Ahead Of Wolfenstein 2's Release, Explore The History Of Wolfenstein

It's not often thought of in these terms, but Wolfenstein is one of gaming's oldest active franchises. Its origins go back more than 35 years, when it started out as a rudimentary top-down action game. But it wasn't until 1992, when Wolfenstein 3D was released, that it truly rose to prominence.

In our latest "History Of" episode, GameSpot's Jean-Luc explores the entire Wolfenstein series, which--with the upcoming release of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus--now spans more than eight games, depending on how you count them. None of these have been as impactful as Wolfenstein 3D, which effectively established the first-person shooter genre, leveraging experiments with 3D graphics conducted by legendary designer John Carmack. But the contributions of Silas Warner--an early game developer who designed the original Castle Wolfenstein--should not be forgotten, as outlined in the video.

Despite the post-Wolfenstein 3D years seeing the series focus almost exclusively on single-player first-person shooters, there have been some offshoots. Most notably, there's Wolfenstein RPG (a twist on Wolfenstein 3D) and Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory (a free multiplayer spin-off).

Wolfenstein II releases on October 27 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One--it's just one of multiple big game releases this week. With open, real-world support of Nazis seemingly on the rise, publisher Bethesda has not shied away from the anti-Nazi imagery and message that has long underpinned the entire series. For more, check out our roundup of everything you need to know about Wolfenstein II.