Business is a-boomin

There is a very short list of complaints I have against The New Order: The two-timelines mechanic is not compelling enough to make me start a second playthrough; collectibles and upgrades in previous chapters can be missed forever (which, again, not quite compelling enough for a replay); and two or three encounters felt unfair, requiring a specific set of tactics and maneuvers to survive.

Otherwise, and in general, this is an incredibly well-made and captivating game that just happens to be a first-person shooter about killin' Nazis. It's one of the finest story-driven games I've played, with an impeccable presentation all throughout. And the gameplay, from knife-throwing to rocket-launching and everything inbetween, is consistently tight and rewarding.

This is the caliber of game everyone should play. Except those who get squeamish about graphic evisceration and dismemberment, I guess.

Better than: Spec Ops: The Line
Not as good as: BioShock, if only because of that game's more-open game world.
I've never felt quite so emotionally attached: to a game character who just killed hundreds of people.

Progress: Completed on "Bring 'em On" (normal) difficulty.