Who says one person can't singlehandedly win a war?
That is effectively the premise of the Sniper Elite series, which places you in the shoes of one man and asks you to eliminate a lot - as in, a LOT - of enemies in various theatres in World War 2.
The latest version of the game takes place in Italy in 1943, where a staunch type by the name of Karl Fairburne drops in to clear the place of swarming hordes of Nazis.
As usual, it's a third-person shooter based on sniping mechanics: find a quiet spot, gaze through the scope, identify your target, hold your breath, and squeeze the trigger as if it is made of ice. Then sit back and watch the glory (sorry, gory) unfold.
Ah yes, the gore. The selling point of the Sniper Elite series has always been its bullet cam, that slow-motion X-ray system which shows a victim's heart or lungs or, ahem, other body parts being completely ruptured. It's so visceral, and can still shock (or, er, thrill) after the 500th kill.
Your sniper packs other weapons, and various handy gadgets, but the bulk of the game is dedicated to the art of sniping.
A noticeable change from the last game in the series is that the artificial intelligence is vastly improved. In SE3, you were able to snipe a couple of baddies, run away until the alarm died down, head back in to wipe out a couple more, rinse and repeat. But now you have to give it a bit more thought. Stealth becomes hugely important as you look for decent hiding spots, try to use noise to mask your shots, and look for elements in the environment to interact with.
The maps are also significantly larger. This might delight some, but I found it could make some of the levels extremely long, and there was often too much time between delicious sniping moments.
Sniper Elite 4 is certainly not a massive upgrade, but it remains a strong, engaging and enjoyable part of the shooter market.
Sniper Elite 4
For: PS4, Xbox One, PC
From: Rebellion Developments
Rating: (R16) ★★★+
