They are relentless and, if you get caught, will stop at nothing to hunt and kill you. Even the slightest indication of your presence is enough to send them into an alerted state, prompting them to search all manner of hiding spots in their vicinity to find you. These tools are there to help you better respond to the threat of your enemies who, thanks to a vastly improved AI, are more efficient and deadlier than ever. While some may see these additions as ways of making the game easier for players, I can assure you that’s not the case. Grenades, Trip-mines, and TNT all now have alternative functions, and even your trusty sniper rifles can utilize suppressed ammunition, allowing you to to fire without making a sound. The game also places a much greater emphasis on item usage this time around, providing dual modes for almost every item and trap. The new shrapnel kills also allow for some gut wrenching scenes, as exploding barrels and vehicles send tiny metal fragments hurtling through a crowd of your foes. Stealthily sneaking up on enemies and initiating these brutal hand-to-hand sequences is almost as gratifying as some of the long range sniper kills. Aiming down your sights, watching time slow down to a crawl as you hold your breath, adjusting for distance and the bullet drop so that one tiny reticle can turn red, all for the sole purpose of allowing you to revel in the spectacle that is to follow.Īnd no matter how many time you see them, these kills never get old either, especially now that the game has spread out to include both melee and shrapnel kills as well. These kill cams are more detailed and gorier than ever, and every effort was made into making them as cinematic as ever. These climatic moments are the real draw of the game, and Rebellion Developments has absolutely outdone themselves this time around. Everyone is here for those same fantastic slow motion X-Ray kills, and the game absolutely delivers. The real star of Sniper Elite 4 is undoubtedly the game’s mechanics. And you know what? If you’re a fan of the series, then you’ll probably be completely fine with that. A few minutes into the game, and you’ll realize that the minimal story only exists to provide context for why the player is on a Nazi killing spree. The game makes no attempt to make you care about any of the characters’ motivations or goals, and the often cringey dialogue does little to make you think of them as real people. The plot is clichéd, both the enemies and allies are bland and uninteresting, and even our square-jawed hero is about as banal as they come. Let me just say right off the bat, however, that if you dive into Sniper Elite 4 expecting a deep and engrossing narrative, you’re going to be disappointed. Following reports of a new wonder weapon in possession of the Nazi forces located there, Karl must once again attempt to foil their plans, with a little help from the Italian resistance movement this time around. Set in 1943 during the events of the second World War, Sniper Elite 4 follows protagonist Karl Fairburne on his new destination of war-torn Italy.
And Sniper Elite 4 continues that tradition with the same fetishized gore that fans of the series have come to expect, while still managing to deliver a game that far exceeds the accomplishments of its predecessor. If there’s one thing that truly exemplifies the spirit of Sniper Elite, it’s the sight of an enemy meeting their end through the gloriously brutal kill cams that the games are well known for.