*Note: code was provided by Evolve PR*
I was woefully unprepared for the slower-paced nature of Sniper Elite V2 — originally from the last-gen of consoles and now on practically everything (I played on my Switch). There’s no running and gunning, but there are certainly cool set pieces. Escaping a compound as buildings around me were exploding, debris falling left and right, was one of the more memorable moments during my playthrough.
There’s also a lot of fun to be had with trip mines — leading unsuspecting Nazis to their unsuspecting doom never gets old.
What struck me was that a lot of these moments are unscripted. You’re in control of the tools, and you decide how and when you use them. And boy, let me tell you, I struggled here. Not because the design is unclear in what you’re supposed to be doing — the missions are fairly simple in their “go from A to B approach” — but I’ve become spoilt by the more action-packed shooters of late. And my game history can attest for this. I was stuck on mission 1 for what felt like forever. Why? Because I wanted to John-Rambo my way through the levels.
So I had to accept my fate. I’m a sniper, damnit. I should start acting like one. So I did. I went about the missions with a slow and measured approach. First, spot the enemies. Second, assess the situation. And third, execute my plan.
Spotting enemies is pretty straightforward, though I’m annoyed at the fact that WWII binoculars can’t zoom in.
Assessing the situation can be a fun puzzle. How many people can I take out quietly before anyone notices? Or better yet, how much trouble will I get into once I start using my sniper rifle?
Executing a plan is prone to go hilariously wrong. In my head I’d like to see myself as this cool apex predator, stalking his prey. In actuality, more often than not, I end up bungling my way through the levels. Some of it is due to the joy-con analog not being ideal* for shooters (or precise sniper aiming), but some of it is definitely me misreading the situation. A stray bullet will promptly and certainly alert nearby guards.
*Curse you, joy-con drift!
But I’m not even discussing the pièce de résistance: crunchy, satisfying killshots. If the stars align before you pull the trigger, the camera will slow down and provide you with an x-ray view of your enemies final moments. I’ll spare you the details so I don’t come across as a sociopath, but suffice to say that these moments are definitely the cherry on top of Sniper Elite’s gameplay. Also, you will definitely feel like a badass once you take down a whole squad with nothing but your sniper rifle. Unrealistic? Yes. Totally cool? Very much so.
Earlier I touched upon the fact that this is from the earlier gen and it shows, though it never hampered my enjoyment. Small details, like the main character’s expressions or the zoomed-in trajectory with which the bullet travels make the game feel alive. Don’t discount this for being an older title. There’s still fun to be had in this linear sandbox.
– Sniper Elite V2 Remastered is now available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC –
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