Wolfenstein Review

The Veil (Medallion)

In addition to weapons, your medallion also forms a major component of the game. The medallion itself is powered by energy from the Black Sun dimension, and this is the big deal that the Nazis are scrambling after, and what their technology is based on. When you invoke your medallion you enter the veil, the other-worldly barrier between the Black Sun dimension and Earth. If you’ve seen Prey’s spirit mode then this is very similar.

While in the veil, your view of the world gains a greenish tinge and you can see secret areas, such as walls you can walk through (designated with a sun symbol nearby), hidden ladders that can be climbed, breakable sections (such as those hiding Tomes of Power), and vulnerable spots of certain enemies. There are also Geists which are the native denizens of the place, and shooting them will cause them to explode, damaging your enemies in the normal world, much like barrels.

Gameplay tip: the cue to activate veil to find secret areas is designated by a distinctive sound emanating in the area.

This is what the world looks like when you enter the veil. The floating creatures are Geists which can be shot to inflict area damage to enemies. The guy to the left is a member of the resistance (an ally).

When in the veil you can fire your weapons as normal, and the fun comes from augmenting your fighting abilities with veil powers. In addition to the basic Sight power described above, you also have Mire which slows down the world considerably, Empower which increases the damage of your weapons and lets you shoot through shields, and Shield which allows you to stop bullets. If you’ve played UberSoldier then Shield will be quite familiar to you. You can also combine multiple veil powers at once, though this will drain the medallion’s energy more quickly.

Veil powers need energy to function and your medallion has a limited amount of it. You can replenish energy by standing on or next to veil leaks, which are rifts from the Black Sun dimension that leak into our world. These areas have distinctive warping effects when not in veil mode, while they’re bright blue when in veil mode. Also the Nazis have numerous barrels filled with veil energy scattered around the levels for their experiments, so you can refill your energy from them too. The maximum energy capacity of your medallion can also be upgraded, so you can use veil powers for longer.

Veil powers can be upgraded too; Sight lets you see enemies through walls, Mire turns enemies to dust at a certain range on activation, Empower can shoot through cover and walls, while Shield disintegrates enemies on contact. Like weapon upgrades, veil upgrades are unlocked by completing missions, and also by collecting Tomes of Power. Veil upgrades cost gold and are upgraded at the black market.

Gameplay tip: in order to recharge your medallion from some energy areas, you have to come out of the veil first.

The broken section of bricks is a veil leak; simply stand on/near it to regenerate your medallion’s energy. These areas also have moving atmospheric distortions to clearly mark them.