Sniper Elite V2

Publisher: 505 Games · Studio: Rebellion Developments · Creator: Jason Kingsley, Chris Kingsley

Anecdote

A sequel to the original Sniper Elite of 2005, Sniper Elite V2 was published in April 2012 by British independent studio Rebellion Developments, founded by brothers Jason and Chris Kingsley. The title takes place during the Battle of Berlin in April–May 1945 and follows American OSS agent Karl Fairburne, whose mission is to assassinate the German scientists behind the V-2 program before they can be captured by the Soviets. Director Steve Bristow and his team reconstructed eleven districts of a dying Berlin — the Stadtkern, Karlshorst, the Tiergarten — from Allied aerial photographs and cadastral plans from the Reichsplankammer. The ballistic shooting system, the franchise's signature, models wind drift, gravity, heart rate, and the shooter's breathing, culminating in the iconic kill cam that follows each bullet in slow motion through enemy organs in an X-ray view. A mission lasts between one and two hours, and the full campaign runs approximately twelve hours, playable in two-player co-op. The title also includes a Nazi zombie wave mode titled Nazi Zombie Army, which was later spun off as a distinct franchise. Composer Mark Knight delivers a sweeping orchestral and choral score, punctuated by deep bass swells that announce the imminence of a perfect shot. The Asura engine, developed in-house by Rebellion, handles destructible scenery and ballistics with remarkable technical precision for an independent budget. Sniper Elite V2 sold more than two million copies and spawned a lineage that today comprises six main entries. It remains the installment that established the franchise with the mainstream audience.