A favor house atlantic
The beauty of Sniper Elite games is that I know exactly what I am getting from the start. This is a series that is unapologetic in every facet. The game is about sneaking around a map and glorified sniper shots. Since its inception this series has incrementally upped its game and is now a household name. The fifth entry in the series continues a lot of the trends found in the previous entry. Large scale maps, plenty of side objectives, and an open sandbox of death that simply begs to be enjoyed. Combine that with its availability on Game Pass and this one is a no-brainer.
The story once again follows our Nazi-killing hero from the previous games Karl Fairburne. This time he has set out with a crew to take down a super secret project known as Operation Kraken. Sure it is stiff and uninteresting, but serves a decent enough catalyst to move from headshot to headshot. Something that bothered me about this game is that it attempts to humanize the Nazis. When you focus in on one it gives a small blurb of text and some of them paint them as relatable. I am not here to sympathize with these enemies, I just want to blast them into oblivion.
MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $59.99
As mentioned, Sniper Elite 5 takes on the same design of the previous entry. The game is broken up into eight massive sandboxes that are packed with one main objective with a host of side objectives and plenty to explore. It also helps that our protagonist Karl Fairburne has more maneuverability than ever before. In addition to the crouch walk and prone positions he can now mantle walls and use things such as ziplines to change positions and get the drop on enemies.
While eight levels may sound like a disappointment I cannot begin to explain how large and robust these are. Think of them as mini open-world games in and of themselves. I could spend 2-4 hours in each area easily doing side missions, opening up entry points, or just playing around in the environment. They are extremely well-designed with plenty of toys and objectives to keep them interesting. That is not to say there are no issues with these maps. One is the amount of weird invisible walls and pathing. There were instances where I knew where I wanted to go, but had to take certain paths to get there. This breaks the immersion at times. Still there is plenty of content here to impress.
The real reason we are all here though are those sweet, sweet glory kills. Thankfully Sniper Elite 5 plays better than any previous game. With a host of accessibility options and controls tighter than they have ever been, this game feels great. Glory kills return even though they feel slightly toned down. Don’t get me wrong there are still eyeballs popping, but some of them seem less gory than in the previous game.
My favorite part of these games is that they let me play how I want. If I want to sneak around and take out a few enemies I can. If I want to strategize and time my shots with sounds and kill everyone silently, I can. If I want to go in guns blazing and murder everyone, I can do that too. This open freedom is what makes these games so much fun to play. I am able to tackle any situation any way I choose. Things go wrong and it is not game over. Instead I run and mantle into cover. I can set traps on enemies or vehicles. Take my time or run into the fray. Every viable option is available and I was never worried about dying or how I played. That is a great design.
Customization is also a huge part of Sniper Elite 5. This time around the weapon customization makes a return allowing players to add and remove different attachments to their weapons before starting a mission or using workbenches found within the levels. There is also a skill tree that is broken down into three separate styles. Doing different things earns points that can be placed into various skills and upgrades. It adds a nice set of progression to the game outside of just clearing level objectives.
Multiplayer plays a large role in this game as well. In addition to the two player co-op, which is insanely more enjoyable than flying solo, the game also introduces an invasion mode akin to the Souls games. Now for someone like me this is a huge red flag, something I want no part of. Having someone invade my game to harass me is never a fun idea. I tested it out for review purposes and it isn’t terrible. The idea of having someone in such a large world is less intrusive. I like the mechanics here of being able to notice them if they make a sound and on the invasion side being able to freely move around the world is interesting.
Graphically this is one fine looking game. I love that it offers up modes based on the console. Of course I stick with performance and it looks clean. Running on Series X these worlds are wonderfully detailed while the frame rate manages to keep up. Glory kills look just as brutal in HDR and the color palettes and location diversity really makes this game shine in 4K. This is one nice looking game. Audio design is equally impressive with impactful shots and explosions. The voice acting and other pieces are not as impressive, but still this is one high quality game on a presentation front.
Sniper Elite 5 is a solid follow-up. It won’t change the formula or anyone’s mind who finds these games boring or shallow. Still being available on Game Pass day one is a huge bonus. It is more than worth playing and I recommend at least checking it out. It is unapologetic violence and the design is high quality. This is the definition of gaming fast food, a treat for all the senses.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.