Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War

 Xbox
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Maxim Online
    100
    Playing alone or with online teams (Xbox Live hooks you up), you clean kraut house with sniper rifles, machine guns, and rocket launchers.
  2. GameNow
    100
    It's nice to see an enhanced port that exceeds the original PC game in every way... A "Halo" beater? Definitely close - and definitely worth picking up. [July 2003, p.60]
  3. XboxAddict
    100
    One great feature in Live gameplay is when your teammates talk, a speaker icon appears over their head and on the compass so you know who’s talking and where they are.
  5. Game Chronicles
    96
    You have a solid single-player game, two-player cooperative campaign, and some of the best online gaming with squads and multi-class characters currently available on console.
  6. TeamXbox
    94
    I absolutely loved this game. Everything about it just screams the word spectacular.
  7. IGN
    93
    About as fun as they come. Zombies, Nazis, Nazi Zombies... it just doesn't get any better than this... It's the best Xbox Live experience to date.
  8. Game Informer
    93
    One of the most impressive console FPSs - displaced only by the almighty "Halo." [June 2003, p.110]
    All this publication's reviews
  9. Official Xbox Magazine
    92
    There's so much goodness packed into Tides of War that it's impossible not to find something to like. Return to Castlewolfenstein is truly an incredible, value-laced package. [May 2003, p.20]
    All this publication's reviews
  10. Gaming Age
    91
    The single player game is very good, better than most. The multiplayer online experience of Tides of War, though, is nothing short of spectacular.
  11. GamingTrend
    91
    This may seem like a feature hardly worth mentioning, but being able to save whenever you want makes the game much more enjoyable.
  12. Yahoo!
    90
    While single-player is slightly lacking in innovation, its release still marks one of the best entrants in Xbox's first-person shooter line-up, and an absolute must-buy for any action gamer or Live fanatics that haven't yet experienced it on PC.
  13. Village Voice
    90
    Single-player and two-person split-screen modes are great, but this game was made to play over broadband with five friends.
  14. TotalGames.net
    90
    This was already a fine game on the PC but we’d go so far as to say that this is the best version of Wolfenstein we’ve played.
  15. GameShark
    90
    Control is dead on accurate, but for those FPS junkies, you'll need to get used to yet another slightly different set-up.
  16. Cheat Code Central
    90
    Replay value abounds.
    All this publication's reviews
  17. Deeko
    90
    A very solid one player game coupled with a rock solid multiplayer frag fest.
  18. XGP Gaming
    90
    Yahorn! Let me try that again. Yahorn! Okay now that's better. With one simple word, I've separated those who haven't played Return to Castle Wolfenstein from those who have.
  19. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    88
    What elevates this Wolf above the FPS pack is its online aspect. The different playable characters and match types give multiplayer a unique emphasis on teamwork that's a perfect match for Xbox Live's voice-chat capability. [July 2003, p.105]
  20. Armchair Empire
    87
    It’s not high on story or heavy stealth elements, but Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War delivers in liberal and visceral amounts of action. And you get what you pay for.
  21. Play Magazine
    83
    The setting is a big part of the game's appeal, dropping you in atmospheric castle tombs and creepy labs run by technicians of the black arts. [July 2003, p.74]
    All this publication's reviews
  22. GameSpot
    82
    A fairly uninteresting single-player game, but its multiplayer mode is a ton of fun.
  23. GamePro
    80
    If anything, the whole game feels a little stiff—it’s visually arresting and robust but not as immersive as some other first-person games.
  24. Adrenaline Vault
    80
    If you can get a group of mates together over Xbox Live, Wolfenstein should provide a constant and gratifying supply of entertainment well into the future.
  25. G4 TV
    80
    The game doesn't feel entirely new or original, but it's well executed and consistently fun.
  26. Xbox Nation Magazine
    80
    On the strength of its online options, Wolfenstein's multiplayer is on par with the best on the Xbox. [June-July 2003, p.86]
  27. GMR Magazine
    80
    Two-player co-op is decent fun, and it makes the single-player campaign a lot more manageable and enjoyable, but the real meat of the game is the XBL multiplayer. [July 2003, p.68]
  28. Eurogamer
    80
    Despite the fairly humdrum single player campaign, Tides of War is well worth engaging in for the Live experience alone. PC gamers, however, can save their cash.
  29. Gamestyle
    80
    The game's difficulty is well-placed, with early scuffles leading to increased mania.
  30. Total Video Games
    80
    An amazing multi-player experience with the added bonus of a rather compelling one-player mode that provides a nice respite from the hectic online games.
  31. Cincinnati Enquirer
    80
    The game also throws in some science fiction by adding monsters and the undead who fight alongside the Nazis.
  32. GameSpy
    79
    The developers have really done a good job in trying to make the game work with the inherent limitations of a gamepad, but once you're used to the superior mouse/keyboard arrangement, the gamepad is a let down.
  33. Xequted
    78
    The story is not as gripping as Halo or Splinter Cell, but it’s a solid, workmanlike script that has you suspending your disbelief for just long enough to get you through the game.
  34. Game Revolution
    75
    The single player is okay, but it's really all about sticking with a friend and coordinating offensives with your fellow teammates over Xbox Live. This one should keep you in the field until "Counter-Strike" and "Halo 2" make their way out of developer boot camp.
  35. GameZone
    72
    First-person shooter heaven for Xbox owners. With a decent single player story mode complete with a great supernatural twist and equally wonderful visuals and sound, the action is thick enough to sink your teeth into it.
  36. eToychest
    70
    The single player campaign, while enjoyable for what it is, pales substantially to its online multiplayer counterpart.
  37. Games Radar
    60
    Put simply, if you have Live this is a highly recommended purchase, if you don't then it isn't.
  38. GameCritics
    60
    There's nothing revolutionary to be found here—no innovative play mechanics, no stunning graphics. This is a rock-solid Nazi-blasting FPS, and nothing more.
  39. Weekly Famitsu
    60
    7 / 6 / 6 / 5 - 24 [Vol 785]
    All this publication's reviews

