Thursday, August 11, 2011

One bullet can change history

Trailer gives first glimpse of Sniper Elite V2 with unique ‘kill cam’



Bones shatter, organs rupture and blood gushes – the explosive first trailer for Sniper Elite V2 shows that, in the ruins of Berlin in 1945, every shot counts.

Global publisher 505 Games and Rebellion announced in April that they are working on the long-awaited sequel to 2005’s critically-acclaimed Sniper Elite for the current generation of consoles.

The thrilling first trailer – released online today – is the opening salvo in the run-up to the release of Sniper Elite V2 next year, which is sure to revitalise a genre all of its own.

The trailer premieres the unique ‘kill cam’, which rewards a ‘good’ shot by explicitly demonstrating just how destructive a sniper’s bullet can be – following it along its path before switching to slow motion X-ray detail to show its actual effects on the target’s skeleton and organs. The kill cam rewards good gameplay but reinforces the chilling impact of the sniper on the battlefields of World War Two.

It also demonstrates the distinctive direction of Sniper Elite V2– this is no ‘run and gun’ shoot ‘em up. Players must carefully thread their way through the ruins and complete covert missions, otherwise hordes of German Wehrmacht will come running.

Released in 2005, Sniper Elite saw gamers playing an American OSS secret agent disguised as a German sniper in Berlin during the final days of World War II. It earned considerable public and critical applause with its blend of stealth action - which emphasised patience and cunning over reflexes alone - culminating in being awarded ‘Best PC/Console Game’ at the TIGA awards 2005.

Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion, said:
“We’re really excited by the new teaser trailer for Sniper Elite V2. It gives a sneak peek at the kind of action you can expect from the game, as well as the chance to see what makes it so unique.
“This is no ‘run and gun’ game and you have to be strategic, take your time and think problems through rather than go in all guns blazing – exactly what made the original Sniper Elite such a great game.”

Chris Kingsley, CTO of Rebellion, said:
“The kill cam is both a big part of Sniper Elite’s gameplay and a major technical challenge – recreating in exacting detail the effect of a bullet on the human body. This is just a glimpse for now, but we know fans of the original Sniper Elite will be thrilled to see we’ve taken what made Sniper Elite such a hit and built on it.”

Ian Howe, President of 505 Games US, said:
“Sniper Elite V2 will be the most brutally realistic military sharpshooter out there on the market. Our WW2 Berlin is utterly realistic in terms of locations, weapons, vehicles, uniforms, music and other important details. We want the player to really feel like they are really there at an important moment in time where WW2 started to drift into the beginning of the Cold War. We want them to feel the utter tension and completely get into the mindset where one bullet really does count.”