Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot
- July 26, 2019
- Arkane Studios
- 2h median play time
Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot is a short shallow experience that doesn't do anything new and isn't required playing for fans of the series.
In "Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot," a VR game from MachineGames, players assume the role of a hacker in 1980s Paris, commandeering Nazi war machines to aid the French resistance. Gameplay involves wreaking havoc and destroying enemies, providing an action-packed experience in a richly detailed cyberpunk setting. The immersive VR perspective allows players to feel the power of operating intimidating military hardware while fighting against oppressive forces.
Reviews
- The game offers a fun and engaging experience, especially when piloting the different machines.
- The graphics, when adjusted properly, can be visually impressive and immersive.
- There is potential for replay value through higher difficulty settings and achievements.
- The game suffers from a low framerate, poor graphics quality, and frequent bugs, making it frustrating to play.
- It is extremely short, with most players completing it in under 2 hours, leading to a feeling of being ripped off at full price.
- The gameplay is repetitive and lacks depth, with many missions feeling tedious and uninspired.
- story100 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered minimal and underwhelming, lasting only about two hours and primarily serving as a backdrop for gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. Many players found the dialogue tedious and unskippable, with the missions often feeling repetitive and lacking creativity, particularly the drone stealth segments. While some appreciated the simple premise of piloting mechs, the overall execution left much to be desired, failing to engage players or add meaningful depth to the Wolfenstein universe.
“The story helps the pace along.”
“It has a simple story that can be finished in almost 2 hours, and with that, it's a fun game to pass time while piloting mechs.”
“There is a good story to it to make you feel like you are doing something.”
“The game does have a story to go along with it, but it's very limited.”
“If I was a fan of the series, then maybe I would have more invested in the game, but as an outsider, the game is simply not compelling, either on its own, or as a side story into the Wolfenstein world.”
“But this comes in under 2 hours, and over half an hour of it is boring dialogue scenes and minor, rudimentary VR interaction experiences that don't even develop the story, and are unskippable while you wait for the actual levels to begin.”
- graphics86 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant issues such as low resolution, blurriness, and graphical glitches, even on high settings. While some users appreciate the visuals and find them decent after adjusting settings, others criticize them as sub-par and lacking clarity compared to other engines. Overall, the consensus suggests that while there are moments of impressive graphics, the technical execution leaves much to be desired.
“The graphics for this game are pretty sweet, but there's some issues with this game that I couldn't ignore.”
“The graphics are pretty good, pretty much on par with what you would expect from a Wolfenstein game.”
“The combat is fantastic and fun, the graphics are great, and the game is designed in such a way that it feels extremely real.”
“Graphics look low res on the ultra graphics settings.”
“The graphics are also extremely fuzzy, to the point where you can't make out an object a few feet in front of you well.”
“Its garbage, graphics are pathetic and blurry even when put into ultra mode (settings don't work, they're buggy), I'm running this with a Samsung Odyssey + and Nvidia 1060, fine with any other game except this one.”
- gameplay61 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the creative mechanics and fun moments, while others criticize it for being repetitive, shallow, and plagued by technical issues like motion sickness and crashes. Many found the missions to be uninspired and overly simplistic, leading to a lack of engagement, especially given the short playtime and high price point. Overall, while there are enjoyable elements, the gameplay is often described as average or disappointing, failing to meet expectations set by its renowned developers.
“What I do like is that none of the game mechanics are excessively reused, nor does it ever get boring.”
“There was creative, entertaining, and thoughtful design put into this, and I can say that the gameplay is fun and rewarding.”
“The gameplay is straightforward, kind of arcadey and on a rail, but I had a great time.”
“I wouldn't mind if it was some kind of fan-made and free game, but it costs $19.99 for about 1-1.5 hours of gameplay, and it was made by renowned companies.”
“Everything is blurry from 5 feet away, which gives me a splitting headache and motion sickness. The gameplay is boring, and enemies are way too easy to kill with bad AI. It's very short and doesn't justify the price tag.”
“The gameplay is very repetitive and unsatisfying; killing enemies isn't very hard, and the animations and lack of any sound leave something to be desired.”
- optimization23 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game appears to be inconsistent, with some users experiencing significant stuttering and performance issues, particularly in VR, leading to discomfort and motion sickness. Others report smooth gameplay on higher settings, suggesting that performance may vary based on individual hardware configurations. Overall, while some players find it playable, many recommend caution due to the prevalent optimization problems.
“I can't speak for others' performance issues, but the game runs buttery smooth for me on ultra settings @60fps.”
“On high, they look a lot better, and I did not suffer any of the performance problems some of the other reviewers here are describing, and I have only a mid-range VR system.”
