll certainly be holding my breath for a quality follow up.
