Wolfenstein II - The Deeds of Captain Wilkins (DLC) cut

This is a single-player FPS DLC, part three of the Freedom Chronicles trilogy bolted onto Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. You play as Captain Gerald Wilkins, a weathered Army veteran pulled out of hiding to stop Operation Black Sun, a Nazi super-weapon called the Sonnengewehr (Sun Gun) somewhere in Alaska. It clocks in at roughly two hours on a normal run, maybe three if you hunt collectibles across the three volumes. That's it. Budget your expectations accordingly. On the gunplay side, this is still MachineGames' engine doing its thing, and that engine is genuinely good. The weapons feel weighty, the time-to-kill is punchy, and the moment-to-moment combat loop of clearing rooms full of Nazi soldiers, elite troopers, and armored heavies holds up fine. Wilkins' perk set is actually the most forgiving of the three DLC characters: his Overcharge meter does not drain until he takes a hit, and killing enemies refills health, which turns aggressive play into a sustain loop on most difficulties. There is also a slow-motion weapon-wheel swap and reduced damage from laser weapons in exchange for stunning mechs before finishing them. None of this is complicated, but it keeps the combat rhythm moving. The problem is everything surrounding it. The signature gadget here is the Kampfwanderer, which are extendable Battle Walker stilts. On paper, verticality sounds interesting. In practice, the stilts offer zero tactical advantage in combat, break stealth entirely because enemies spot you instantly at full extension, and become actively frustrating in the DLC's many underground tunnels and corridors where they are basically useless. No new weapons are introduced, no new enemy types show up, and the level design is exactly what you have already seen in the base game: supply depots, U-Boats, narrow hallways. The Alaska setting promises open snow-covered terrain and delivers none of it. There is no boss fight anywhere in the three volumes, which is a real mechanical gap for a three-episode story arc. Where Wilkins edges out the prior DLC characters is personality. The banter between Wilkins, his old army buddy Cross, and the mysterious Jenny is the best dialogue writing across the entire Freedom Chronicles run. The comic-panel cutscenes are sharper here too, with actual character interaction rather than one person talking to themselves. The story has a mid-point twist that is heavily telegraphed but still lands emotionally better than the anticlimactic endings of Episodes 1 and 2. Completing each volume also unlocks a scored combat-arena challenge on up to Mein Leben difficulty with online leaderboards, which is a thin but real reason to revisit if you like chasing points. Bottom line for someone asking whether to buy this standalone: the Freedom Chronicles Season Pass as a whole has been a step down from the base game, and Wilkins is the best of the three DLCs while also being the most mechanically hollow. If you already own it through the season pass, play it. The gunplay is still there. If you are buying it cold in 2025, you need to genuinely love the base game's combat loop and be fine with zero surprises.

Fred · Scout Team

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