We’re not saying that we expected it to suck, but Wolfenstein: The New Order was far better received than we expected it would be. Why do you think we’ve been so excited for The New Order’s standalone expansion Wolfenstein: The Old Blood.

But how have the critics received this new two-part story?

[Updated – 21.05.15] The Metacritic scores.

Not everyone is a fan of the tabulated, numbers only approach Metacritic takes. That’s why we’ve included more detail below. But what you should probably note is the considerably higher user scores for The Old Blood, particularly for the PS4. Our guess is that critics are being purposefully objective and weighing in factors like its similarity to The New Order (making it a repeated formula), and that has clearly affected the scores.

PC Gamer – 70/100 (PC)

“MachineGames’ particular sense of style has survived, however. The new Castle Wolfenstein is lovely to look at, a brutal marriage of Helm’s Deep and Half Life 2’s Citadel. B.J. regards it, the regime that occupies it, and everything that happens within it with the same mixture of folksy wisdom and barely-constrained rage that made his reinvention in The New Order such a surprising success.”

Softpedia – 9/10 (PC)

“While the game in general makes a pretty solid showing, there are some stages where it’s unclear what exactly you have to do or where it’s quite hard to sneak through without alerting guards. These moments aren’t that numerous, but they do keep it from perfection.”

Polygon – 7/10 (PS4)

“Old Blood shares its predecessor’s biggest gameplay strength, which is how it allows players to blend stealth with all-out gunplay as the situation demands. As with New Order, pure gun battles are a thrill in Old Blood, thanks to a flexible set of weapons that completely change the feel of the game with a button press. Turning on the fly from a walking tank wielding dual-assault rifles (which have gotten a major overhaul in Old Blood) into an assassin popping off headshots from a silenced pistol has lost none of its lustre in this second pass.”

Destructoid – 8/10 (Xbox One)

“Where Old Blood truly shines is its brevity. Both episodes are laser-focused, and don’t waste as much time as some missions in the original. Both Castle Wolfenstein and Wulfburg are expansive enough to justify an entire game, and the development team does a good job of managing the pacing between stealth and action.”

Cheat Code Central – 4/5 (Xbox One)

“I’m not going to complain about the actual length of the title. With it being DLC, that would be unfair. It’s supposed to be supplementary and moderately priced, so in that regard it gets a pass. I do think it’s important to mention that those looking for a complete breath of fresh air might be a little disappointed.”