Return to Castle Wolfenstein is a first person shooter video game published by Activision and originally released on November 19, 2001 for Windows. The single player game was developed by Gray Matter Interactive and Nerve Software developed its multiplayer mode. Id Software, the creators of the original game entitled Wolfenstein 3D, oversaw the development of the game and were credited as executive producers. The multiplayer side, developed by Nerve Software eventually became the most popular part of the game, and it was influential in the genre. Splash Damage, an independently-owned game developer in London, created some of the maps for the Game of the Year edition. A sequel, titled Wolfenstein, was released on August 18, 2009.
Multiplayer
Wolf MP is an objective game mode, in which both the Axis and Allies have a series of objectives to complete to win the round, with one team's objectives normally preventing the other team from completing their objectives. There are primary and secondary objectives. Primary objectives have to be achieved to win the round, where secondary objectives don't necessarily need to be achieved, but can aid in certain ways in completing primary objectives. Primary objectives include blowing something up, or escaping with the documents, and secondary objectives include capturing flag/spawn points. As far as the classes are concerned, medics can leave medic packs to heal comrades, but can run out of ammunition quickly. Lieutenants can provide packs of ammo, as well as calling for air strikes, but need a medic to stay alive. Engineers are able to blow up walls using dynamite.
Wolf MP - Stock or "Vanilla" Wolf calls for one round of offense and defense per team, per map. Each team gets a certain amount of time to complete the map's objectives. A few maps are dual-objective, and instead of time being the variable, whoever completed the given task first, wins.
Wolf SW (Stopwatch) was the main competitive game type for RtCW, each team would attack twice and defend twice on a map � where team A would attack and set a time or not set a time, known as a "Full Hold", then team B would attack and have to beat that time to score a point. If they did not beat the time then team A were awarded the point, the only other outcome was if neither team set a time, known as a "Double Full Hold", neither team scored a point. Games were played over two maps and each map would be played ABBA, so each team got to go first at setting a time on each map.
Wolf CP is a checkpoint mode, the objective is to take control of the flags that are in various locations around the map, the first team to control all these flags simultaneously will win the round.
Developement
The game is powered by a heavily-modified version of the Quake III: Team Arena engine. The Return to Castle Wolfenstein engine was subsequently used as the foundation for Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory (Splash Damage/Activision), "Trinity" (Gray Matter Interactive/Activision) (shown at E3 in 2004, but canceled shortly after) and Call of Duty (Infinity Ward/Activision).
There are many different versions of "Wolf". The original release, version 1.0, came in a game box featuring a book-like flap. The Game of the Year Edition (2002 - v.1.3) came with the original Wolfenstein 3D, game demos, and several new multiplayer maps (including "Ice", "Tram", "Keep" and "Trenchtoast"). The Collector's Edition (2003 - v.1.33) came in a metal case and was packaged with promotional materials, including a poster and fabric patch. The Platinum Edition (2004 - v.1.41) included Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, a stand-alone expansion, and Wolfenstein 3D.
Throughout the evolution of the multiplayer game, various modifications and custom scripts were written for it, allowing for true, console in-game changes. "Degeneration", "shrubmod" and "banimod" were popular modifications, and custom maps were still being released 5 years after its inception. Initially, the multiplayer was criticized for heavy defensive weaponry, and one-sided maps. However, it was quickly determined by clans that the proper usage of the various classes of character dictated victory. Medics could revive a fallen comrade (before he was "gibbed", or made un-revivable), and engineers could set dynamite to blow up objectives. Still, the game was essentially a submachine gun war, with 90% of the players possessing either an MP-40 or a Thompson; almost equal in ability.[citation needed]
Another mod for RtCW though was OSP which was used in all the major LAN (Local Area Network) events around the world. From Quakecon to the more recent and most likely the last RtCW LAN, CPC2, all used OSP as the competition's mod, mainly due to the control given to teams and admins during the games play � it also removed less competitive variants that other mods included like the poison needle, damaging someone when landing on them and custom modifications that were normally found on most servers with a different mod. OSP is considered a more realistic and at the same time simple mod that lets players get straight into the game and improve their aim and tactical approach which in turn leads to higher competition between teams.
A Return to Castle Wolfenstein film was announced in 2002 with Rob Cohen of xXx attached to direct. Little information has been available since, however, with the exception of a July 20, 2005 IGN interview. The interview discussed the Return to Castle Wolfenstein film with id employees. In the interview, Todd Hollenshead indicated that the movie was in the works, though still in the early stages.
Film
On August 3, 2007, GameSpot reported that Variety confirmed Return to Castle Wolfenstein and that the writer/producer team that was involved with Silent Hill will be involved with the Wolfenstein project. The movie will be written and directed by Roger Avary and Samuel Hadida is the producer. Roger Avary was arrested in January 2008 for DUI and manslaughter after a friend of his died in a car accident while Avary was at the wheel. No news has yet emerged about Avary's involvement with this project.
