Sniper Elite 5’s final DLC pack is inspired by Thief 2 with boundless opportunities
The final DLC for Sniper Elite 5, named ‘Kraken Awakes’, is available right now and sees players venture back into World War 2, to uncover more secrets, weapons, and missions.
The final content pack for Sniper Elite 5 is available for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. Players will come face to face with Operation Kraken, a secret Nazi plan to wreak havoc upon Allied forces with a new aircraft weapon. Face off against Friedrich Vogel, former deputy to Abelard Möller and the new mastermind behind this diabolical scheme, to stop their plan in its tracks.
“I’m particularly excited to see how people play this mission”, associate head of design, Ben Fisher, told TechRadar Gaming in an interview. “When we build Sniper Elite campaign missions, we build them around pretty iconic themes, like 40s or 50s comic book covers to ensure a pulpy accessibility”.
Players will have to navigate a heavily guarded and intricately designed military drydock to unravel the mysteries behind this infamous aircraft hanger. “You can explore anywhere you like”, Fisher explained. “You can gather new materials and gather intel that will give you the upper hand in your mission”.
The exploration and accessibility in the drydock was a crucial feature that the team over at Rebellion didn’t want to miss out on. “One of the inspirations behind the DLC was Thief 2, it had some really enjoyable open stealth locations, particularly a waterfront and little warehouses”, says Fisher. “I remember the sense of freedom and openness just from being able to explore between these interiors, in this larger exterior space, the layers of exploration felt really satisfying.”
Mapping out the future
Along with the new story mission, there are new skins, weapons, and a multiplayer map, the Abandoned Quarry, that will conclude Season Pass Two. “We had lots of fun designing this map,” says Fisher. “We wanted to experiment with the idea of having a central location that’s raised and one side, it seemed like a compelling idea for the basic flow of an environment.”
The Abandoned Quarry is made up of old scene-building materials that Rebellion had developed earlier but didn’t “squeeze all the juice out of” according to Fisher. The accurately build Quarry promotes “aggressive pressure” as players are forced into a barren central location that is flanked by tall buildings and watch towers. It’s something different for the Sniper Elite Series but luckily, it looks like great fun.
“When you’re making something like a DLC, the core foundation of the main game has already been established”, Fisher explains. “Therefore, once you start making a DLC, you can start doing variations on a theme, you can get a riff on ideas, and explore things that aren’t currently in the core content of the game, this way something new happens.”
The new map will undoubtedly promote players to think up even more creative ways to not only get the coolest and most gruesome finishing kills but to also outsmart their opponents with traps around every corner.
You can get the Kraken Awakes DLC now as part of Season Pass Two for $29.99/ £24.99/ AUD$47.52, or as a separate purchase for $10.99/ £9.99/ AUD$19.
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