Sniper Elite (2005): 21 Years Later

When you think of shooters, many franchises come to mind, including Battlefield, Medal of Honor, and, of course, Call of Duty. This is more than fair. After all, these games have had a major impact on gaming. Their fast-paced action and satisfying combat have developed large and loyal followings.

The 2000s saw a massive rush of WWII shooters, mostly first-person, thrill-rides, but that changed in 2005, with a little indie UK-based studio called Rebellion and a game called Sniper Elite.

A New Shooter Experience

Developing a new shooter experience was...interesting. UK-based studio Rebellion sought to differentiate itself from the genre by slowing the action down significantly. Instead of releasing another generic first-person ride, the UK team switched things up by using the third-person perspective and incorporating strong stealth elements. They also changed the shooting mechanics.

Sniper work has been part of shooters for a while, but always as a partial aspect - it wasn't the core focus. That changed with their new project. This time around, you were a sniper moving through the fringes of the battlefield. Instead of running around shooting everything that moved, you had to be far more cautious in your movements and precise with your shots.

The shooting mechanics followed actual sniper procedures, including adjusting your rifle and compensating for wind and range.

Sniper Elite was released for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 2 in 2005 and was met with a positive reception.

The Story

Berlin, April 1945, as WWII is coming to a close, Germany is in serious trouble. The Soviet army has them on the run, and the Americans are closing in from the other side. This is the basis of the game's story.

German-born American OSS agent, Karl Fairburne is in Berlin working behind enemy lines to cause chaos and aid in the US part of the war effort. A major part of the story is the plan to collect scientists from the German nuclear program.

What's Good in Sniper Elite?

So...what works here in Sniper Elite?

• The shooting mechanics are great, the use of slow-motion kill cam, which follows specific rounds, is phenomenal.
• I liked the graphics - dated as they are - and the voice acting is decent.
• The music is phenomenal. I love orchestral scores in general, but this is probably my favorite one.
• Being able to force enemies out of hiding by wounding their comrades to force them to carry the wounded off the battlefield is a nice touch.
• Looking for your enemies on the battlefield is also challenging, which makes things interesting. It's also really frustrating at times, because often you can't see where the bullets are coming from.

Where does Sniper Elite Stumble?

Alright, so we've seen what works, but where does Sniper Elite stumble?

The movement is a bit off. Moving around, sometimes the character would end up sliding around when you try to stop. The stealth aspects are...stiff. Hiding in the shadows isn't really a guarantee to keep you safe.

Stealth kills are also not exactly reliable; using the weather and ambient noise to mask your rifle shots is much harder than it seems.

The tutorial is very disruptive; most of the time, the messages that explain the tactics interrupt the gameplay.

In Conclusion: Is Sniper Elite Worth Playing?

So, is Sniper Elite worth playing? Well...yeah, I guess so. Look, it's not perfect, and I won't pretend it is. There are some significant flaws with it, but it's worth giving it a shot if you're looking for a challenge. So, yes, I'd say that the game is worth playing.

Well, I think that's everything. I hope you've all enjoyed reading this one. I'm looking forward to exploring the rest of the series.