With Wolfenstein as a series, one thing has always been true: it has always been about killing Nazis. It has not always been a first-person shooter, it hasn’t always looked as incredible as Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, but that one aspect of it has been a constant. Since we are on the cusp of a brand-new game in the series, we thought it would be a good time to talk you through the series history. Here are all the Wolfenstein games so far, in chronological order:

Castle Wolfenstein - 1981

The first game took players to Nazi Germany and had a heavy focus on stealth. As an unnamed protagonist, you had to creep your way through a top-down rendition of Castle Wolfenstein in an attempt to steal some top-secret plans.

Beyond Castle Wolfenstein - 1984

The first sequel takes place in a secret Berlin bunker. Still using that same, retro top-down perspective, players have to retrieve a bomb and use it to blow up a secret Nazi meeting that Adolf Hitler is attending.

Wolfenstein 3D - 1992

As the name suggests, this was the first game in the series to move the action to a first-person perspective. It was also the first game to feature our hero, William "B.J." Blazkowicz, an American spy captured by the Nazi regime. Developed by id Software, many note Wolfenstein as the game that popularised the FPS genre.

Spear of Destiny 1992

This spinoff of Wolfenstein 3D plonked us in the shoes of Blazkowicz once again, this time as he attempted to retrieve the Spear of Destiny from the Nazis after it was stolen from Versailles. The spear is said to contain mystical powers and whoever wields it would become immortal.

Return to Castle Wolfenstein - 2001

Almost a decade after id’s hit, Gray Matter Interactive took us back to Wolfenstein Castle as B.J., seeing him escape from the fortress once more. This time, B.J. stumbles upon a plot pertaining to the occult, with the Nazis practicing a form of necromancy in an attempt to create an undead army.

Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory - 2003

Originally planned as a spinoff for the previous game, Enemy Territory was a multiplayer-only experience. It expanded the multiplayer portion of Return to Castle Wolfenstein, but didn’t include any solo elements.

Wolfenstein RPG - 2008

Keeping the first-person perspective, this entry turned Wolfenstein into a Nazi-filled dungeon-crawler. As, B.J., you moved around its environment, The Tower, grid by grid, punching and shooting Nazis as you went - here, however, everything is governed by statistics, including HP bars. This one retained the supernatural elements of the series.

Wolfenstein - 2009

Taking the game back to a more action-focused adventure, this entry follows the story of a supernatural medallion B.J. finds while on a mission on a German battleship. Our hero heads to the fictional town of Isenstadt, where the Nazis are mining for ore, looking for more of the same materials used in the creation of the medallion. It turns out that this ore rips time and space, opening up a portal to another dimension.

Wolfenstein: The New Order - 2014

Rebooting the series for a modern audience, developer MachineGames introduced us to a more human Blazkowicz. Despite his penchant for long monologues, our hero felt more real, in a story filled with as many emotional moments as there are exciting set-pieces. His mission to assassinate the evil General Deathshead even takes him to the moon.

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood - 2015

A prequel to The New Order, The Old Blood takes us back to Castle Wolfenstein as Blazkowicz and Agent One attempt to find a dossier that will tell them the location of General Deathshead.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus - 2017

We’re all caught up. If you want to find out more about Wolfenstein II, read our articles on the characters, story, new features, and perks.