Sniper Elite V2

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Sniper Elite V2
Sniper Elite V2 cover.png
Developer(s) Rebellion Oxford
Publisher(s) Microsoft Windows
Rebellion Developments
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 & Wii U
505 Games
Engine Asura
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360
Wii U
Release date(s) NA April 30, 2012 (Steam)[1]
NA May 2, 2012 (Retail)
AU 20120503May 3, 2012
EU 20120504May 4, 2012
JP 20120809August 9, 2012
Wii U
May 24, 2013
Genre(s) Tactical shooter, stealth
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
Media/distribution DVD ROM, digital download

Sniper Elite V2 is a 2012 tactical shooter video game developed by Rebellion Developments for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Wii U and Xbox 360. It is a remake of Rebellion's 2005 game Sniper Elite. The game takes place in the same timeframe and location—the Battle of Berlin in April–May 1945—but now the main character, an American Office of Strategic Services officer, must capture or eliminate the scientists involved in the German V-2 rocket program.[2] A sequel is set to be released in 2014 named Sniper Elite 3.

Contents

Gameplay [edit]

Sniper Elite V2 is a third-person tactical shooter that emphasizes a less direct approach to combat, encouraging the player as a sniper to use stealth and keep distance from enemy soldiers. Many of the single player levels allow multiple routes for the players to take, including multistory buildings and side streets to get vantage points and avoid direct firefights. Set in World War II, the player character utilizes appropriate weapons for the era. The sniper rifle is the primary weapon throughout the game, though additional side arms including submachine guns and pistols, silenced or not depending on the situation. In addition to hand grenades, the player can deploy them as tripwire booby traps, land mines and dynamite. Binoculars can be used to tag enemies in view, displaying their position and movements to player. When using the sniper rifle however, certain elements can determine the outcome of a shot, taking realistic ballistics into consideration including wind direction and strength and bullet drop potentially altering the shot through the scope. Bullets can ricochet off surfaces or targets and strike others. In different postures such as crouching or lying down on the front can also steady a shot, however the player character also has the ability to take a deep breath to further steady a shot and from their perspective slow down time. Another ability is when the player character is spotted, their last movements and position to the enemy is shown as a white-outlined figure, potentially allowing the player to escape that area and avoid further deception and alarms being raised.

A major feature of V2 is the “X-Ray Kill Cam” where upon a successful and skilled shot will in slow motion follow the bullet from the sniper rifle to the target where upon impact will show an anatomically correct x-ray style reveal of the body part being hit and the damage the bullet causes to the organs and bones. Sniping can also be used to shoot the enemies’ own grenades triggering an explosion. This method can also be used against military vehicles by targeting fuel tanks and valves. The game will also measure notable shots by briefly displaying distance and other factors like whether it was a head shot or moving target.

Multiplayer [edit]

V2 supports online multiplayer where players engage in cooperative play in a series of game modes. Kill Tally is a mode where two players fend off increasingly numerous and difficult waves of enemy soldiers and vehicles in an enclosed environment with an infinite supply point of ammunition and explosives. While players can compete for higher kill counts, both must keep each other alive and work together. Bombing Run is a mission based mode where players must search the environment in order to repair a truck to escape before the entire area is bombed. The third mode is Overwatch where two players take different roles to complete an objective with one player as the operative who undertakes said objectives, armed with short range firearms and binoculars that can be used to tag enemies for the second player who takes the role of a sniper who covers the operative throughout. In addition to these separate game modes, missions from the single player campaign can also be played with two players.

Plot [edit]

The main character is Karl Fairburne, an OSS officer who is inserted into Berlin in 1945, during the final days of World War II. It references Operation Paperclip and its predecessor Operation Overcast, the plan by the USA to recruit the scientists of Nazi Germany. Fairburne comes up against both Nazi and Soviet opponents as he tracks key individuals involved with the development of the V-2 ballistic missile.

The campaign begins with a tutorial mission, where the player must assassinate German Major-General Hans von Eisenberg who is attempting to defect to the Soviets. The next mission is a slightly altered version of the demo, where the player is sent to kill Dr. Gunther Kreidl, a Nazi scientist, and escape with his documents. Next, Fairburne infiltrates a V-2 rocket production facility in search of another scientist, Dr. Schwaiger, who is willing to defect to the United States, but Fairburne is discovered and must fight his way out of the facility. Fairburne decides to steal a cache of explosives and destroy a bridge to distract the Soviets and Germans while he slips behind them and rescues Schwaiger. The plan works and Fairburne heads off to a place called Opernplatz, where he finds Schwaiger and is forced to hold off waves of Soviet troops who have discovered their position. Schwaiger is shot in the process, and before he dies, he says "tabun". Fairburne, clueless, goes to find Dr. Müller, whom he assassinates from his command tower. With no location of the V-2 launching site, he goes to a Soviet HQ, where he finds that tabun is a nerve gas carried by the V-2 rockets that are about to launch on London. With only information that location is somewhere outside Berlin, Fairburne goes to the Berlin office of Dr. Wolff, the mastermind behind the project, to find more information. The office has been already destroyed, but Fairburne finds a ripped notebook and establishes that Wolff is about to escape from an airfield. Fairburne arrives at another building just in time to retrieve from a fireplace a map detailing V-2 storage facilities. He sets out to destroy the rockets. With only Wolff left, Fairburne goes back to the Brandenburg Gate, where he had assassinated von Eisenberg few days earlier. Fairburne climbs on top of the structure and, as Wolff is about to escape in a car, he shoots, causing the car to run off the road and crash, killing Wolff instantly. Fairburne remarks that World War II is over but the Cold War has just begun, in which he has acted as the first American combatant.

