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| first = ''[[Wolfenstein: The New Order]]'' (2014)
| last = ''[[Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus]]'' (2017)
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| motion_actor = [[Nina Franoszek]]
}}
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==Concept and design==
Tommy Tordsson Björk, who served as the Narrative Designer of the ''[[Wolfenstein]]'' series of video games developed by Swedish studio [[MachineGames]], created the Frau Engel character. Björk also wrote the train car scene for Chapter 3 of ''The New Order'', which introduced Engel and features a notable non-combat encounter between her and series protagonist [[B.J. Blazkowicz]]. In a 2014 developers diary video interview released by publisher Bethesda to promote the release of ''The New Order'', Björk described his writing for Engel to be his proudest moment: he described her as a "cool female villain", an uncommon trope in the video game industry, and that players would likely find the train car scene to be a standout moment from the game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2014-03-20-meet-frau-engel-in-wolfenstein-the-new-orders-train-to-berlin.html|title=Meet Frau Engel in Wolfenstein: The New Order's 'Train to Berlin' scene|website=Engadget|date=20 March 2014 }}</ref> The developers had always intended to build up Engel's character in ''The New Order'', so that the player would have a connection to her, and then position her as the main antagonist of ''The New Colossus''.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://bethesda.net/en/article/43wXGFzBmw00eU8qu0yY2w/wolfenstein-ii-the-new-colossus-frau-engel-spotlight/|title=Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus – Frau Engel Spotlight|first=Gary|last=Steinman|website=bethesda.net}}</ref>
Creative Director Jens Matthies said the terms "freedom" and "liberating" are Engel's defining characteristics.<ref name="auto"/> This is because her character "cuts to the core of a [[fascist]] or [[Nazi ideology]]" and that if she is able to succeed in such a male-dominated environment and rise up its ranks, she attains a very liberating personal freedom at the expense of others.<ref name="auto"/> This enables her to be on a constant power trip and dominate others at her whim, as exemplified by the card game scene.<ref name="auto"/><ref name=Rewriting>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/rewriting-history-in-wolfenstein-the-new-order/1100-6408113/|title=Rewriting History in Wolfenstein: The New Order |first=Chris|last=Watters|website=Gamespot|date=9 May 2013 }}</ref> On establishing Engel as a nemesis for Blazkowicz, Matthies thought having Engel crawl toward the player's perspective with a "totally broken, disfigured visage, coupled with her vow of vengeance" makes for a powerful moment.<ref name="auto"/> Matthies explained from Engel's perspective, that since she is humiliated and her status as the "queen of the realm" was challenged, this propels much of her personal vendetta against the Resistance and Blazkowicz in particular, beginning with ''The New Order'' and continued by ''The New Colossus''.<ref name="auto"/>
Concept artist Christopher Brändström designed Engel's head model for ''The New Colossus''; he also created all FACS-shapes, in-game model and textures of the character for the game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.artstation.com/artwork/mRA91t/|title=Wolfenstein II - The New Colossus - Frau Engel |first=Christopher|last=Brändström|website=Artstation|access-date=May 2, 2022}}</ref> Swedish artist Vidar Rapp was responsible for creating Engel's updated uniform for ''The New Colossus'', which is based on the one she wears in ''The New Order''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.artstation.com/artwork/mRA91t/|title=Wolfenstein II - Obergruppenführer Irene "Frau" Engel|first=Vidar |last=Rapp|website=Artstation|access-date=May 2, 2022}}</ref> While her character model's final materials and textures were authored in-house by MachineGames staff, her face scans were provided by Goodbye Kansas Studios.
