Old school shooter gets cool revamp

In playing "Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War," childhood memories of drizzly afternoons spent shooting dastardly Nazis and rabietic hell hounds come to the forefront of my subconscious. \nFamiliarity is key as players once again assume the identity of one-man army B.J. Blaskowitz (whatta name!). To spice things up, gamers are treated to seven all-new, additional levels, in which Blaskowitz finds himself in Egypt gat-blasting hordes of Nazis sporting "Lawrence of Arabia" garb. \nTrue to form, the story is secondary. The primary focus is to aid gamers in blowing off steam by blowing away their Kraut competition. The tools of the trade are prototypical first-person shooter fare with a few bonuses; shotguns (not in the PC version), vast assortments of machine guns, John Woo-esque double pistols, flamethrowers, grenades and rocket launchers are all at your disposal. While it's cool to have so much firepower, it's also a drag while in the midst of a melee -- switching guns can easily get you killed.\nThe graphics, sound effects and gameplay are all top-notch. When zombies explode in a sea of blood and bone each grisly detail is captured in crystal clear pixilated detail. Bullets make differentiating sounds when striking either wood or metal. And the controls can be implemented skillfully within a half hour of first picking up the controller. Despite nostalgic bias and a few minor glitches, "Return to Castle Wolfenstein" is wholly diverting and all-together violent entertainment.