Wolfenstein isn't your run-of-the-mill shooter. Dodging bullets is easy enough, but how does one battle mad Nazi scientists and the results of their experiments? When you're B.J. Blazkowicz, you fight fire with fire. One of Wolfenstein's defining features is how it combines traditional FPS gameplay with supernatural powers that are meant to enhance the first-person shooter combat. We approached id for details and now go Behind the Veil with details on the powers of Wolfenstein.



GameSpy: Can you tell us about the influence that the supernatural will have on B.J. Blazkowicz' adventure?
Peter Sokal, Community Manager, id Software: The supernatural plays a large role in this game. Wolfenstein takes place after the events of Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and even though B.J. destroyed a resurrected Heinrich I, the Nazis kept delving into the occult and they discovered a powerful energy source called the Black Sun. The Nazis' plan this time around is to create weapons and soldiers using this energy source and ultimately win the war. However, to get to the Black Sun they must first pass through a dimension called the Veil, which serves as a bridge between our reality and the Black Sun. Black Sun energy is leaking into the Veil, and it is here that the Nazis begin experimenting. Throughout the game players will come across a myriad of Nazi experiments in the forms of enemies and weapons. Some enemies that you can expect to see include the Scribe, who can cast shields on nearby enemies and throw Veil energy at the player, as well as the Heavy Trooper who is essentially a walking tank carrying a Particle Cannon.

The Particle Cannon is a great example of the supernatural weaponry that players will see in the game. After you kill your first Heavy Trooper you are able to pick up his Particle Cannon and turn it against the Nazis. The Particle Cannon shoots concentrated Veil energy that will dissolve many of the game's enemies on contact. Seeing a group of Nazis scream as they are sent to oblivion is quite a treat. There are other weapons as well, such as the Tesla Gun. This was in RTCW and was one of the favorites, so Raven has brought it back and given it some more "shock" value. How's that for a horrendous pun?

Players will come across more weapons and enemies, but naturally, we want to save some of that for the game.
In this exclusive image, we see the Veil Powers of Sight and Shield in action.

GameSpy: Where do the veil powers come from and how did they originate?
Peter Sokal: Early in the game, B.J. gets his hands on an amulet that allows him to access the Veil and use the Nazis' own dark science against them. For the player, this comes in the form of four powers that he or she will collect during the campaign. These powers are Sight, Mire, Shield and Empower.

As far as their origins, when the game was in the conceptual stages, one thing that was absolutely critical was that the Veil powers enhance the first-person shooter combat. The Veil powers that have been created are the result of a lot of brainstorming and testing to find the sweet spot in terms of functionality within the game. It's exciting to know that soon players will get their hands on them.