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Although the character was more or less fleshed out throughout the development of ''The New Order'', Franoszek recalled that she struggled to connect with her character, in light of the veracity of the accounts about [[German war crimes#World War II|Nazi German war crimes]].<ref name=Monster/> Franoszek noted that she had studied historical information about [[Female guards in Nazi concentration camps|notable female concentration camp staff]] like [[Irma Grese]] and [[Ilse Koch]] who had exhibited similarly malevolent behaviour, but still felt that she was unable to find Engel's character from her research.<ref name=Jewish/> Franoszek sought to understand what drives such a human being to harbour such violent, intolerant thought and act them out in a cold and dispassionate manner, but for her, the atrocities committed by members of the Nazi German regime were so unspeakably evil that they blocked her access to the character.<ref name=Jewish/>
Franoszek experienced what she described as a breakthrough with her understanding of the character during a rehearsal, after she decided to mentally project herself into the position of someone who might have walked through the Auschwitz barracks "in sharp-heeled, perfectly shined shoes".<ref name=Monster/> When enacting scene where a Jewish prisoner arriving at Engel's concentration camp and hands her a hungry baby on the assumption that a woman would instinctively protect an infant, Franoszek mentally threw herself into the brutality of the sequence where Engel responds callously by throwing the baby against a wall without a second thought.<ref name=Monster/> She experienced what she felt like an adrenaline rush or "high", a power rush that gave her a god-like feeling.<ref name=Monster/> She realized that when such an individual do something so evil, and there is no punishment for such an act, they would want to pursue that excitement again and again. In rationalizing their circumstances, Franoszek suggested their interpretation of the lack of repercussions for their heinous actions to mean that there is no God but themselves.<ref name=Monster/> Playing Engel became an "amazing ride" for Franoszek once she found the character's emotional truth, as she had the opportunity to explore the "abyss of human nature on a very deep level" and act out things she never thought she would be capable of.<ref name=Jewish/>
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==Appearances==
{{summarize-section}}
===''Wolfenstein: The New Order''===
''The New Order''{{'s}} backstory for Frau Engel establishes her as a mother of six and a leading figure of the [[League of German Girls]] organization, the girls' wing of the [[Hitler Youth]] movement. Prior to the events of ''The New Order'', Engel is given control of Camp Belica, an [[extermination camp]] situated in [[Northern Croatia]].
Series protagonist B.J. Blazkowicz first encounters Frau Engel and her entourage while he is retrieving some coffee for himself and his companion Anya Oliwa in the refreshment room of a train en route to Berlin. Interpreting Blazkowicz's facial features to be a [[Nazi racial theories#
Blazkowicz later goes undercover inside Camp Belica on behalf of the [[Kreisau Circle]] Resistance group, where he makes contact with a Jewish
In the penultimate chapter of ''The New Order'', Engel leads an attack on the Kreisau Circle headquarters and captures some of its members on behalf of General Wilhelm "Deathshead" Strasse, a Nazi scientist who took the initiative to reconstruct Engel's face, and whose scientific achievements are instrumental to Nazi Germany's victory over its enemies by the end of the 1940s. Having taken the captives to Deathshead's compound and leaving shortly afterwards to deal with rebels elsewhere, she later witnesses the brutal death of Bubi by Blazkowicz's hand via live broadcast when her lover failed at his attempt to subdue their enemy.
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Blazkowicz and Anya lead an assault on the ''Ausmerzer'' sometime later, taking advantage of the fact that Engel is away from the ''Ausmerzer'' to appear on a nationally televised talk show. After Blazkowicz and his team disable its defenses and hijack the ''Ausmerzer'' itself, they travel to the show's set to confront Engel. Blazkowicz brutally executes Engel with a hatchet to avenge Caroline and many of her other victims, and the team declares the start of a revolution against the Nazi regime. Blazkowicz then retrieves his heirloom ring from Engel's body and proposes to Anya.
