The character has been well received, considered one of the best protagonists in video games.
Spike writer Jason Cipriano felt that
The New Order was the first time B.J. was given depth, as opposed to being "another American, hell-bent on ending the Nazi regime," discussing his relationships and personal motivations to fight the Nazis.
GamesRadar writer Ryan Talionick felt he became more interesting, praising
Brian Bloom's voice work for helping making him more believable. Whether B.J. is Jewish was discussed by some critics;
UGO.com staff speculated on his Judaism, noting that despite it not being confirmed, though called him an "honorary Jew" for having killed so many Nazis.
Kotaku writer Stephen Totilo cited hints about his ethnicity, including his knowledge of
Hebrew and his mother's recitation of
Birkat Hagomel.
Polygon writer Carli Velocci discussed her heritage as a half-Jewish person, comparing their experience with B.J.'s, stating that like him, they also are not understood to be Jewish. They cited things like their appearance, which was identified as not "Jewish enough," and their Italian-sounding name, though they also mentioned that being half-Jewish caused members of the community to deny their ethnicity. They speculated that B.J. did not have much in the way of Jewish education due to the little evidence of him practicing his faith, as well as him not fitting physical stereotypes of Jewish people. They discussed how B.J.'s "purpose and drive" is derived from his Jewish heritage, and how the recovery of a ring he eventually gives to Anya represents B.J. reclaiming his Judaism from Engel. His role in
The New Colossus was discussed, with
Rock Paper Shotgun writer Edwin Evans-Thirlwell feeling that his "white heroism risks echoing
chauvinism, and how it and toxic social archetypes at large may become instruments of resistance." He discussed how the decapitation and reassembly of B.J. with a new body made him seem like an object, and how his wife's lack of any strong reaction to his "vat-grown Nazi flesh" feels "sinister."
Kotaku writer Heather Alexandra commented on how the game focuses on B.J.'s body, citing multiple instances in
The New Order where it was viewed as an "Aryan figure," with Alexandra noting that this was also a "model of an ideal video game protagonist." She discussed how the power armor he wears, created by a Jewish organization, is a "manifestation of faith" and a "feat of Jewish ingenuity," but also that it can be "broken and beaten." She stated that "faith ... cannot last forever in the face of unspeakable oppression." When discussing his new body, she noted how it "fits so well onto a Nazi-crafted model of physical perfection" and looks similar to how he looked before losing his head. However, she added that despite his body being the "Aryan ideal," he uses it to fight oppression, and that "there is a massive difference in their hearts."
Paste Magazine writer Dante Douglas similarly discussed the confusion of B.J. as having an Aryan figure in-universe, particularly a scene where Engels does a
Rorschach-style test, only for it to mean nothing in the end. He noted how this represented there not being a "right way" to "pass in Nazi society," but instead, "Nazi society sees what it wants to see." == References ==