The news that Sniper Elite V2 is coming to the Wii U has us very excited indeed. The WW2 epic launched on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC last year, and gained positive reviews for its tense action and innovative "Kill Cam". We were understandably keen to speak to the guys behind the game about the challenge of bringing it to Nintendo's console and how the Wii U edition is going to improve on what has gone before, so we we caught up with Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley.
Nintendo Life: Could you tell us what makes the Wii U version of Sniper Elite V2 so different to last year's version?
Jason Kingsley: Sniper Elite has always been about letting players think carefully about how to execute their missions - marking patrols, planning the perfect vantage point, setting traps to defend your position...but the Wii U’s GamePad really dials up the tactical elements of the game and makes them that much more satisfying.
Using the GamePad a player can now track the exact positions of any patrols they’ve ‘tagged’ in real-time, and locate any explosives they’ve set – in fact the map even tells you the diameter of their explosions, so you can work out exactly when to set them off for maximum carnage! These are all things you can’t do on the current console and PC versions. The fact that it’s all at a glance too – rather than hidden away in a menu — means you can react quicker. That’ll come in handy because the game can get pretty tough if you’re spotted!
JK: I think one of my favourite features though is one of the most subtle – players can now see their character’s BPM on the GamePad without looking down the scope of their sniper rifle. As any Sniper Elite fans reading this will know, that heart rate is really important when it comes to making precision shots, so it’s a massive advantage to see this it a glance – it’ll change the way players manage their movement, and combat.
NL: Did you have chance to factor in user feedback from the 360, PS3 and PC versions of the game?
JK: We’ve been listening to feedback from our fans since V2’s release day – we’ve got a very vocal community online, which is why we’ve continued to support the game with updates, fixes and DLC before we even thought about the Wii U version.
NL: How long has it taken to port the game to the Wii U?
JK: The great thing about our proprietary in-house engine, Asura, is that it’s specifically built to be easily adaptable to new platforms so the process was quicker than we expected.
NL: Has any of the DLC been included in the Wii U edition?
JK: No – we’re concentrating on making sure the core game is as good as it can be.
NL: How have you found the Wii U hardware?
JK: We really enjoyed bringing games like Rogue Trooper to the original Wii, and we’re finding Wii U is another great piece of kit. Needless say, the GamePad offers something completely new to developers that you just don’t see elsewhere. Also, just from a personal perspective as a gamer, I love the feel of the GamePad as a controller – it’s just so much lighter and more comfortable than you expect for something packed with so many features.
NL: Has the conversion process been straightforward?
JK: We’re lucky because we have a lot of experience making games for different platforms, so I think we were already in a great position to bring V2 to Wii U. A large part of this down to the team that work on Asura – it’s really flexible and works on all sorts of platforms, from smartphones to high end PCs...and now Wii U of course. We’re really proud of it!
NL: Do you find the Wii U to be more powerful than the 360 and PS3?
JK: In a word yes – it’s very capable, and we’re taking advantage of this to bring greater graphical fidelity to the Wii U version of Sniper Elite V2.
NL: If you had the chance to build the game from the ground up for the Wii U, would you make any more changes?
JK: It’s too hard to say at this stage – I think our use of the GamePad for Sniper Elite: V2 on Wii U is already a big step forward for the series.
NL: What's it been like working with 505 Games?
JK: We have a great relationship with 505 – we’ve always seen them as a partner rather than as traditional publisher. Although we self-published the PC version on Steam, it was 505 who helped us get the game in the hands of Xbox 360 and PS3 owners. In the end, as a developer, you just want as many people as possible to enjoy the game you’ve worked so hard on! We’re really happy to work with them again for Wii U version.
NL: Do you have plans for any original projects on the Wii U?
JK: Sorry, there’s nothing for us to tell you right now!
Thanks to Jason for taking the time to answer our questions and Robbie Cooke at Rebellion for arranging this interview. Sniper Elite V2 is being published by 505 Games and is due out on the Wii U later this year.
Comments 25
This looks pretty interesting. The GamePad sounds to have been thoughtfully integrated, enhancing real-time combat and such.
Will be keeping an eye on this.
Looks AWESOME ..
The Wii U has created a golden age of map innovation... It's hard to understand why people aren't more excited!
This game is awesome, but i won't be getting it for WiiU. At least not right away. I have the game on steam and wouldn't pay full price to play it again with a few changes.
But can you use the gyroscopes in the Wii U GamePad to lift it up in front of you and look at the GamePad's screen as though you are actually directly looking down the sniper scope of the gun to aim?
completed it on 360 new games please fzero,metroid,mario kart these are the games i would like.
sounds like the wii u is quite bit more powerful from what they say
Probably gonna grab this one as well.
Just watched the video now I'm definitely getting this! Was it not Rebellion that made world war zero? That was a wicked game!
Of course they aren't including the dlc lol.
considering that the game won't include any DLC, I suppose it will be sold at budget price. if they ask $60 or even $50 just for the gamepad implementation, they're completly wrong... on 360 there's Goty edition (includes 5 DLC) at $40...
this game will be £50/$60 when it comes to the Wii u, No 5 DLC packs included like the 360 and you can get the exact same product on Steam for dirt cheap, the only difference is the Wii u logo :-/this is what other devs tried to do at the wii U launch selling OLD ports of games for a high price just because its on the Wii u .. and people are thinking on why wii u games are not selling ? :-/
I played the Wii version so i want Wii Remote support. I dont play shooters without it anymore.
Surely they need to make this use some sort of Wii U Zapper like the one shown in 2011?
It would be nice to play a 3rd person action game where you could look down the sights of your gun without changing the on screen view. Hopefully this will coincide with Links Crossbow Training 2!
This looks a good game, i will give it a try when it lauched.
Very interesting implementations. Hopefully the game turns out to be good.
Looks interesting...I may pick this up if the price is right
@millarrp Agreed
@Savino
I agree with you there, I played it on the X-Box, and the only time when the game is fun, is when you get a "Sinper Moment", other then that, its a pretty awful shooter, its not even in first person half the time.
Not releasing the DLC pretty much seals the deal for me. I guess I'll look into the PS3 version instead.
No DLC?
Wow.
@CDreams you say "Apart from that, it's nice to see a developer being positive about the Wii U"... If developers hope to port their old games just transferring the menu screen on the gamepad and sell them at full price... well, I continue to be negative about Wii U...
Nice interview. Sounds like good use of the gamepad, I definitely will have to get this game.
People worried about the DLC: I bet that the DLC will be released as... well, DLC.
does this have coop with voice chat?????
wow, how does someone say this and then release the pile of crap they released and then expect anyone to think they are credible ever again.
for as long as I live I won't buy any products from these people.
Tap here to load 25 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...