by Libe Goad

PLATFORM: PC

PUBLISHER: Activision

DEVELOPER: Gray Matter

GENRE: First-person shooter

ESRB: Mature

Some game scientists believe all first-person shooters evolved from an ancient single-celled amoeba of a game titled Wolfenstein 3D.

The shareware classic was probably the first serious video game most of us played. After all, in what other game could you move around a maze-like 3D castle, shooting Nazis and collecting gold on your old 486? As American GI B.J. Blazkowicz, you were trapped behind enemy lines and had to fight guards, dogs and giant bosses who shouted Guten Tag! as they mowed you down. There was no strafing, no ducking or jumping and no fancy keyboard-mouse controls. Just you, four arrow keys and your wits.

Wolfenstein 3D is now a gaming relic, but important to remember because it was the precursor for Doom and Quake, which, in turn, bred a slew of first-person shooters that revolutionized the game world.

After years of rumors, Wolfenstein has been revamped and re-released as a modern first-person shooter. This version bears little resemblance to the original, but the name alone is enough to draw in fans. Good thing, too, since Activision's Return to Castle Wolfenstein is a solid game, both single-player and online.

The game combines the same elements of WWII combat and occult experiments as the original. In fact, you start off in almost exactly the same situation as in the original game--alone, in a cell deep within a Nazi castle and armed only with a knife.

From there, the story mushrooms to include zombies, mad scientists and hoards of evil-looking Nazis. The new version of the game also takes you outside of the titular castle. You'll spend time in catacombs, quaint German villages and other interesting locals. All are nicely detailed but are largely linear.

Graphics are on par with other modern shooters, and the environments, while mostly indoor, do include a few massive outdoor areas. Character animations are well executed, with guards and soldiers in the background conversing casually and performing a variety of mundane actions.

So many stealth-heavy, thinking-person's games, like the Thief series or Metal Gear Solid, are on the market today, that a traditional aggressive shooter is almost disconcerting. Our modern gaming instincts have been trained by games that require us to to sneak around and avoid combat, so be prepared--Return to Castle Wolfenstein is a classic frontal assault game. That's not to say you won't need to use your head. A few enemies that can be taken out on the sly, but for the most part, stealth is not an option. The guards will see you right away, and even call for help.

During the game, you'll receive assistance from other characters, but interaction is generally limited to following them around and listening to them spout helpful information. Return to Castle Wolfenstein is also littered with the same hidden areas and treasure that sent gamers scouring the halls of the original Castle Wolfenstein a decade ago. Too bad they add little to the game and are still a chore to collect.

The multiplayer mode will be a big draw for many people, and the variety of game types skew away from the traditional deathmatch. You can choose one of several character classes, from soldier to medic, and you often have to work within a team to accomplish your goals. Sadly, this is WWII, not today's modern army, so game gals who want to "be all they can be" as a female soldier will have to download homemade skins or settle for being one of the boys.

In todays politically correct, post-Saving-Private-Ryan world, is an old-fashioned guns-blazing WWII game what the modern game gal is looking for? If you're a die-hard FPS fan, and tired of Unreal Tournament or Quake III, than yes. If you're looking for a story-driven game like Half-Life, or a realistic combat game, then you'll find Return to Castle Wolfenstein somewhat thin.