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Good: Replay camera angles, sniping controls, music

Bad: Close-range combat, switching weapons slowly

Nothing like: Silent Scope

In a market filled with run-and-gun FPS war titles, it’s refreshing to see a title that features a heavy emphasis on long-distance gunplay. While you will encounter some close-range skirmishes in Sniper Elite, the majority of the game is viewed from the scope of your sniper rifle.

Set in late WWII, your primary enemy is Stalin’s forces (Hitler’s army is heavily deteriorated at this point). Realism is everywhere in this game, depending on the difficulty you choose. Play on the hardest difficulty, and you’ll have to account for wind, gravity, and your posture. Choose the easy route, and gravity is all you’ll have to deal with. You can even empty your lungs by pressing the X button to steady your aim, although the lack of oxygen will cause your muscles to shake after 6-8 seconds.

This is nothing like the arcade gameplay seen in Silent Scope. This is realistic, brutal, wartime sniping. If you aim perfectly, the camera will follow the bullet in slow motion as it soars through the air and pierces through the enemy’s head. These replays are very graphic, and will oftentimes include chunks of the head falling off. Aim perfectly, and your bullet will sometimes travel completely through one soldier and into another.

Tanks are occasionally present, and can be dealt with in a variety of ways. If you’re a real sharpshooter, you can snipe the fuel cap on the exterior to make them explode. If brute force is your thing, take a rocket launcher to it. Stealth is an option as well, as you can sneak up and place time bombs or TNT next to them. It’s extremely satisfying to lay some TNT by a tank, then run away and snipe it for a remote detonation.

While the sniping action is all great, there is an element of close-range combat from time to time. This is where the game starts to falter a bit. In addition to the sniper rifle, you can equip yourself with various machine guns and pistols. Unfortunately, it takes too long to switch weapons, which can mean a quick death in some situations. For example, let’s say that you’re crawling along with a sniper rifle, and an enemy soldier jumps out from behind a wall 10 feet away. By the time you switch to your machine gun, you’re dead more often than not.

Most missions take place in war-torn cities filled with anti-air fire and planes flying overhead. Graphically, Sniper Elite resembles Mercenaries in many ways. While the animation and character models aren’t anything special, the game looks good overall. The music sounds like it came right out of Medal of Honor, Saving Private Ryan, or any other piece of pop culture set in WWII. Sound effects are well done, and you’ll get a true sense of dread when you hear a tank slowly approaching your area.

Co-op is perhaps even better than the single player mode. It’s certainly easier, as some objectives seem custom made for two-player sniping. For example, one objective is to secure a vantage point on a bridge for a period of time. In single player mode, it’s difficult to run back and forth to check both sides of the bridge for enemies. With two snipers, however, it’s possible to have both sides covered simultaneously.

I’ve always loved sniping in videogames, and that aspect of Sniper Elite delivers completely. Unfortunately, the close-combat situations keep it from being anything beyond an above-average title.

Graphics: B-

Sound: B

First Play: B

Last Play: C+

Gameplay: C+

Overall: 79% C+