A Shorter Development Time Is Why Wolfenstein: Youngblood Is Cheaper

Wolfenstein: Youngblood received a surprising reveal during E3 2018, just months after the launch of Wolfenstein II. Like Lost Legacy’s relation to Uncharted 4, Youngblood counts as far more than a DLC expansion. It isn’t DLC at all. Rather, this new entry has been labeled a spinoff, set after the events of Wolfenstein II. While the Youngblood’s Deluxe Edition will cost $40, the standard version will run $30, a budget price that’s raised few questions. For instance, if Youngblood features more content than previous Wolfenstein titles, why doesn’t the pricing reflect as much? According to one MachineGames developer, the $30 tag most notably reflects the shorter game development time.

The studio’s Managing Director, Jerk Gustafsson, mentioned as much during an interview with VG247. When questioned about Youngblood’s budget price, Gustafsson explained the pricing, including that of the Deluxe Edition which includes a Buddy Pass, is a “very good value for money.” He added,

I would say that the main reason for [the cheaper price] is that development time’s a bit shorter, we are using the technology from New Colossus. Of course we have done improvements to the technology but it is the technology of New Colossus, and it is a spinoff. But with that said, the gameplay time is greater so there’s a lot of value for money in there.

And make no mistake, Youngblood seems as though it will indeed offer players a bang for their buck. This entry in the series won’t be as linear as its predecessors. The more open-ended nature of Youngblood’s levels, inspired by Dishonored, will be integral to replay value.

The upcoming title is offering a different Wolfenstein experience from another angle, as well. This time, BJ Blazkowicz’ daughters take charge, fighting their way through a Nazi-occupied Paris in an effort to find their father. While Hilter won’t cameo in this particular adventure, who knows what other horrors from Wolfenstein’s past may crop up?

Wolfenstein: Youngblood will come to the PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One on July 26th.

[Source: VG247]