GGMania got a chance to chat with Sniper: Path of Vengeance lead producer John Linn to find more about this soon-to-be-released first person shooter that utilizes powerful Lithtech Jupiter Engine. He provided us with both pretty interesting information and 12 new screenshots.


GGMania: Could you introduce yourself to our readers and tell them a little bit about what you do on Sniper? What games have you made previously, and are you currently working on other projects in addition to Sniper?

John Linn: Hi, my name is John Linn, and I'm the Lead Producer on Sniper. I basically make sure that all the separate areas of the game are running together smoothly, from QA to Sound Design. Some of the other Xicat titles I've worked on are Iron Aces, Gothic, and Ballistics. Right now I'm finishing up Sniper, as well as Black Belt Challenge for Gameboy Advance, Metal Dungeon for Xbox, and Choplifter: Search and Rescue for Playstation2.




GGMania: I have noticed that Sniper has been announced a year ago from developer IncaGold and scheduled for release in fall 2001. Now I have read an announcement that the same game going to show up in stores in September 2002 under a new developer Mirage Media. Can you explain what happened?


John Linn: We went to Inca with the idea for a first person shooter with a mob theme called Sniper. Incagold began development in late 2001, and fleshed out a story and characters. By 2002, the game was not really meeting our expectations. We decided to put it on hold, and in the mean time, we met the guys at Mirage Media. They were very experienced with the Lithtech engine, and they seemed like a perfect fit. They reworked the story and plot and began development; and we re-titled it Sniper: Path of Vengeance.


GGMania: At the conceptual level, what are your key overall goals for Sniper? What are the major elements in the gameplay experience you're aiming to provide?

John Linn: I'm hoping that people will enjoy the ambiance and the dark, ominous setting that really defines Sniper: Path of Vengeance. It's about being this somewhat evil-anti hero who is basically on a quest to kill everyone who's against him. We really want players to feel like they're him; to see through his eyes and hear what he hears. It's got some fantastic sound, music, and voice acting, and some amazing Lithtech-powered visuals.




GGMania: Could you compare Sniper with Hitman and Project IGI ?

John Linn: I'd say Sniper plays different from both games, but there certainly are elements combined from both. Sniper: POV is less about stealth than it is about furious gunfights, and taking out enemies quickly and exactingly. The storyline is much more personal to the main character too. The theme is Vengeance, with a good amount of intrigue and corruption.


GGMania: What is the storyline for the game?

John Linn: As the Sniper, you're a feared killer who knows no allegiance. The Sniper's been set up to take a fall, and his goal is to find out who set him up and drugged him, and extract his revenge. Along the way he'll meet many people, mob bosses, Chinese and Russian Mafia, and helpful bystanders.


GGMania: What sort of environments and setting will the game take place in?

John Linn: Most of the environments are in city setting, which is almost like a demilitarized zone, where crime is rampant and runs everything. The game has a very urban feel, and the environments reflect that.


GGMania: What kinds of weapons will be available in the game? Will there be more weapons than just a sniper rifle?

John Linn: The Sniper rifle is just one of 10 weapons in the game, ranging from pistols to fully automatic machine guns.




GGMania: What kind of enemies can players expect to find in Sniper?

John Linn: The enemies range from crazed mafia members to police and SWAT team officers. All the enemies use a variety of weapons and tactics to take the Sniper down.


GGMania: How many levels in total will we have to play?

John Linn: There are about 25 levels in all.


GGMania: As an example for readers and fans, could you walk us through a mission that we'll play in Sniper?

John Linn: The view opens on a rainy, dismal night. The setting is a small town on the waterfront, with hanging gothic bridges and structures. You slip from your car and make your way down the rain soaked streets looking for your contact. Slipping under an overpass, you see a man in a black suit, who you recognize as your contact. He gives you your job, and a rifle. Your hit is guarded by armed police, so you must sneak across the street from him and take them out with the scope of your rifle. As you let the first shot fly, the cops unholster their weapons and come gunning for you. If you are quick, you can take them all out and proceed to your hit; if not, you'll be kissing dirt. After the kill, you make your way back to your vehicle for a speedy escape.


GGMania: How many hours of gameplay can we expect from the game?

John Linn: The average player should be able to complete Sniper in about 20 hours.


GGMania: Which engine is used in Sniper?

John Linn: We licensed Lithtech's Jupiter Engine, which is the same engine to be used in NOLF2.


GGMania: Why did you choose the LithTech engine for your game?

John Linn: The Lithtech engine the most features and options, and Jupiter has made some really nice advances graphically. We will be the first product shipped that uses the Jupiter engine as well.


GGMania: What about music soundtrack and effects in Sniper?

John Linn: The soundtrack is quite excellent, and was composed by Doyle Donehoo at Radar Music. The overall goal was to create a theme that conveyed a sinister, brooding feel; with a bit of intrigue suspense and ambiance. The sound effects were done by Mirage and feature some very realistic weapon sounds and environmental effects. The voice acting is all top-notch, done by a group of really great actors. The Sniper has been casted exceptionally well, and his voice is really deep and gritty.


GGMania: Will the game include a multiplayer mode

John Linn: Sniper is only a single player experience right now, but we are contemplating a multiplayer add on.


GGMania: What other gameplay elements in the game do you consider to be important and/or unique?

John Linn: Sniper features some interesting RPG elements, where you can customize your character's health, stamina, strength, and abilities with the various weapons through the game. You'll gain experience for each kill and successful task completed. As you gain experience you level up, and are given skill points to distribute amongst your attributes. You also have an inventory in which to keep weapons, power-ups, and healing items. You can assign any item to quick slots, such as med kits to heal in combat quickly. Your weapons may also be switched around in your holster, allowing you to use any combination of weapons, and assigning any number key you want for them.


GGMania: What the current system requirements are for Sniper?

John Linn: The game requires a Pentium III 600 Mhz or equivalent processor, a 16MB Graphics Accelerator and at least 128MB of RAM.



GGMania: When can we expect to see the game hit store shelves and at what price?

John Linn: Sniper will be available on September 17th and will be $39.99


GGMania: Do you plan to release a playable demo?

John Linn: Yes, the demo will be available shortly before release.


GGMania:Thank you very much for taking the time to do this interview, is there anything else you'd like to tell our readers?

John Linn: Please check out the Official Site at http://www.xicat.com for free download, upcoming demos for Sniper and news on all of our great titles!