Wolfenstein is a venerated video game series full of inventive weaponry. In this alternate history, the Nazis became very technologically advanced and won the Second World War. The divergence from real-world technology allows developer MachineGames to give the player all sorts of different weapons to play around with. And with the game coming to Xbox Game Pass, now is the perfect time to try them all out.
MachineGames took on Wolfenstein’s legacy with 2014’s Wolfenstein: The New Order, filling it to the brim with a narrative depth that the series had never had. And while it was just the beginning for them, they managed to pack the game full of exciting guns and curious tools that the player wields throughout its engrossing story. While everyone is waiting for Wolfenstein 3, why not return to one of the best shooters in recent years?
10 Laser Cutter
The Laser Cutter introduces a new mechanic into Wolfenstein: The New Order. As the player explores, they’ll sometimes have to cut through sections with this Laser Cutter to progress. From there, this allows the developers to hide various secrets behind these cuttable sections, or create interesting puzzles.
Not only is the Laser Cutter not really useful as a weapon, but it also has an upgraded version later in this list that greatly improves it. While the Laser Cutter is an excellent Half-Life-esque change in pace, it isn’t actually useful against enemies. Imaginative and unique, but not great for taking down Nazis, it allows nice guy B.J. Blazcowicz to explore his quieter side.
9 Submachine Gun
A rugged and barebones weapon, the Submachine Gun (SMG) is by no means a slouch. With a large clip to hold a good amount of ammo, firing at a high rate, and doing reasonable damage, the SMG is an excellent all-rounder.
Even so, this weapon doesn’t exactly excel when compared to other, more interesting weapons. A lot of weapons on this list have specific situations in which they are vital, but the SMG just gets the job done. It’s not a large criticism, but the SMG is in no way essential to a player’s Wolfenstein journey.
8 Double-Barreled Shotgun
A similarly hardy weapon, the Double-Barreled Shotgun won’t actually be that useful to a player of Wolfenstein: The New Order, outside of a few select sequences. Luckily, those sequences are excellent and make using this shotgun a rare treat.
The first time the player can use it is in the asylum at the beginning. As the player fights through hordes of Nazis to find Anya, the gun makes taking them down not only easier but also much more explosive. The player can also find it in the sewers below the resistance base, during a small moment of relative quiet outside of the big main missions.
7 Tesla Grenade
The first weapon on this list that showcases The New Order’s inventive weaponry, the Tesla Grenade isn’t a battery-powered rechargeable grenade made by a millionaire with the last name Musk. No, the Tesla Grenade is an energy weapon that explodes with electricity, proving pretty effective against humans, but even more so against machines.
It’s hard to insist that the Tesla Grenade is anything other than an accessory, even if it is an excellent one at that. More useful in specific situations than a standard grenade, but no use without a big main weapon, the Tesla Grenade is great for what it is, but can’t compete with the big guns.
6 Assault Rifle
The first reimagined classic, the Assault Rifle (AR) in Wolfenstein: The New Order has a high fire rate, a decent magazine size, and a rocket launcher stuck to its barrel. It is a standard AR turned up to eleven, with a few rockets added on for good measure.
This translates excellently into most situations, as the AR is packed with so much that is incredibly versatile. The main weapon works well against almost any enemy, except for the armored ones. Luckily, if an enemy is armored, that’s where the big rockets come in. All in all, a great weapon for most situations, but not exactly mind-blowing in its features.
5 Knife
Some weapons can’t really be improved. In spite of all the technological advancements that the Nazis made to other weapons in this alternate history, they didn’t invent a new way of stabbing someone. While that may not be exciting, it does allow another simple and hardy weapon to stand out in this alternate world.
The knife is a bit of an unsung hero in Wolfenstein: The New Order, always there to get the player out of a sticky situation. It’s the one weapon that the player will always have on them, and also essential to stealth. In fact, due to the simple but excellent stealth in this game, the knife is elevated to surprising heights. A simple weapon, excellently implemented.
4 Handgun
There have been lots of great Handguns in video games, and while the Wolfenstein: The New Order Handgun won’t be taking the crown from its competitors, it is definitely a competitive entry into that list.
A simple but effective weapon, great for use against enemies in light armor, the Handgun is not only quick to use but can also use a suppressor, making it a great companion with the knife. Another excellent implementation of a simple weapon.
3 Automatic Shotgun
Shotguns are always great fun in any game, and they have some iconic iterations. From Doom to Bulletstorm, a Shotgun is a memorable weapon in any game, and that remains true in Wolfenstein: The New Order.
With two different ammo types, both doing big damage, the Automatic Shotgun is great at close range, up against many different types of enemy. If the player is in a super tight corridor (or maybe in a submarine…), they can change the shotgun’s ammo type to shrapnel, allowing bullets to ricochet off walls and take out even more Nazis.
2 AR Marksman
A weapon that really comes into its own later in the game, the AR Marksman is, at its core, a long-range weapon. It has a scope for getting a good look at the soon-to-be-dead Nazi from a distance, and delivers high damage, albeit at a low rate of fire.
Later in the game, however, the player can obtain a plasma fire mode, powered by a battery (similar to the LaserKraftWerk). While having to charge the thing up can be a pain in intense situations, this plasma fire mode encapsulates the wacky ride that Wolfenstein: The New Order takes the player on, being effective and fun in equal measure.
1 LaserKraftWerk
The greatest first-person games that involve shooting something all have a weapon that is deeply memorable. These weapons also come with excellent names, like the Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator, or gravity gun from Half-Life, or the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device, or portal gun from Portal, or the LaserKraftWerk, or LKW from Wolfenstein.
Not only does it have a great name, but it also adds inventive new gameplay elements to the game. With a laser fire mode great for taking down enemies’ armor, a laser cutter mode for finding tight routes through the many levels, and a load of upgrades for things like automatic recharge, it tries its hand at most things. It isn’t the most powerful, but it shines for its unique creativity in a genre that normally sticks to simple bullets.
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