missed opportunity when you consider
how satisfying Corvo’s sneaky antics
were in Dishonored.
If you’re looking for a moment to
rival New Order’s bewitching game
of cards with Frau Engel or that
decapitation from New Colossus,
Youngblood is going to disappoint. Yet
while it may be lacking in set-piece
spectacle, it at least serves up a
heaping plate of content. Daily and
weekly challenges can be taken from
NPC allies in the game’s subterranean
hub, not to mention a healthy (if
samey) array of side-missions.
As a budget, somewhat
unambitious retooling of the
Wolfenstein engine, Youngblood offers
impactful shootouts that showcase
some truly brilliant guns. Yet by aiming
for co-op grind, this offshoot loses the
charm of BJ’s blasters. A slight misfire,
then, but the sisterly slaughter on
display still has its moments. QOXM VERDICT
A serviceable
spin-off that lacks
the charm and
craft of proper
Wolfenstein.6
LEFT The game’s
axe is super
deadly. A swift
throw will down
most Nazis.
BELOW In a cute
touch, the
original
Wolfenstein is
playable in the
sewer hideout.The deluxe edition comes with a ‘Buddy Pass’ that can be gifted to another player to let them play for freeTHE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 075REVIEW
an AI partner, it’s pretty damning the
experience mostly feels the same
online or off. Obviously playing with
an actual fleshy human by your side
is more fun. Still, so adept is the AI
at revives, not to mention the fact it
automatically warps to your location
to help out with switch puzzles, that
you honestly don’t miss out on much
playing Youngblood solo.
Pistole whipped
Predictably, this shooter’s biggest
saving grace is its arsenal. Guns are
still fabulous fun to fire. Whether
you’re blasting away Nazi officers
or taking down hulking cybernetic
monstrosities, the twins’ array of
firearms can always be relied upon to
deliver pad-shaking fury. Fire searing
rays courtesy of the Laserkraftwerk
as you melt iron doors in an instant.
Silently cap patrolling guards with the
slick Pistole. Turn a Nazi’s cranium
into an exploding, freedom-hating
pinata with the Kugelgewehr shotgun.
The tight, punchy, satisfying design
of Youngblood’s firearms constantly
serves to elevate the otherwise far too
samey action.
It really is too grindy, sadly.
Revisiting the same underground lab
or stronghold to pick up a new audio
diary or rescue a fellow freedom
fighter during a side-quest quickly
gets old. It doesn’t help that even
on the ‘easiest’ difficulty setting, the
aggressiveness of the AI can make
encounters exhausting. At times you’ll
get pelted by gunfire from so many
directions, as droids attack from the
sky and grenades explode all around
you, it can feel like the entire screen
is exploding. With the odd stingy
checkpoint during the game’s five
main story missions – this is a budget
title, remember – replaying these
hectic shootouts can quickly get old.
Stealth isn’t nearly as effective
as in Blaz’s games, either. It’s ironic,
seeing as Jess and Soph have a
dedicated Predator-style cloaking
system built into their suits. Trouble is,
this cloak runs out of juice in seconds,
meaning it’s only good for taking out
the first enemy in an area before all
of his pals swarm your position.
Interior environments which
are often just too narrow for a
considered, stealthy approach
don’t help. It feels like such aSKILL TREE
OF LIFE
This being yet another
2019 sandbox
shooter, it would just
be plain rude if
Youngblood didn’t
include skill tree
perks. Whichever
sister you plump for
can be made that
much more formidable
by spending the XP
you grind from
missions and
side-quests on
improved armour and
longer lasting
abilities. Certain perks
increase the duration
of the cloaking
system, while others
unlock a devastating
crush attack. Abilities
branch into three
categories – Mind,
Muscle and Power- and it’s a good idea
to invest in each tree
to make your mini Blaz
as well rounded a
fighter as possible.
“Obviously
playing with an
actual fleshy
human by your
side is more fun”