From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action


I've often wondered why we've never seen a 'proper' sequel to the
original "Castle Wolfenstein" games that released on the old 8-bit
systems. When Id Software updated the franchise --starting with
"Wolfenstein 3D" in 1991-- they turned it into a first-person shooter
and the series has never looked back. But those original games were
top-down games where stealth was as important as a fast
trigger-finger. And while I've no problem with the Id games, it's
always surprised me that nobody --whether Id or the fans-- have ever
tried to recreate the original games.

Well, we're still not there yet but with the release of Isowulf we're
one step closer. Isowulf is a top-down (isometric_ recreation of
"Wolfenstein 3D". The visuals and gameplay are pure Id Software (it
uses the original Wolf3D maps and assets) so it's not quite the
"Castle Wolfenstein Remaster" of my dreams... but it's getting closer.

Available here:
https://www.moddb.com/mods/isowulf
Video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nnkyLKgXIE



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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

Yeah, I always wanted to see a recreation of the original Wolfenstein
games even in FPS with stealth, hiding bodies, etc. Maybe those exist in
the newer games? I stopped at Return to Castle Wolfenstein.


Spalls Hurgenson <[email protected]> wrote:

I've often wondered why we've never seen a 'proper' sequel to the
original "Castle Wolfenstein" games that released on the old 8-bit
systems. When Id Software updated the franchise --starting with
"Wolfenstein 3D" in 1991-- they turned it into a first-person shooter
and the series has never looked back. But those original games were
top-down games where stealth was as important as a fast
trigger-finger. And while I've no problem with the Id games, it's
always surprised me that nobody --whether Id or the fans-- have ever
tried to recreate the original games.

Well, we're still not there yet but with the release of Isowulf we're
one step closer. Isowulf is a top-down (isometric_ recreation of
"Wolfenstein 3D". The visuals and gameplay are pure Id Software (it
uses the original Wolf3D maps and assets) so it's not quite the
"Castle Wolfenstein Remaster" of my dreams... but it's getting closer.

Available here:
https://www.moddb.com/mods/isowulf
Video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nnkyLKgXIE

--
"As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things." --Ecclesiastes 11:5. Slammy week so far. :(
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/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

On Fri, 15 May 2026 15:57:23 -0000 (UTC), [email protected] (Ant) said
this thing:

Spalls Hurgenson <[email protected]> wrote:

Well, we're still not there yet but with the release of Isowulf we're
one step closer. Isowulf is a top-down (isometric_ recreation of
"Wolfenstein 3D". The visuals and gameplay are pure Id Software (it
uses the original Wolf3D maps and assets) so it's not quite the
"Castle Wolfenstein Remaster" of my dreams... but it's getting closer.
Available here:
https://www.moddb.com/mods/isowulf

Yeah, I always wanted to see a recreation of the original Wolfenstein
games even in FPS with stealth, hiding bodies, etc. Maybe those exist in
the newer games? I stopped at Return to Castle Wolfenstein.

They pay homage to the idea in the nu-Wolf games (developed by Machine
Games; "Wolfenstein: New Colossus", "Wolfenstein: New Order",
"Wolfenstein: Youngblood"), but it doesn't really play too much of an
actual role in gameplay. Story-wise, there are moments when
protagonist BJ Blaczkowicz pretends to be a Nazi to sneak past guards,
but the ruse always falls apart pretty quickly when the action starts.

There is some stealthing, but it's fairly optional; mostly it's
staying out of sight long enough to kill the commanders that can spawn
in new soldiers. If you stay to the shadows, you can often pick them
off before the alarm sounds, which makes things a bit easier. But the
stealth mechanic is fairly simplistic, and if you fuck up you just run
around like a madman and kill everything in a mad hail of gunfire. And
the commanders are an infrequent enemy anyway; it's not like they're
in every level.

The original "Castle Wolfenstein" games were more like a prototype of
the Hitman games, where you'd do your best to kill the soldiers not
seen by any other enemies, and then steal their gear to blend in with
the other stooges. The ultimate goal was to find the secret plans (or
kill Hitler, in the second game) and then escape with a minimum of
conflict. With post-Wolf3D, it was all about the shooting
first-and-foremost.

Which, again, is perfectly fine. I like all the Wolfenstein games, to
one degree or another. But given the franchise's history and the
recent popularity of stealth, it always struck me as odd that the
originals never saw a real remake.

Historical side note: "Castle Wolfenstein" was also one of the first
games to feature a fan-made mod for a commercial game: "Castle
Smurfenstein" (which turned the Nazis into Smurfs).


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