Development [edit]

In 2011, Rebellion announced that it was co-publishing the title with 505 Games.[3] Due for release in May 2012, the game was described as a "reboot" of the original Sniper Elite, rather than a sequel.[4] The initial announcement however only referred to a release on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, absent a PC version. Following a strong response from PC users, Rebellion announced it was to self-publish a PC version through shops and via the Steam online games download retailer to be released at the same time as the console versions.[5]

Rebellion announced on February 5, 2013 that the game will also arrive for Nintendo's Wii U console.[6]

Downloadable content [edit]

Originally bundled as a pre-order bonus download with the main game on its release, the first piece of downloadable content is a self-contained single player mission separate from the main campaign, titled "Assassinate the Führer". The mission involves an alternate historical scenario where Fairburne is sent to intercept a convey in order to assassinate Adolf Hitler before he escapes the area via train. Following the game's release, the DLC was released to non-pre-order players across all platforms on June 5, 2012.[7] The second DLC mission is "The Neudorf Outpost Pack" was released on September 20, 2012[8] for the PC and on December 18, 2012 for consoles. The mission concerns the demolition of a German-controlled fuel dump in the Harz Mountains and includes two new exclusive weapons. The third DLC mission is the "The Landwehr Canal Pack" was released on October 18, 2012 and includes three new weapons. The mission required multiple German generals to be assassinated as they meet in night-time Berlin, thus being challenging and requiring planning.[9] At the same time a new multiple mode was released for free through Steam called "Dog Tag Harvest Mode", where players collect points only after a fallen soldier's dog tag has been collected.[8] The fourth DLC missions is "St. Pierre" was released on February 6, 2013 and also includes three new weapons. The missions involves the assassination of "General Rodebrecht", a rising star in the German army whose death could turn the tide of the war for the Allies.[10]

On November 7, 2012, Rebellion released a "Multiplayer Expansion" for free across all platforms. The new online multiplayer modes support competitive play between players including traditional deathmatch and team deathmatch modes while introducing "distance king", both solo and team based where players' success is measured by the distance of shots. Another mode is "No Cross", a variant on the other modes where teams are separated to two sides of a map, requiring long range firefights only. In addition to the new game types, six new maps for use in multiplayer were also included.[11] At the same time, a paid piece of DLC was also released involving a new selection of weapons.[12]

Rebellion announced a standalone expansion, Nazi Zombie Army.[13]

Reception [edit]

 Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator Score
GameRankings (PS3) 71.68%[14]
(X360) 68.76%[15]
(PC) 65.38%[16]
Metacritic (PS3) 70/100[17]
(X360) 67/100[18]
(PC) 66/100[19]
Review scores
Publication Score
Game Informer 8.25/10[20]
GameSpot 6/10[21]
GamesRadar 8/10[22]
IGN 8/10[23]
Official Xbox Magazine 7.5/10[citation needed]
PC Gamer (UK) 65/100[24]

Following its release, Sniper Elite V2 has aggregate reviews at GameRankings and Metacritic score the PlayStation 3 version 71.68% and 70/100,[14][17] the Xbox 360 version 68.76% and 67/100[15][18] and the PC version 65.38% and 66/100.[16][19]

In a review for GamesRadar, Matt Hughes favorably compared V2 against the original Sniper Elite in regards to the mission structure and variety, stating that "V2 keeps the objectives varied and avoids tedium by condensing and refining the physical scope of the game".[22] Similarly Nathan Meunier at IGN praised the single player, feeling that it "delivers a satisfying trek through a well-designed medley of war-torn cityscapes ripe with tactical opportunities for assassination and covert sneakery". While he noted the multiplayer, "Overwatch" was considered the stand out mode "where multiplayer really gets cool" as "these missions require careful collaborative teamwork, and they're a ton of fun."[23] In a mixed response however, Game Trailers felt that the single player varied in quality, where "things take a turn for the worse when you’re doing anything other than sniping", particularly in regards to close-quarter stealth segments in what the review considered to be "a real drag" causing "unbearable" trial-and-error. However in the same review, it felt that the option to play the campaign cooperatively "remedies many of our complaints".[25]

