Sniper Elite V2 Review

There are many games about the Great Patriotic War. Much more than anyone can imagine. This year (2012), the ranks of World War II games have been replenished. A new recruit is the project by Rebellion Developments — Sniper Elite V2. I don't know why the developers chose such an unusual name, but that's not the main thing. In today's review, we will talk about the game Sniper Elite V2.

As is tradition, we'll start with the storyline. From the name of the game, you can already understand that the main role in the story is given to a sniper. And not a Soviet one, but an American. The events unfold in the last days of the war when the Soviet Union had already closely pressed the fascists, and it only remained to raise the flag over the Reichstag. That's the main storyline for you. We are thrown into the thick of it to help the USSR achieve victory.

Since we play as a sniper, not an ordinary soldier, our main tactic is stealth. The developers have provided us with everything necessary to track the enemy from cover. Previously, our only device for a detailed examination of enemy positions was just the rifle scope, but now we are also given binoculars. Surely, many consider binoculars unnecessary, but not in Sniper Elite V2. With the help of binoculars, we can view enemy positions, devise battle tactics, and, importantly, notice the reflection of enemy sniper scopes hiding in the trenches.

And so, when the enemy is in the crosshairs, and we are ready to hit them, a shot rings out, and we can watch as the bullet flies straight into the head of our foe, and then examine in detail where the bullet entered, how it pierced the enemy's skull or broke their cervical vertebrae. This whole scene is accompanied by appropriate sounds. We are given the opportunity to set traps, which explode when triggered, causing the enemy's body to fall to the cold ground. Of course, traps need to be set wisely to surely hit the enemy and not step on these rakes yourself. As I mentioned, the main element of the game is stealth, but the developers miscalculated in one aspect. The main character either silently sneaks in a crouch, which is somewhat annoying because you can't run in a crouch, or if you walk normally, there's such a stomp that it's impossible not to hear it. Apparently, that's why the developers didn't give our opponents eagle vision and wolf hearing. More than half of the enemies are either deaf or blind, and their reaction is sometimes very slow. These indicators are tiring, and the game at some stages turns into a boring shooter, only from cover. Moreover, the enemy AI is not very developed, you can organize several traps in the same place in a row, and each time the enemy will trigger them. However, if you are noticed, then a barrage of fire will be directed at your position, note, at your position, not at you, and during this time, you can quickly slip away and hide in another place.

There is combat equipment in the game, but it is destroyed with just one shot. The main thing is to find the fuel tank and blow the tank to pieces with one shot. Explosive barrels that can be found in locations can also help in this matter.

In terms of sound, the game is acceptable, although the military melodies that repeat over and over make you want to turn off the speakers. Upon noticing a killed comrade, the enemies start shouting something like: "We have a casualty," "Find him!" and so on. At the moment of shooting through the enemy's cervical vertebrae or skull, there is a crunch of bones, which further enhances the impression of a kind of fatality. By the way, the moment when it shows how the enemy's skull is drilled by a bullet is very reminiscent of the game Mortal Kombat 2011, with very similar "x-ray shots." But no matter how good the sound is, it cannot patch all the holes in the gameplay, which quickly becomes boring.

***

My advice to you, if you want a truly interesting and challenging game, turn on the hardcore game mode. There, you need to consider wind direction and speed, calculate bullet flight distance, and so on. In general, you need to consider all external factors affecting the bullet's trajectory. Well, it immediately reminds me of the good old "Worms," where the bullet's trajectory also depends on external factors. Overall, the game turned out to be good in terms of sound and graphics, but unfortunately, the gameplay and storyline are a bit dull.