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Sniper Elite Feature Feature
Mark Simons
28/07/2003
We send our roving reporter on a reconnaissance mission to find out all he can about this interesting title from Rebellion...
Oxford based Rebellion Software has a proven record of creating intense, thrilling, atmospheric games with notable releases including 'Aliens Vs. Predator' and 'Delta Force: Urban Warfare'. Their next title, 'Sniper Elite', set to be released on PC, PlayStation2 and Xbox, is billed as a WWII sniper simulation featuring infiltration and close-quarter action. Derek dela Fuente, our roving reporter, spoke with Producer and Lead Designer Emerson Best, in order to get an insight into the concept and aspirations for the game.
Publisher Wanadoo approached Rebellion with the basic concept of a sniping game. Wanadoo Director, Edouard Lussan, had previously lived in Berlin while serving in the military and had a strong interest in military history, it was this and movies like 'Enemy at the Gates' that provided some of the inspiration behind the title.
It was felt that recreating some the period when Berlin was completely destroyed by the Allied bombs and Russian artillery shelling, when the most powerful armies in the world were struggling to gain control over the city, would be of great interest to gamers. With this in mind the project started and the focus for the team was to make this a showcase game with cool and inventive ideas, which in some cases are still being worked on and formulated.
Emerson started by telling us how "Sniper Elite will combine 1st and 3rd person views but will have a different feel to it from a typical FPS. We really don't think anything else will offer the same gameplay experience".
With the spotlight on innovation and pushing the technology envelope, Rebellion can utilise their vast amount of experience, having worked on broadly similar titles in the past, to really try to move in a new direction.
Emerson went on to say: "We have a huge collection of resource material, including books, movies and documentaries, and have done extensive research, including going to Berlin. Edouard Lussan at Wanadoo has provided his extensive knowledge of the city and history of the period. We have used military advisers indirectly via our contacts with museums, etc. for reference materials and may also bring in an expert in-house if we feel it is needed at any point. Though the game does have a strong historical setting and attention to realism in many aspects, I must point out this is done to add atmosphere and make a more original and enjoyable game. We are definitely not trying to create a totally realistic war game or soldier sim! If we had to categorize it, Sniper Elite is more of a Military tactical shooter. We understand it is a game and will always bend the rules and reality where needed to make sure it's fun to play."
'Sniper Elite' is being developed on multiple platforms simultaneously using Rebellion's custom built Asura engine. This supports high end features such as exterior and interior high polygon environments, single skin actors with advanced skeletal animation, advanced lighting techniques, particle effects, ragdoll physics and surround sound. Beyond these shared core features Rebellion are also making specific optimisations and customisations for each platform. Technology is important to the team and so they are very focussed on harnessing the tools at their dispolal to create great gameplay, rather than just ticking off boxes on a technical wish list.
The setting for the game is spring 1945. Based historical events, you take the role of an American elite sniper sent into Berlin in the last two weeks of World War II by the OSS (the forerunner of the CIA) to prevent the Soviets from gaining the secrets of the Atomic bomb and dominating Europe - effectively the start of the cold war.
The player's character is Peter Mauer, an American who knows Berlin well and speaks fluent German. Combined with his marksmanship, this makes him the ideal candidate for the OSS to send in. Cunning, observational skills and tactical acumen are just few of the traits required to survive, let alone succeed as a sniper. Finding and selecting the desired vantage point to make a critical shot and using your wits is all part of the assignment within what is a realistic and dynamic hostile environment.
Emerson added: "The game is, of course, heavily based around sniping and accordingly the player will be able to do an appropriate range of actions but these are not finalised yet."
Important to a large number of action gamers is the way injury and body detection is executed, plus how precise and well-presented close and long range shooting works. Emerson was eager to discuss all these.
"Due to the game's emphasis on sniping we have done a lot of work on this and will have a realistic character damage model allowing hits to specific body parts, wounding and even shooting specific items, such as grenades, out of an enemy's hand."
"We will have some sophisticated simulation elements in our sniping and aiming system for players who want to take it seriously and really test their skill. However, we will make sure all the simulation elements have options to be turned on and off by the user as first and foremost we want Sniper Elite to be accessible and fun to play."
As mentioned, the entire game is set in a recreation Berlin as it was towards the end of the war, the aim, naturally is for a very authentic look and feel to imerse you in deep in the game. Many of the missions will feature recognizable landmarks and authentic textures, which Rebellion gathered on their visits to the city, and have even managed to recreate, from photographs and plans, some buildings that no longer exist.
The all-important weapons on offer will range from various forms of sniper rifles, silenced pistols to grenades and knives. Additional pick-ups and weapons can be found and taken from the enemy these include stick bombs, machine guns, pistols, not silenced, flame thrower or panzerfaust.
As the game will be mission based and action oriented it does not feature dialogue or character interaction heavily for the emphasis is on action and not talking!
'Sniper Elite' features single player campaign consisting of ten missions, two-player co-operative - split screen, multiplayer deathmatch and online modes, these will vary on different formats. With a great diversity in mission objectives it was expressed that replayability was of prime importance!
'Sniper Elite' presently looks like it could offer a lot, with realism being top of that list.
Emerson parted with his final comment: "Players who want a challenge will really enjoy Sniper Elite!"
With the sniper rifle being the favorite weapon in many games it will be interesting to see how are whole game based around sniping will fare. With it's emphasis on authenticity and gameplay innovation we are looking forward to spending some time finding out how Sniper Elite plays.
Stick with TVG for the latest on this game.
Feature by Derek dela Fuente.
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