Phil Savage of PC Gamer took issue with apparent inconsistencies between levels, favoring the more open-ended missions that "rewards you with the feeling of carefully thought-out mischief falling into place", as opposed to tighter levels where "in these moments the game devolves into a pop-up shooting gallery". Savage also praised the "tactical systems and satisfying ballistics" while being critical of "uncanny enemy vision".[24]

A recurring feature noted in reviews was the "X-Ray Kill Cam". Official Xbox Magazine reviewer Chuck Osborne said that it "earns the game’s Mature rating and our applause"[citation needed] while Tim Turi of Game Informer called it the game's "standout feature" that "never got old".[20] GameSpot reviewer Chris Watters called the feature "brutal and gratuitous (perhaps too much so, for some)" yet still enjoyed it as a "delightfully gory" highlight.[21] Marsh Davis of Eurogamer echoed this view by stating that "Its appeal is most definitely crass but, oddly, these animations also give each enemy's death a ghoulish significance."[26]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "Sniper Elite V2 on Steam". Store.steampowered.com. 2012-04-30. Retrieved 2012-07-23. 
  2. ^ "Sniper Elite V2 - Preview". Godisageek.com. 2012-01-20. Retrieved 2012-07-23. 
  3. ^ Purchese, Robert (2011-04-06). "Sniper Elite V2 announced for 2012 News • News •". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 2012-07-23. 
  4. ^ Post Blog. "Sniper Elite V2 - Organ Piercing Rounds Interview". Gametrailers. Retrieved 2012-07-23. 
  5. ^ "Sniper Elite V2 coming to PC". Webwire.com. 2011-08-05. Retrieved 2012-07-23. 
  6. ^ Cook, Dave (2013-02-05). "Sniper Elite V2 confirmed for Wii U release, GamePad screens emerge". VG247. Retrieved 2013-02-05. 
  7. ^ Acevedo, Paul (2012-06-02). "Sniper Elite V2 Hitler Killin' Mission Available to Buy June 5". Co-Optimus. Retrieved 2013-03-10. 
  8. ^ a b Lincoln, Ross (2012-10-20). "Two New Sniper Elite V2 DLC Packs Released Thursday". GameFront. Retrieved 2013-03-10. 
  9. ^ "New DLC for Sniper Elite V2 PC Comes in Both Free and Paid Flavours". GamersHell. 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2013-03-10. 
  10. ^ Cook, Dave (2013-02-06). "Sniper Elite V2 St. Pierre DLC breaks stealth today on Xbox 360 & PS3". VG24/7. Retrieved 2013-03-10. 
  11. ^ Carpenter, Peter (2012-011-08). "Sniper Elite V2 Multiplayer Expansion Review". The Controller Online. Retrieved 2013-03-10. 
  12. ^ Ben, Lee (2012-011-07). "'Sniper Elite V2' free multiplayer DLC released". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2013-03-10. 
  13. ^ http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/02/14/sniper-elite-nazi-zombie-army-shuffles-into-the-room/
  14. ^ a b "Sniper Elite V2 (PlayStation 3)". GameRankings. Retrieved 2012-11-12. 
  15. ^ a b "Sniper Elite V2 (Xbox 360)". GameRankings. Retrieved 2012-11-12. 
  16. ^ a b "Sniper Elite V2 (PC)". GameRankings. Retrieved 2012-11-12. 
  17. ^ a b "Sniper Elite V2 for PlayStation 3 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. Retrieved 2012-11-12. 
  18. ^ a b "Sniper Elite V2 for Xbox 360 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. Retrieved 2012-11-12. 
  19. ^ a b "Sniper Elite V2 for PC Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. Retrieved 2012-11-12. 
  20. ^ a b Turi, Tim (2012-05-01). "Sniper Elite V2 review: Rebellion Delivers A Visceral WWII Shooter". Game informer. Retrieved 2013-03-10. 
  21. ^ a b Watters, Chris (2012-05-01). "Sniper Elite V2 GameSpot review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2013-03-10. 
  22. ^ a b Hughes, Matt (2012-05-02). "Sniper Elite V2 GamesRadar review". GamesRadar. Future Publishing. Retrieved 2013-03-10. 
  23. ^ a b Meunier, Nathan (2012-05-14). "Sniper Elite V2 review: Rupturing organs in X-Ray slow motion is a killer way to snipe". IGN. Retrieved 2013-03-10. 
  24. ^ a b Savage, Phil (2012-06-07). "Sniper Elite V2 PC Gamer review". PC Gamer. Future Publishing. Retrieved 2013-03-10. 
  25. ^ "Sniper Elite V2 Game Trailers review". Game Trailers. 2012-05-23. Retrieved 2013-03-10. 
  26. ^ Davies, Marsh (2012-05-03). "Sniper Elite V2 Eurogamer review". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2013-03-10. 

External links [edit]

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