Sniper Elite 5
Sniper Elite 5 is a third-person tactical shooter developed by Rebellion Developments and released in 2022, for PC, PS4/5 and Xbox One/X/S. Set in 1944 France, players return as Karl Fairburne to stop a secret Nazi plot, with the series' signature sniping and enhanced kill cam.
I worked as a Level Designer on Sniper Elite 5, where I was responsible for Level 7, "Secret Weapons." When I took over, the level was in its early whitebox stage. I managed all aspects of its design, including:
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Created and maintained whitebox of the level from early stages to fully ready for art.
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Designed level flow, points of interest and overall themes.
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Placed enemies, object interactions, dialogue, combat encounters and cover layouts.
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Designed and implemented all events and objectives.
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Managed loot distribution and balancing across entire map.
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Created and maintained player collision and enemy navigation mesh.
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Fixed bugs and made edits to content for stability and performance considerations.
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Collaborated with art, PFX, code and audio teams to meet level design needs.
Mission 7 Secret Weapons
Secret Weapons is set in a Nazi weapons research facility located in the Massif Central region of France. The player's main objective is to infiltrate the facility and gather intelligence on Operation Kraken - a plan to launch V2 rockets from stealth U-boats aimed at New York and Washington.
The level features diverse environments, including a dome housing an underground V2 refuelling site, a weapons lab, a V2 launch site and a lake test site for submerged V2 rockets. Players must navigate these areas using a combination of stealth and combat to overcome elite enemies, snipers, tanks and dangerous vehicle convoy that patrols the map. Secondary objectives include sabotaging a radio tower located in a castle and stealing prototype weapon intel from a train station. Additionally, there are 19 collectibles hidden throughout the level, including personal letters, classified documents, and stone eagles.
The mission culminates in the neutralization of the facility and its V2 launch capabilities, effectively thwarting the Nazi plan to strike Normandy's shores.
The narrative sets the stage with Karl being sent to investigate, so the gameplay flow begins with stealth or a general sense of uncertainty as Karl uncovers new information and acts on it. I aimed to teach players early on that infiltration and stealth would be essential to fully experience everything the level has to offer.
The map is divided into two main areas: certain optional objectives outside the large wall and the rest of the objectives, including the primary ones, within the base's interior. At some point, players must figure out how to bypass the wall and infiltrate the main research facility. There are multiple ways to achieve this, supporting both stealthy and loud approaches.
Sniper Elite 5 was designed with the goal of providing players a unique experience with each level. For Secret Weapons we wanted to shift gameplay to a slower, more calculated pace, with a focus on sporadic encounters and stealth. Below I'll outline key areas and features of this level and reflect on my work on them.
Train Station
The train station is located in the southeastern part of the map. This area is patrolled by multiple enemies, and there are several buildings to investigate. The optional objective in this area is called [ Acquire Intel on the Shipments ].
There are two parts to complete for this objective:
The first part is to [ Acquire the Manifest ]. This intel can be obtained by either locating the engineer who has the documents or by exploring the western building of the station and finding the safe. Players can either obtain the key from the officer or use explosives to open it. Additionally, this same building contains information related to the whereabouts of Christian Jungers, an optional Kill List target.
The second part is to [ Take Recon Images ] of the area. To do this, players need to find specific viewpoints and take the photos from there. Taking pictures wasn’t a frequently used mechanic throughout the game, but I felt it fit well here, reinforcing the themes of being a spy infiltrating enemy territory and gathering intel. It also aligns nicely with a stealth-focused playstyle.
However, despite how well it suited this level, some players found the objective unclear. I believe this was because we hadn’t introduced this type of task in earlier missions. By the time players encountered it late in the game, they lacked familiarity with the mechanic, and it was too late to properly establish it as part of the gameplay.
Completing this optional objective will provide more story context for Operation Kraken.
Since it’s an open area, I wanted to make sure the station’s train track entry point was noticeable but strategically risky. Using this approach requires dealing with a guard in a watchtower. Players can neutralize the guard by sniping them or disabling the searchlight to lure them out. The pillbox nearby makes this the most dangerous infiltration route, encouraging players to use stealth and explore alternative ways inside.
This area encourages stealth gameplay, so going in loud would have significant consequences. If one enemy is alerted, all nearby enemies will join the fight, including an elite sniper positioned on a small hill on the east side. To heighten the challenge, an additional elite sniper in the hidden watchtower behind the large checkpoint wall will also engage, making fighting in the open a risky proposition.
Castle
An old castle that has been repurposed as a Nazi communications base. The objective here is called Neutralize the Radio Tower. To complete this objective, players must infiltrate the castle, which is in the south-west corner of the map, and sabotage the radio tower.
The castle looms over the players with its high walls, offering the perfect setting for multiple infiltration options. I designed several entry points to encourage different playstyles, including a zipline, a sewer passage, climbing up the rear tower, or going loud through the main entrance.
Once inside the castle, players have two options to sabotage the radio tower. One method involves destroying the cables attached to the walls in the castle interior by shooting the hooks. The other method requires accessing the generator on the ground floor of the main tower. After gaining access to the tower, players can use a crowbar on the fuse box next to the generator to disable it.
The second half of the mission involves exploring the facility, gathering intel on Operation Kraken, and sabotaging the V2 rocket program.
Key areas include:
● Weapons Lab: A heavily guarded facility where the Nazis are developing new weapons.
● V2 Launch Site: The location where the V2 rockets are being launched.
● V2 Capsule Test: A facility where the Nazis are testing a new method of launching V2 rockets from the ocean.
● Dome: A large underground facility that houses the war room where Operation Kraken is being coordinated.
PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. MORE COMING SOON
PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. MORE COMING SOON
PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. MORE COMING SOON
PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. MORE COMING SOON
Unmarked Storylines
Abandoned Cottage. An empty house that is used by the occupying nazis.
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Content Creators Playing My Level
Made it to number two in BrutalBarracudas "All 14 Missions Ranked Worst To Best" ranking video.
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BAI GAMING Sniper Elite 5 - Mission 7: Secret Weapons Walkthrough.
Core2TOM Sniper Elite 5: Secret Weapons - Ghost, 0 Kills, No KO, Authentic playthrough.
