Where did every gamer soul first get high on slow-mo bullet cam mayhem?” This very question was set forth by the official Sniper Elite Twitter account into the whirlpool of nostalgia that now touches the hearts of gamers of all ages. Oh, the answers really took me on a journey through a memory lane in gaming!
Then the developers kept things simple: “What was the first Sniper Elite game you played?” They followed this commentary with the crosshair emoji that we all know so well. Now imagine, for a moment, nearly two decades of memories spawned from those two questions. Some of these answers really made me want to look through my existing game collection to see whether I still possess some of my originals.
The OG crowd came out to pay homage to the truly first Sniper Elite, back in 2005. Some people were letting loose on Twitter, one stated: “The original on PS2.” And then came Mr_6_Pound_10, “Sniper Elite the first one.” Now, can we really talk about @BrutalBarracuda’s story? He and a friend were looking for some co-op games, and the bullet killing cam sold them on Sniper Elite. X-ray bullet cam was revolutionary back then; try and convince me otherwise.
But here is where it gets bad: the V2 crowd came crashing in. At least half of the answers gave Sniper Elite V2 as the first. @EliteFuller, @juansolous, and @slycer2002 gave V2 as their first with their names, while @gerintium was bawling thanks to the Official Playstation Magazine demo. Remember the demo disks? Those were the days.
Timeline got messed with. Some started with SE3 (@RussellTeddy72), others with SE4 (@StolenDaughter ranked it as their favorite), some even with the latest, SE5, @snappsdragon claiming SE5 inspired him to jump to SE4. That had to be the insane interjection from @Ratzenbullah again, asking if Nazi Zombie Army counts-well, it’s a hell of a question.
Players going back in time after finding out about the series is just nuts. @StonieBeloney went “3 then 4 then 5 then went back to v2,” while @finnhassteuch did “4, then V2, 3, 4 again and then 5.” That’s some serious sniping dedication there.
True MVP could’ve been @JM_Edwards, for not only naming the first game but dropping the real question: “BTW, did anyone ever tell you it needs a remaster/remake/re-release?” Considering how many people were talking about trouble running the original on their old PCs (with @V4inol4inen saying it “barely ran on my pc at the time”), maybe Rebellion should start taking notes.
Let’s also take a note of the diverse platforms here: PS2, Xbox, PS3, Steam, even mentions of demo discs. This series has went everywhere. @tanerlconaway repping the original Xbox version while @Jaxn040HH went with playing V2 on Steam. This series has been ricocheting across consoles and generations ever since like a bullet.
Nostalgia hits hardest with a story like the one from @xolliChen, where the first game was given by his father, who showed it to him “with great enthusiasm.” Or the nostalgic “good memories<3” from @suskoooo_ about the PS2 version. Somebody go grab their old console now.
A crazy number of players who’ve stayed with the series. From day one. @madmac1177 stated, “1 and every one since,” and so did @DarkHunterFella with “every one since.” That’s some serious brand loyalty that sniping action has been able to nurture for almost 20 years.
The response spawned other conversations, like @BrutalBarracuda and @gerintium reminiscing about demo discs and old copies hidden in cupboads. It’s these little talks that really speak a lot about the history this game has with its players.
With the sheer number of replies, one thing is evident; whether they threw pixel-headed PS2 shots for the very first time or made perfect slow-mo take-downs with SE5’s crisp graphics, every Sniper Elite player out there shares a very special bond. Now the series has definitely gone far since 2005, but lining up a perfect shot-Gah, the thrill is forever!
One can pretty much state Rebellion has a client that has only grown with every subsequent project. From demo discs on the PS2 to modern consoles, its been one hell of a ride full of headshots. And based on these responses, it seems like the players ain’t done reminiscing anytime soon. Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta find out whether my old-ass PS2 works…