Awards & Rankings

31
#31 Best Xbox Game of 2003
22
#22 Most Discussed Xbox Game of 2003
9
#9 Most Shared Xbox Game of 2003

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 100 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 80 out of 100
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 100
  3. Negative: 5 out of 100
  1. Yojimbo2015
    Jun 10, 2023
    8
    Sequel to the original 16 bit FPS with added shades of Doom thanks to its demonic scenario. A little generic in the early stages but it getsSequel to the original 16 bit FPS with added shades of Doom thanks to its demonic scenario. A little generic in the early stages but it gets better and better as it goes thanks to its varied enemies, many secrets to discover and atmospheric, well designed levels.… Full Review »
  2. Haldane
    Jan 21, 2023
    5
    This game is a 3 when you're fighting mummy-things in a crypt and an 8 when you're not. The crypt levels are a cringe idea, and the enemiesThis game is a 3 when you're fighting mummy-things in a crypt and an 8 when you're not. The crypt levels are a cringe idea, and the enemies are all absolute bullet sponges. At least with the robots in the later missions, you could run away and regain your bearings, but in a crypt every thing is so diarrhoea brown that you can't find a place to run away. Another dumb idea is that at the start of every new mission your health is the same as where it left off in the last mission, so God help you if you finished the last mission by the skin of your teeth only to find you have 3 waves of enemies at the start of the next mission before you can get just a sixth of your health back. Sometimes there's no choice but to revert to the Cheat Codes, it makes the game less stressful and makes you realise just how time-consuming killing just one enemy on normal difficulty really is. I definitely wouldn't be able to finish that boss-fight with the giant-ogre-zombie-nazi-lady without them. The game still deserves some credit due to the realistic fighting with humans and the fun strategic dashing in and out of hallways required to kill them all. The best part of the game is definitely when you are racing against a countdown to stop the launch of a rocketship, and you are just blasting your way through enemies to pull a lever in the last 5 seconds before you fail. I did fail this bit once because the lever kind of blends in with the rest of the consoles in the room it's in, but I didn't mind doing that fun part again with more knowledge on how to retain some health.
    All in all, if you want the best of the game you'll find it in Mission 3 Part 2 (rocket base), and if you want the most infuriating experience on the original Xbox it won't be the stealth mission like everyone tells you (they are fine just go building by building) it'll be the latter half of Mission 2 when you're unloading ammo mindlessly into exploding mummys and Olaric.
    Good Luck!    … Full Review »
  3. storygamer
    Oct 16, 2020
    8
    The early 2000s were a great time for FPS games. Especially for those, who already made a name for themselves like the Wolfenstein series.The early 2000s were a great time for FPS games. Especially for those, who already made a name for themselves like the Wolfenstein series. Return To Castle Wolfenstein: Tides Of War is the Xbox release of a PC cult classic. The single-player campaign has a crazy over the top storyline and the multiplayer is super amusing. Gameplay is great fun with dozens of weapons and a beautiful atmosphere. Sure for todays standards the graphics are a bit outdated but still completely ok. Great Nazi shooting time!… Full Review »
See all user reviews »