I love a good shooter. In fact, shooters are probably my favourite type of games to play. There`s something about those games that I`ve really loved and enjoyed. From Call of Duty to Battlefield to Medal of Honor, there`s so many games now that are out that really do push the boundaries of a FPS or TPS. Over the last week, I`ve had the chance to play another shooter, and that is one of Sniper Elite 4. Having played all of the last Sniper Elite games, I was really excited and looking forward to surely what would be a great addition to the franchise. After playing part of it at EGX last year and catching up with Rebellion there about the game, it only fuelled my excitement, and finally, we`ve seen the game released. So, Is it a game that`s a good addition to the franchise? Or is it a game that`s going to be a let down? Well, Sniper Elite 4 has proven to be a rather fantastic addition to the franchise.
Sniper Elite 4 is developed and published by Rebellion Developments, and is the fourth instalment to the Sniper Elite franchise, and is a direct sequel to Sniper Elite 3. It carries on the story from Sniper Elite 3 and the immediate aftermath, as you take control of Sniper Karl Fairburne, an agent who is set up to assist the Italian resistance fight against the fascists in World War 2. It`s quite nice to see a shooter game go to a World War 2 setting and route. We`ve seen so many games today that have either taken a modern approach to war and a futuristic approach, that the days of seeing a proper World War 2 shooter have been gone for a while. It`s nice and well received to see something go back to the World War 2 setting.
Over the course of the game, there are 8 main campaign missions for you to grab your sniper and take things out. Now, you may wonder and think that`s a small campaign, but that`s because within each mission, there are a series of sub objectives that you can complete in order to earn more XP and rank up quicker. You have your main objective that once completing that will end the mission, but you can earn a lot more XP by playing through the sub objectives, aswell as exploring the game more. I find that if you go for the main objective from the off, you`re not exploring the full game, the way that Rebellion want you to play. My word of advice: Aim to do the sub objectives first, before hitting the main one, as I have said, hitting and completing the main one will complete and finish the mission. You are going to want to approach the sub objectives though as building up XP and gaining in-game currency for purchases are going to be vital later on in the game. Not only that, but there are loads of collectibles to be gained in each mission too, which will result in more XP, and some quite tasty achievements for those that like an achievement too.
Sniper Elite 4 does carry on with its traditions of providing huge maps, and when I look at the size of some of the maps, you do think of Battlefield and the huge size of their maps. You`ll get to explore the map in detail (some of it is stunning) through completing the extra challenges and sub objectives, as they`ll involve you having to travel around the map. It gives you the option for exploring a stunning environment and what a great job Rebellion have done in mastering the visual aspect of the game. Areas have been well designed and visualised, especially when you come across certain areas like villages, towns and everything just looks stunning. You`re going to be able to use the environment to your advantage throughout by hiding in bushes when sniping, and being able to hide from enemy opposition.
Something that has carried over and continues the tradition in Sniper Elite 4 is the return of the X-Ray cam when you kill someone and hit one of their vital organs. Aim down your sights, hold your lung, and aim for a vital organ, and you`ll be treated to a nice slow-mo view of your shot, and X-Ray vision as it hits your opposition. Yes, it does make for a nice bloody sight, but it`s one of my favourite features within the game and has been throughout the franchise. Yes, it can get a bit tedious after a while, especially if you hit 3 or 4 of those shots in a row and it does the same view every time (Although I think there may be an option to turn that off) it is a great little feature that I quite like, and has actually in my opinion, become one of the traits that you now associate with Sniper Elite.
Sniper Elite does also come with a range of multiplayer options, in terms of co-op play and big team play. You`re going to be able to team up with a friend and take on the campaign together, or you`re going to be able to go online and join some of the big Multiplayer modes you get in shooters, such as Team Deathmatch and Free for All just to name a few. However, something Rebellion do that for me made it quite interesting and different to any other shooter in terms of their Multiplayer action, is that they awarded points based on the type of shot and kill you just mastered. So it could be a case that it`s not all about having the most kills on a team. You could have only mastered a handful of kills, but because the kills were so sweet, you are awarded more points than just a close-range kill. I`ve not seen any other game do that, and for me, is a great little feature of the game.
Sniper Elite 4 is a game that I have to say, I have absolutely loved. It`s really grabbing me and keeping me appealed and attracted to it, and it`ll continue to do so. It`s so nice to see a shooter go back to a historical route aswell and into World War 2, something that we`ve only seen once in quite a while. Rebellion have made a game that`s going to keep you indulged through Single player and fully exploring each mission and completing each sub objectives, aswell as giving you the option to complete and play through the game with a friend. They have done an absolutely fantastic job, and I really can`t wait to see what DLC we`re going to be getting. But, it`s probably going to be one of the standouts for shooters this year, and after playing Sniper Elite 4, it has set the standard high across the shooter genre this year.
A huge thank you to Rebellion for providing us with a review copy of Sniper Elite 4.
Game: Sniper Elite 4
Developers: Rebellion
Publishers: Rebellion
Genre: Shooter
Price: £49.99 (From Xbox Store)