“Between the solid performance level and the fluid controls, this is Bethesda’s best excursion into virtual reality.”
“Even then, the performance leaves a bit to be desired, and in VR, poor performance means motion sickness.”
“I also had lots of stuttering in my Rift S (which doesn't come across in my video), and no matter what settings I tried, I still had stutter.”
“Seems like a fun VR game with some 'mechanic sim' type parts as well as some good mech combat, but I can't recommend it right now due to the unplayable stuttering.”
- stability14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting severe graphical glitches, stuttering, and crashes, regardless of their high-end hardware setups. While some players experience smooth performance, the overall consensus highlights significant bugs and performance issues that detract from the gaming experience.
“It runs great for me, 8700k & 1070ti.”
“The game is incredibly buggy.”
“Game stutters, hangs, crashes and is basically a buggy mess... I've got an RTX 2080, 32GB of RAM, i7 9700K and am running it off of an NVMe drive... how is it struggling?”
“Its garbage, graphics are pathetic and blurry even when put into ultra mode (settings don't work, they're buggy), I'm running this with a Samsung Odyssey + and NVIDIA 1060, fine with any other game except this one.”
- grinding13 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 85 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding in the game to be excessively tedious, with repetitive tasks such as fixing devices, swapping fuses, and flipping switches detracting from the overall experience. Many reviewers express frustration over the lack of engaging content, suggesting that the grinding mechanics overshadow the potential for a more immersive gameplay experience.
“However, I didn't find a way to reset my position to a seated level, and ended up with my head in my chest during the particularly tedious sections.”
“What could have been a perfect way of getting a different perspective on Wolfenstein’s world is actually a tedious action game with a severe lack of content and none of what makes the series great.”
“There's a part where you tediously flip switches, move joysticks and levers, and push ridiculously large red buttons.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -17 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for its low replayability, primarily due to its short length, lack of variety, and uninspired gameplay elements. Many players find it offers little incentive to revisit, with repetitive missions and simplistic AI contributing to a dull experience.
“If you're looking for replay value, you'll definitely find it here.”
“The game offers a wealth of replayability that keeps you coming back for more.”
“Each playthrough feels fresh, making it easy to dive back in for another round.”
“However, given how short the game is and the lack of replayability, it's hard to recommend.”
“[Extremely short, no replay value, boring padding between missions, brain-dead AI.]”
“[Very short game with little replayability, lack of variety, dumb AI, doesn't build on its ideas too much.]”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong emotional response to the game, with some experiencing significant discomfort and nausea, even those accustomed to VR. This intense physical reaction highlights the game's ability to evoke powerful feelings, albeit in a negative way, leading to a unique but challenging experience.
“I'm not a VR novice, but this was the only game that made me feel that way.”
“The first and only VR title that made me feel so sick I had to lay down after playing it.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization approach by Bethesda has been met with skepticism, as many users feel it was unnecessary and appeared questionable; however, some believe that the investment in VR development was not merely a cash grab.
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers consistently praise the game's atmosphere, highlighting its impressive immersion and the engaging premise of interacting with robots, which enhances the overall experience.
“The premise of handling robots was cool, and they did an amazing job on the immersion and atmosphere.”
- music2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is characterized by a cyber-inspired soundscape, blending electronic elements that enhance the overall atmosphere and immersion. Players appreciate the futuristic vibe that complements the game's themes and settings.
“The cyber music in this game creates an immersive atmosphere that perfectly complements the futuristic setting.”
“I love how the cyber music enhances the gameplay experience, making every moment feel more intense and engaging.”
“The soundtrack features an incredible blend of electronic beats and ambient sounds that truly captures the essence of the game.”
Critic Reviews
Wolfenstein Cyberpilot Review
Aside from some brief fun to be had with the three machines, Wolfenstein Cyberpilot is hugely disappointing. What could have been a perfect way of getting a different perspective on Wolfenstein’s world is actually a tedious action game with a severe lack of content and none of what makes the series great.
40%Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot Review – A Dressed-Up Tech Demo
There is some fun to be had piloting the robots in Cyberpilot, but the mission brevity and padding really dampens the experience and steals away control right as you’re settling into a groove. There are worse ways to spend a few hours of your day, but there are much better ones too.
50%Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot Review
A brief, but memorable experience is at the core of Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot. Downright stunning environments serve as a backdrop to exploring the streets of 80s infused France. Between the solid performance level and the fluid controls, this is Bethesda’s best excursion into virtual reality. Given how well the title succeeds at pretty much everything it sets out to do, we hope that this is step one to a fully fledged Wolfenstein VR title down the road.
70%