It seems strange after the fact to think that consumers and critics weren’t expecting a top-tier story and style from a studio made up of the minds behind The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay and The Darkness. While their past work may have hinted that The New Order would pack a punch, the developer still found a way to keep the story of previous games moving forward.

That’s a difficult task for any franchise, but in an interview with Giant Bomb, creative director Jens Mathies explained that keeping the previous games in the series as canon, not simply casting them aside and starting fresh, was the team’s goal:

Clearly, publisher Bethesda tasked the right team with the job of bringing some life back to the Wolfenstein license. It was a risk moving well beyond the WWII-era setting of previous games, and thrusting B.J. Blazkowicz into a Nazi-controlled alternate history. But in the end, existing fans got to see the characters of prior games get more time in the spotlight, while moving into a world where MachineGames could make their own mark.

Pulling that kind of a rabbit out of a threadbare hat is rarely a one-time trick, and with interest (and integrity) at an all-time high for Wolfenstein, does Mathies think a continuation of The New Order’s story is something the studio would embrace?

We’ll steer clear of spoilers, but MachineGames certainly ended The New Order’s campaign on a final note. That being said, the door was left open for a possible sequel (taking down a worldwide Nazi regime is a challenge capable of spanning several games). And if the rigorous amount of time preparing the script and setting of the game is what helped the finished product shine, Mathies’ plan for a possible sequel is even more promising:

There’s no question that less promising/groundbreaking/inspired video games have earned the right to direct sequels, and Bethesda has earned a reputation of favoring quality over purely commercial sales numbers. Given that the publisher allowed MachineGames the freedom to craft the unexpected game they did, we’d be shocked if a sequel wasn’t officially announced before long.

Have you managed to escape the buzz surrounding the game, or are you one of its devoted fans already? Is there a direction you would like to see a sequel head? Sound off in the comments.

Wolfenstein: The New Order is available now for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Follow Andrew on Twitter @andrew_dyce.

Source: Giant Bomb