==Critical reception==
Frau Engel has received a generally positive reception from critics. The train car scene which serves as the introduction to Frau Engel in ''The New Order'' has been lauded by most critics as a memorable sequence. Alex Navarro praised the train scene as one of the better parts of the demo for ''The New Order'' he played prior to the game's release.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.giantbomb.com/videos/wolfenstein-the-new-order-introduces-you-to-frau-e/2300-8655/|title=Wolfenstein: The New Order Introduces You to Frau Engel|via=www.giantbomb.com}}</ref> Hamza Aziz from ''Destructoid'' found that the train car sequence with Engel was so strong that every other element that was shown in a preview showing for ''The New Order'' paled by comparison.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.destructoid.com/wolfenstein-the-new-order-just-isnt-doing-it-for-me/|title=Wolfenstein: The New Order just isn't doing it for me|date=May 28, 2013}}</ref> Ben Kuchera from ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' described the train car scene as a "rare moment where a video game hero's agency is removed completely". In Kuchera's view, the way Engel and Bubi play with the fear of being completely at their mercy "as if it were a toy, is scarier than almost any scene of graphic violence in the game".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2014/5/20/5734482/wolfenstein-sex |title=Wolfenstein is the rare game that shows sex as both fun and healing|website=[[polygon (website)|Polygon]]|author=Ben Kuchera |date=May 20, 2014|access-date=October 22, 2021}}</ref> Robert Rath from ''The Escapist'' concurred and opined that ''The New Order'' used this removal of agency to create what he believed to be the game's best moment in the card game scene.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.escapistmagazine.com/wolfenstein-and-the-power-of-resistance/|website=Escapist Magazine|title=Wolfenstein and the Power of Resistance|date=June 5, 2014}}</ref>
Engel's appearance in ''The New Colossus'' has elicited praise from multiple sources. Dan Stapleton from [[IGN]] said Engel "steals the show with her absolutely gleeful sadism", and praised her as most memorably terrifying video game villain since [[Vaas Montenegro]] from ''[[Far Cry 3]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/10/28/wolfenstein-2-the-new-colossus-review|title=Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus Review - IGN|first=Dan
|last=Stapleton|date=October 28, 2017|publisher=IGN}}</ref> Wesley Yin-Poole summarized her as "a wonderfully voice acted character with a horrific world view" and agreed that she once again steals the show.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-06-22-wolfenstein-2s-brilliant-opening-level-sets-the-perfect-tone|title=Wolfenstein 2's brilliant opening level sets the perfect tone|first=Wesley|last=Yin-Poole|website=[[Eurogamer]] |date=June 22, 2017}}</ref> Matt Bertz from ''[[Game Informer]]'' lauded the early sequence of ''The New Colossus'' as "bloody brilliant", highlighting Engel's portrayal as an "absolutely revolting and deplorable villain".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/games/wolfenstein_ii_the_new_colossus/b/playstation4/archive/2017/06/19/hands-on-with-machinegames-explosive-and-bloody-sequel.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622042152/http://www.gameinformer.com/games/wolfenstein_ii_the_new_colossus/b/playstation4/archive/2017/06/19/hands-on-with-machinegames-explosive-and-bloody-sequel.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 22, 2017|title=Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus|first=Matt|last=Bertz|magazine=[[Game Informer]]|date=June 19, 2017 |access-date=October 22, 2021}}</ref> Christopher Byrd from ''The Washington Post'' said her villainous presence "leaves the smell of sulfur" in the nose while her awfulness ignites the screen.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2017/12/07/wolfenstein-ii-the-new-colossus-delivers-the-years-best-first-person-shooter-single-player-campaign/|title='Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus' delivers the year's best first-person shooter, single-player campaign |author=Christopher Byrd
|date=December 7, 2017 |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |access-date=October 22, 2021}}</ref> Neil Bolt from ''PlayStation Universe'' said Engel eclipses her predecessor Deathshead in terms of personality and menace, and that the duality of her presentation, alternating between theatrical villainy and chilling cruelty is representative of the game's strong balancing act between bombastic silliness and grim drama.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.psu.com/reviews/wolfenstein-ii-the-new-colossus-review/|title=Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Review|first=Neil|last=Bolt|website=PlayStation Universe|date=31 October 2017 }}</ref>
