Download.it search icon
Advertisement

A first person shooter where the characters plays from the perspective of a WWII sniper

A first person shooter where the characters plays from the perspective of a WWII sniper

Vote: (485 votes)

Program license: Trial version

Developer: Rebellion

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(485 votes)

Trial version

Developer

Rebellion

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Solid, deep sniping action carries a game which could otherwise have grown stale.
  • Despite a focus on stealth and careful planning, game rarely plods and often delivers surprises.

Cons

  • Despite its strengths, some will find the game one-dimensional.
  • Difficulty can be uneven, leading to some frustrating trial-and-error moments.

Sniper Elite V2 is a third-person shooting game by Rebellion Developments. As the title suggests, Sniper Elite V2 focuses on the stealthy approach favored by long-distance infantry specialists. This makes a change from the up-close combat that is more typical of the genre. This is one of the few titles in recent years to take this approach and stick to it throughout the game, instead of throwing in the occasional sniper mission as flavor.

One of the last notable titles to go down this road was an earlier title in the same series by the same developer. Sniper Elite V2, in fact, is a bit of an oddity in this regard. In some respects it is a straight-up remake of 2005's Sniper Elite, but it includes a storyline which deviates from that of the earlier game. The game could well feel like it's predecessor for some players, though it does offer plenty of new sights.

Most of those sights will be of the magnified, cross-haired sort that piqued the average Sniper Elite V2 player's interest in the first place. Like its predecessor, Sniper Elite V2 take advantage of the possibilities of the virtual sniper rifle. An instrument of death and destruction which can be impressive in virtual form when done right. Fortunately, the developers were up to the task before them, delivering an envisioning of that weapon which most players will find satisfying. They tackled the fundamentals with great zeal, delving into bullet physics and ricochet angles with an impressive aplomb, and went beyond the call of duty, as well.

An X-ray style camera mode activates automatically when players score particularly skillful shots with the sniper rifle. This embellishment could come off as mere frippery if done poorly or quickly wear thin before long if delivered in a merely acceptable form. In Sniper Elite V2's case, however, it proves to be a well-integrated, rewarding mechanic, an accomplishment the developers can be proud of.

That same feeling of things which could have gone badly turning out more or less right, runs throughout the game. Perhaps the developers were lucky in this respect by the fact that they were retreading a much older game of a certain quality. In any event, what they deliver here is a satisfying and enjoyable experience. In fact, Sniper Elite V2 deserves more attention and respect than it has received, especially insofar as it represents a product of a sustained focus on sniping that is hard to find anywhere else.

Pros

  • Solid, deep sniping action carries a game which could otherwise have grown stale.
  • Despite a focus on stealth and careful planning, game rarely plods and often delivers surprises.

Cons

  • Despite its strengths, some will find the game one-dimensional.
  • Difficulty can be uneven, leading to some frustrating trial-and-error moments.