Publisher: Rebellion
Developer: Rebellion
System requirements: Windows Vista (SP2)/Win 7 (Windows XP is not supported), 3.0 GHz Pentium D/Athlon 64 X2 4200 or better CPU, 256 MB DirectX 10-compatible graphics card, 2 GB RAM, DirectX 10-compatible sound device, DirectX 10 or better
Genre: Shooter
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

There are plenty of opportunities out there for shooter gamers to let their inner Rambos escape, spraying bullets around like they’re confetti on New Year’s Eve in Times Square. But rare are the games in which a more careful, thoughtful approach is required for success. Sniper Elite: V2 is one such game. Developer Rebellion has crafted a handsome-looking World War II adventure that pits your covert talents and sniping skills against the Nazis and the Soviets in the blasted ruins of the German capitol in 1945.

Sniper Elite is a remake of Rebellion’s 2005 multiplatform shooter Sniper Elite: Berlin 1945, but with a slight change in narrative. You play OSS sniper Karl Fairburne, who’s dropped into Berlin just as the battle for the city is about to end. His task is to stop German rocket scientists and technology from falling into the hands of the Soviets by assassinating high-value targets in both armies (the original game involved the sharing of nuclear secrets). Your journey as Fairburne takes you to several areas of the nearly destroyed city, as well as a V2 rocket base and an important Nazi fort on the outskirts of Berlin.

On the surface, Sniper Elite is a simple game: sneak through each environment, find your designated target, eliminate or rescue him (depending upon your orders), and escape. However, in practice the game’s not so simple. You start with a mission briefing, during which you can select from one each of three varieties of weapons (sniper rifles, automatic machine guns and pistols), as well as several types of explosives. Once you’ve selected your loadout and the mission begins, you’re on your own. Your HUD is minimal; just an indicator showing which weapon you’re holding, and yellow markings to show you the path to your current objective. There’s no radar screen to tell you where your enemies are positioned; an arrow at your feet lights up to give you a general idea of hostile locations, and if that lights up red, chances are you’ve been spotted. As you eliminate enemy soldiers, you can search their bodies for valuable ammo and/or carry them away from where they fell to help you remain incognito. Also, it’s possible in some situations to use ambient noise (planes flying overhead, explosions, etc) to mask the sound of your discharging rifle. This is a very valuable asset, since the enemy will flock to the sound of an unmuffled firearm.

The graphics in Sniper Elite are one of its strongest features. Environments are intricately modeled, giving you a detailed look at the damage that non-stop bombing raids can do to a city. Enemies are given equal attention, right down to their uniforms. German soldiers speak German, and Russian soldiers speak Russian, instead of some heavily accented English dialect. In a somewhat macabre addition, lining up and firing a precise kill shot activates a bullet cam that follows your projectile to its target, then shows a cross-section of the unfortunate victim’s body as the bullet hits its mark. AI behavior is both good and bad; they react well to your threat and are smart enough to flank you and take cover when necessary, but they also can walk right next to you and not see you for several precious seconds, giving you just enough time to put a bullet in their brains before they call out for help. The missions are all about the same in content, but there are times when you’ll want to find a place to hide long enough to marvel at the quality of the art direction. And composer Mark Rutherford’s music is both dramatic and functional; the music’s intensity fluctuates with the on-screen action, giving you a good idea of when it’s safe to take a breath and locate your next objective.

However, like most games, it’s the little things that can trip up what’s otherwise an outstanding experience. There are times in each mission when you want to use a silenced handgun instead of the rifle, but there’s only one available and it’s practically useless unless you’re close enough for a headshot. You have to be careful which machine gun to select for each mission; ammo is scarce for all except the weapons used by your enemy in each scenario, so it’s important to know whether you’re going to be fighting the Nazis or the Soviets. In fact, the only weapon for which you’ll always have ammo is the sniper rifle; very rarely in my 16-hour journey through the game did I ever have less than 75 rounds in my possession. The console-centric checkpoint save system is in effect, so there’s no quicksave feature, but there are plenty of checkpoints, so you don’t get sent too far back after you die. There are a number of head-scratching inconsistencies in the gameplay. For example, you can put a bullet in a Nazi eye socket from 200 meters away, but you can’t break a light bulb with your bare hands; you can break beer bottles from the same distance, but you can’t hit one with a handgun from two paces. Combat knives aren’t part of your standard equipment, and if you don’t pay attention to the messages on the loading screens, you won’t discover that you can sneak up on an enemy and silently break their necks. And this wouldn’t be a modern shooter without collectibles. There are the aforementioned beer bottles to break and gold bars to find; I’m not sure why I’d want to waste precious ammo on bottles, and it would seem that loading my pockets with gold bars might make quick and silent movement somewhat difficult.

If Sniper Elite: V2 is to be believed, then the life of an army sniper must be cold, dirty and lonely. Rebellion has successfully and effectively captured all of that in their game. The graphics are amazing, every mission is filled with tension and personal danger, and you get a true sense of accomplishment when you finally reach the end. Success requires extreme patience and strategic thought, but the journey’s well worth the effort.

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