IGN staff rated numerous scenes involving Engel as among the craziest and most memorable moments of the ''Wolfenstein'' series.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/07/26/the-most-batsht-insane-moments-in-the-wolfenstein-series|title=The Most Batsh*t Insane Moments in The Wolfenstein Series|date= July 26, 2019|work=IGN staff}}</ref> These include her disfiguring injury by a robot; her raid of the Kreisau Circle headquarters; her execution of Caroline Becker; and her graphic death scene during the ending of ''The New Colossus''.<ref name="auto1"/> Ranking Engel 3rd on a 2018 list of the best villains in video games, ''[[GamesRadar+]]'' staff said Frau Engel's depiction in ''The New Colossus'' is "legit nightmare fuel", and that she manages to be the most monstrous character in a game that features [[Adolf Hitler in popular culture#Videogames|Adolf Hitler]].<ref name="Radar1">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/villains-in-video-games/3/|title=The best villains in video games|date=February 10, 2018 |work=GamesRadar+ staff|access-date=October 22, 2021}}</ref>
Nina Franoszek's performance as Engel has been acclaimed by critics. Matt Hanson from ''Tech Radar'' praised Franoszek for her ability to portray Engel as a terrifying character, who is also complex and intriguing at the same time.<ref name=TR>{{Cite web|url=https://www.techradar.com/nz/news/a-little-bit-strange-and-new-building-wolfenstein-ii-the-new-colossus|title=A little bit strange and new: building Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus|first=Matt|last=Hanson|date=October 27, 2017|website=TechRadar}}</ref> For her performance as Engel in ''The New Colossus'', Franoszek was nominated for the Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bethesda.net/zh-CN/article/3YLbx5EMP6AIU0i224qQqO/todd-howard-to-receive-legend-award-at-new-york-videogame-awards|title=Todd Howard to Receive Legend Award at New York Videogame Awards|first=Parker|last=Wilhem|website=bethesda.net}}</ref> Franoszek was also nominated for the BTVA Video Game Voice Acting Award in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stage32.com/profile/710683/about|title=Nina Franoszek - Nina's Bio, Credits, Awards, and more.|first=Stage 32|last=LLC|website=Stage 32}}</ref>
Not all reception to Frau Engel's appearances has been positive. Although Ben Maxwell from ''[[PCGamesN]]'' liked Engel as a villainous character and initially enjoyed the train car scene with her, revisiting that moment after experiencing a diner scene involving an unnamed Nazi officer in ''The New Colossus'' made him re-evaluate it as brash and inferior compared to the dramatic tension evoked by the diner scene.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/wolfenstein-2-the-new-colossus/wolfenstein-2-milkshake-nazi-scene|title=Why Wolfenstein 2's Nazis are Machine Games' most threatening yet|website=PCGamesN|date=27 July 2017 }}</ref> Writing for ''[[Vice (magazine)|Vice Waypoint]]'', Danielle Riendeau criticized Engel's fat-shaming of her daughter as well as her sadistic taunting using Caroline's severed head in ''The New Colossus'', and argued that it ran the risk of desensitizing the game's audience to just how bad these actions are as they are becoming increasingly absurd.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/evbzxn/the-opening-moments-of-wolfenstein-ii-absolutely-do-not-fuck-around|title=The Opening Moments of 'Wolfenstein II' Absolutely Do Not Fuck Around|date=26 October 2017 |publisher=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]}}</ref> Kuchera agreed with Riendeau and said the gratuitous violence perpetrated by Engel and her minions during the early moments of ''The New Colossus'' did not resonate with him, and felt that the brutality of these characters should have been handled with better care.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/27/16559530/wolfenstein-2-the-new-colossus-opening-cutscene-violence|title=Wolfenstein 2's first 10 minutes bludgeon the player with cruelty|first=Ben|last=Kuchera|website=[[polygon (website)|Polygon]]|date=October 27, 2017}}</ref>
== References ==
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{{Wolfenstein series}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Engel, Frau}}
[[Category:Bethesda characters]]
[[Category:Female
[[Category:Fictional characters with disfigurements]]
[[Category:Fictional
[[Category:Fictional German people in video games]]
[[Category:Fictional female mass murderers]]
[[Category:Fictional Nazis]]
▲[[Category:Fictional torturers and interrogators]]
[[Category:First-person shooter characters]]
[[Category:Science fiction video game characters]]
[[Category:Video game characters introduced in 2014]]
[[Category:Wolfenstein]]
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