Released in 1992, Wolfenstein 3D was the archetype for the run-and-gun style of gameplay that remains popular in modern FPS titles.
The third installment of the Wolfenstein franchise, Wolfenstein 3D, popularized the first-person shooter (FPS) genre and the WWII sub-genre, laying the foundations for some of today's most popular franchises including Medal of Honor and Call of Duty. As players explore the castle SS guards shout commands in the German language, an unprecedented feature at the time of release. Castle Wolfenstein also received critical acclaim for its innovative use of digitalized voices. Castle Wolfenstein is considered a pioneer of stealth-based games, introducing the stealth-based style of gameplay six years before the Metal Gear series popularized it. Gameplay is stealth-based players impersonate Nazi soldiers and avoid detection as they explore the castle. They are transported to a castle inhabited by Nazi guards and assigned the task of finding secret Nazi war plans and escaping the castle alive.
In Castle Wolfenstein players assume the role of an allied prisoner, later named William 'B.J.' Blazkowicz. An innovative action-adventure shooter set in World War II Germany, Castle Wolfenstein inspired a legendary series of genre-defining titles. Muse Software released Castle Wolfenstein in 1981.
