Game:

Sniper Elite 4 (2017)

Duration: 56:56

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1

I didn't know I'd have to wait an extra 50 minutes for the pre-loaded Steam game to unpack after the game unlocked. Oh well.

Quick review: The controls are a little shaky. The camera pitches and turns too fast when I'm not aiming. Maybe I can set the sensitivity. I like the Focus ability, but the same control should toggle it off instead of switching me to binoculars (actually it does - I just need to remember to hold to toggle it off instead of tapping - but I think tapping should also toggle it off without switching me to binocs). The story based objectives, at least for mission 1, felt slower than in Sniper Elite 4. Trying to highlight objects to pick up or bodies to Search is also a bit wonky. I also don't like that my weapon wheel selection cancels itself if I let go of my controller and don't leave the menu within a second. The X-Ray kill animations last a little too long. Sniper Elite 4 felt like a tighter experience. But I'm willing to give this game a chance.

I die a few times - this game isn't as forgiving as Sniper Elite 4 when it comes to suffering enemy damage. But I'm fine with that. I also like being able to customize my weapons at workbenches, but most of the penalties for upgrades didn't seem worth it.

I don't have any interest in letting other players invade my game, so I have that shut off.

Differences from Sniper Elite 4:
- Missions in 5 feel slower, drawn out longer. Overall, it feels like the campaign is trying to be a story, rather than be a tight group of episodic missions like Sniper Elite 4. I prefer Sniper Elite 4's formula for replayability, even if its formula felt simple and its ending felt abrupt.
- Medikits in Sniper Elite 4 just healed you more than a bandage. In Sniper Elite 5, you can use them to revive yourself when you are downed. As you gain more skill points, you can unlock using your bandage pool for the same purpose. Weirdly, the enemies just back off while you are reviving yourself instead of finishing you off. I would have preferred being allowed to limp away and fall somewhere to revive rather than fall to the floor right in front of someone that stops firing their gun and backs away for no reason. But, it's a mechanic.
- In Sniper Elite 4, many times killing an officer and looting them gave you a duty roster that unlocks the live positions of a group of soldiers elsewhere on the map. It made no sense, but I liked the mechanic. In 5, you might get an important key or some intel, that's it.
- In Sniper Elite 4, you are aware of nearby discovered soldiers by dots on your minimap. In Sniper Elite 5, undiscovered soldier positions are shown as larger fuzzy circles, to let you know the general proximity and concentration of enemies. They change to yellow and red for hunting and aware of your last reported position. I prefer Sniper Elite 4's way of doing it, not showing dots until I see them - in 5, showing me that I'm running into a concentrated group of soldier's that I haven't even seen yet takes away a lot of the challenge. I'm sure I can turn that off with difficulty level, but I played on Normal my first time through. The only setting I adjusted was the controller camera - it was WAY too fast.
- Sniper Elite 5 allows customization of weapons, but I don't use it much. I don't like the downsides against the gains.
- I think the temporary found weapon mechanic of 5 is a bit wonky. Many times I don't want the weapon but I end up picking one up anyway while I'm trying to run up and search bodies. The only temporary weapons I want are the Panzerfausts and anti-tank guns, when I need them against vehicles. Skill points allow you to take the ammo from temporary weapons then discard them - although I haven't used that much, either.
- Sniper Elite 5's kill cameras last a little too long. Sniper Elite 4's camera times were just right.
- Sniper Elite 5's alarm mechanic is annoying, but overall, I think it's fair. Sniper Elite 4 usually depended on a radio operator to call in reinforcements if you didn't take him out soon enough. In 5, anyone can pull the alarm, and you can disable it. It encourages using stealth instead of alerting everyone nearby with your gunshots, prompting someone to run for the alarm.

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