‘Sniper Elite 4’ Dev Outlines The Many Ways SE4 Will Improve Upon Its Predecessor

The Sniper Elite franchise has always enjoyed something of a niche following. Its community has grown considerably over the last 11 years, most recently following the 2014 debut of Sniper Elite 3 , but longstanding (and unaddressed) criticisms prevented the franchise from attaining a massive following on-par with what we’ve seen from other decade-old shooters. That could all change next year with the launch of Sniper Elite 4 .

We recently had a chance to go hands-on with the next entry in the Sniper Elite franchise, before speaking with Rebellion’s Head of Creative, Tim Jones, about the many changes fans can expect to see in SE4 . Like its predecessor, Sniper Elite 4 will highlight battles and combat theaters many people aren’t familiar with, eschewing iconic battlefields like the Normandy in favor of a surprisingly pristine slice of the Italian countryside. In Sniper Elite 4 , players will lead series protagonist Karl Fairburne through Axis encampments ahead of the Allied forces that invaded Italy in 1943 . The people and places featured in SE4 might not be familiar, but that’s part of what makes them so intriguing to Rebellion.

“We’ve got so many war buffs in the office. People who really know the history of World War II and are fascinated by it,” Jones said. “And there are so many untold stories, so many fascinating things that happened…Yeah, there’s obviously the big movies and things that people know, like Saving Private Ryan . And Enemy At The Gates is obviously an inspiration, seeing as it’s sniper focused. But we take pride in actually exploring areas of World War II that haven’t previously been tackled.”

New scenery won’t be the only major change in Sniper Elite 4 . The highlight for many players will be the inclusion of two new kill cameras, one dedicated to melee takedowns and another that highlights shrapnel-induced casualties, but those additions are just “icing on the cake” for Rebellion. Jones acknowledges their headline-grabbing potential but says there are numerous other changes the studio believes to be more important.

“[Kill-cams are] obviously very popular and flashy and satisfying to experience. But it’s not the core gameplay for us,” Jones said. “What we wanted to do was just really expand the scale of the levels, the openness to the player, the options they have. They’re like giant sandboxes, these levels, so you can literally take them any order you want. All the objectives in there, you can do them in any order you want…it’s totally non-linear. You can run around it as you please.”

Jones says many of the improvements we’ll see in Sniper Elite 4 were made possible by abandoning last-gen platforms. Sony and Microsoft might not be content with their latest consoles anymore, with both confirmed to be working on updated versions of their current hardware, but Rebellion expects to provide a vastly improved experience (compared to SE3 ) when Sniper Elite 4 hits PS4 and Xbox One next year.

“We can really notch up what we can do technologically,” Jones told iDigitalTimes. “All the AI, across the entire map, are active all the time. And that can be in excess of 100 AI. Often, like 200. And that means we get really kind of cool, emergent scenarios going on. We’re not just scripting it so a bunch of guys pop into existence as you walk through a door.”

That focus on realism extends to every corner of the Sniper Elite 4 experience. The game features a noticeably improved audio system, bolstered to amplify player immersion and AI interaction, enabling players to use explosions and other loud noises to confuse, scatter and harm Axis forces in situations where sound-masking shots isn’t an option. Similarly, planted explosives and other traps can be used to pull enemies back off your trail when they get too close.

“In the previous game, we were encouraging relocation when you take shots. Force you to move away, in a realistic fashion, to get away from where the AI thinks you last were,” Jones told iDigi. “This time we’re being a little bit more organic about it and a little bit more realistic. It’s not like, ‘take three shots and you’re forced to relocate.’ It depends on an awful lot of factors, like [how far from the AI] you are, how alert they are at the time. You know, maybe they’ll come investigate. Maybe they’ll get the drop on you. It just feels a lot more natural the way we’re doing things now. Which is challenging to do but the payoff is really good.”

Bullet penetration will also play a larger role this time around. In previous games, it was difficult to kill an enemy behind cover, primarily because you couldn’t shoot through the various objects Axis forces would use to hide from Karl. But things have changed in Sniper Elite 4 . Thick cover, like concrete or a brick wall, will still provide plenty of protection for a soldier under fire. But less dense surfaces, like a fabric tent or wooden crate, won’t provide the same protection from projectiles. Of course, that also means the player must be mindful about the cover they choose. Breaking a soldier’s line of sight won’t necessarily guarantee safety anymore.

Rebellion found other ways to up the pressure, too. Kill-cams have always given the player some positive incentive to focus on the timing and accuracy of their shots. But Sniper Elite 4 seems to offer much harsher consequences for poor shot choices, particularly if you fail to kill your intended target(s). Wounded soldiers won’t just bleed out on the ground anymore. They’ll call out to their allies, alerting other nearby soldiers of your presence, making it much harder for you to progress without being dragged into a prolonged gunfight. But this can be used to the player’s advantage. Jones outlined one such scenario, explaining that players can wound a grenade-toting soldier, wait for his allies to assist him and shoot the explosive for a group kill.

Multiplayer will also return in Sniper Elite 4 , in a variety of forms, but the studio isn’t ready to say much on that subject yet. Jones did confirm the next entry in the Sniper Elite franchise would feature both competitive and cooperative multiplayer. Rebellion’s Head of Creative also says players will be able to complete the entire Sniper Elite 4 campaign with a friend and that the game will feature other cooperative multiplayer content, too. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until a bit closer to launch to get any additional information.

Sniper Elite 4 is in development for PS4, Xbox One and PC. The game debuts Feb. 14, 2017.

Be sure to check back with iDigitalTimes.com and follow Scott on Twitter for more Sniper Elite 4 news throughout 2016 and as long as Rebellion supports Sniper Elite 4 in the months following launch.