Sniper Elite V2

Snipers are a funny bunch. They're quite happy to sit patiently for hours on end without moving or making any noise just to get that one perfect shot. However sitting around waiting for hours isn't the greatest game mechanic in the world, so how have Rebellion managed to produce a game which is essentially a sniper simulator.

The original Sniper Elite was released back in 2005 on all the available formats at the time and was a reasonable success with an average score of about 75%. It may seem strange to release a sequel to a game which came out about 7 years ago but at the time the market was swamped with WW2 shooters. Now its all modern shooters so perhaps a visit back to WW2 is in need.

The story is set around the end of WW2 and puts you in the role of an American Sniper charged with taking out a group of scientists. As he takes them out he learns of a separate plot to release a deadly toxic gas over London using German V2 bombs (hence the title). The problem with the story though is that you only really learn about the plot in the briefing screens. It often feels like the story was tacked on to give a reason for the current mission and that's all. You never feel engaged in the story, but being a WW2 shooter this may well be intentional as the target audience for WW2 shooters won't be too fussed about plot when there is enemies to kill.

Gameplay is a styled like a traditional 3rd person shooter. You'll run from cover to cover avoiding being spotted till you find the perfect spot to take out enemies. At times this actually is reminiscent of Splinter Cell in the way that travel across levels can be slow and meticulous to reach your destination. Enemies will pick up on the slightest movement and once they've got suspicious they will continue to be on alert till they find you or you take them out.




Once you've reached your perfect sniping shot the fun really begins. There is something deeply satisfying about taking out an enemy from 200m away with a single headshot. This is made even more impressive by the KillCams which occur, each cam showing X-ray versions of your victim as the bullet enters their body and does various damage (I found by accident that although the majority of kills will be headshots, there is also a KillCam for nut shots showing exploding testicles in full X-ray glory).

The authenticity of the sniping has had a lot of time put into it. Depending on what difficulty you play on you'll have to take into consideration bullet drop when you fire, though the traditional holding your breath steadies your and gives a little target reticule to help with your aim. As you can expect though sniping leaves you vulnerable to attack while your lying in position. So your given various traps to help protect against enemies sneaking up on you, such as trip mines and land mines, which not only will take out enemies but warn you that there are people trying to find you and its possibly a good idea to move.

Each level has a different set-piece to it so whether your blowing up a bridge or sneaking into a compound using loud sounds to cover your killshots (a handy little feature which adds depth to your planned shots) there is plenty of variety in the missions given to you. However the problem is the general concept is very repetitive with a general level being sneak through to position taking out guards as you go, complete set-piece and then defend your position so that you can escape. It's not a game-breaker as it never stops being fun seeing those kill shots and a well-timed kill is still satsifying but you feel like you need to take a break after about two levels due to the similarities. It doesn't help the game is quite short with a total of 11 levels, none of which will take you more than an hour to finish tops.




The other problem the game suffers from is it indecision about what it is. At many times you are sneaking around ala Splinter Cell which works perfectly for the gameplay with the same brutal punishment if you fail to spot one of the guards in time. The brutality comes from the fact that you are not really armed for general shooter combat with both your pistol and machine-gun having painfully slow re-load times, few bullets and not causing nearly enough damage when compared to your rifle. This would be fine but there are times when you are literally pinned down in a location with enemies constantly creeping closer to you and it breaks the flow of gameplay a little. I can understand why Rebellion have done this as the public prefer to just have a shoot-out rather than just sit patiently for the prefect shot but it jars every time it happens and breaks your immersion in the game.

On top of the single player mode there are also a variety of co-op modes including a full co-op campaign mode, Kill Tally which is essentially horde mode for snipers, Bombing run which has you running around the map collecting items for an escape vehicle and Overwatch which has one of you completing an objective while the other player covers you from afar.

Graphically the game is sound. Although level tend to blend into one another this is to be expected as your fighting through a city which has been heavily attacked and destroyed so this fits the setting perfectly. It's quite satisfying creeping through rows of abandoned houses and actually adds to the game as the large size of the levels means there are plenty of routes to choose from on your approach. The KillCams are well animated and never get tiresome to watch even after your 500th kill!




The sound is very well produced and as with a game of this sort is essential to play well. You can hear every footstep so you can tell when an enemy is approaching and there are often audio cues which will pre-warn you when a loud noise is coming allowing you to disguise the noise of your shot. As a nice touch all the enemies only speak German or Russian so although you won't be able to tell whatever they're saying unless your fluent if you hear the word Sniper you get the gist that you've been detected!

Achievement-wise the game is pretty straightforward. A lot of the achievements are story based or based on getting a number of certain kill types such as headshots or moving targets. There are collectible based achievements as well which will be a pain but at least once collected they stay collected so it means you can just go back and replay chapters to finish them. Multiplayer achievements are included too but don't seem to much of a chore to complete. In fact I picked up 530GS just by completing one playthrough.

Overall this is a solid game with an almost perfect feel to how a sniper would have to perform. The KillCams add a sense of accomplishment after a well planned shot and never get tiresome. However the similar levels, brevity of the game and the sudden shifts in gameplay style make this not an essential purchase unless your a die-hard sniper fan.

Overall 7/10

great review mate this is defo my kinda game i love sniping on games.

I really am on the lookout for this but obviously funds are an issue so ill probs buy on the cheap

Nice review. Well done . The game is awesome. Its great when a game creeps out of the woodwork like this one .

Reduced to £22.99 at Game Stubby. I can see this going down more over the next few months.

TreeMunky wrote:Reduced to £22.99 at Game Stubby. I can see this going down more over the next few months.

yeah thats what i was thinking and with the influx that we will have over the next few months i can hold out

Cheers though tree man

Nice one tenners

Sniper alight done and dusted

Even better that your sending it to me next.

I will send it onto Stubby after

After you Stubbs when you get it in 2023

Im getting this looks as my wife would say "totes amazeballs!!" She's soooo gay!!

Nice review as always mate.
I know I will end up getting this sometime as I am a sucker for WWII game's.

Cheers guys, its not a terrible game but its one I found I could only stomach in small sessions such as one level at a time.

Great review mate, from reading it sounds like my sort of game! action yet stealth

think this will be getting bought after the bank holiday

Super journalism mate!! A well considered review methinks!!

Totes Amazeballs!!!

I bought this on the back of your review mate, I really enjoyed it, could be better in places, but could also be alot worse!!

great review, spot on I reckon

Sh00t3rmcgavin2 wrote:I bought this on the back of your review mate, I really enjoyed it, could be better in places, but could also be alot worse!!

great review, spot on I reckon

Completely agree mate! i bought this from the review, it was spot on and look forward to reading more!