As it turns out, when I put together my Summer of Shooters article, which was a preview of high profile shooting games that we can occupy ourselves with this summer, I left out Wolfenstein – the upcoming Activision-published FPS that will arrive on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

A game that carries on the namesake of Wolfenstein 3D, which paved the way for a genre that would become one of the industry’s most popular certainly shouldn’t go overlooked. So here is a closer look at it:

Currently set for an August release, Wolfenstein will again place you in the boots of B.J. Blazkowicz and the game picks up directly after the events of Return to Castle Wolfenstein. While Wolfenstein is set during World War Two, it’s not aiming to offer another Medal of Honor or Call of Duty experience, as the gameplay and plot elements focus heavily on the supernatural.

The Nazis are attempting to unlock the secrets of a mysterious force known as The Black Sun to aid in their pursuit of global domination. The Black Sun can essentially be described as an energy source located outside of our reality. The bridge that connects our plain of existence to The Black Sun’s energy is known as The Veil – which you can enter at will and use to your advantage against a variety of ominous Nazi enemies.

The use of The Veil is where things may get interesting in Wolfenstein and differentiates it from other games set during World War Two. When you enter The Veil, enemies will glow, which will make targeting much easier. You can also utilize “Gheists” for a variety of useful tricks, such as causing explosions, and they can also help you discover hidden pathways. As the game progresses, additional skills can be unlocked, including the ability to slow down time, for instance. The Veil, essentially, brings us some of the special abilities we’ve become accustomed to in other games (Haze, TimeShift, etc.) plus some new tricks in one convenient parcel.

While Raven Software is handling Wolfenstein’s primary development duties, Endrant Studios is responsible for the multiplayer portions of the game. Not much is known about the multiplayer modes at this point, though typical options are probably planned. The Veil will likely come into play as well, since these abilities could potentially lead to some unique MP modes and gameplay.

All in all, Wolfenstein is shaping up to be an interesting title that should be scoped out by veterans of the series, and newcomers alike.