The Sniper 2 (PS2) Playthrough - NintendoComplete
243A playthrough of Midas Interactive's 2003 shooter for the Sony PlayStation 2, The Sniper 2.
The Sniper 2 is a game that was originally published in Japan as part of the Simple 2000 budget line of games, and unlike the first game for the PS1, this sequel received an official English localization, though it was only released in PAL territories.
I don't often play PS2 games for the channel, but since the system turns twenty-one years old next week, I think it's fair to deem it a retro system at this point.
Regardless, I thought that this was a game well worth highlighting, because it is one of those rare games that is worth playing despite being absolutely terrible. Most intentional comedies couldn't dream of being as funny as The Sniper 2 ends up being, however inadvertently.
You play as an ex-fireman/elite sniper, Harry, who has to protect a girl called "CA" (wtf? Everytime I hear her name, all I can think of is Jimmy saying, CaliFORnia!!") from some random guy in a long coat. He does this by sharp shooting targets with a rifle given to him by a woman running a food truck in Sacramento. It gets far more ridiculous from there, but I'm not going to spoil that here.
But I will say that Stanley's "I've soiled myself!" animation at 7:46 is straight-up magic.
The game is comprised of several "episodes," each bookended by TV-style intro and credit roll bumpers, in which you watch a cutscene, take out a target, and then watch another cutscene that will segue to the next plot point and sniping challenge. And better yet, all of the subtitles are rendered in Comic Sans font. Instills a lot of confidence, doesn't it?
The graphics are little more than hi-res versions of what you'd see on PS1, the midi "jazz" that blares over everything is shrill and tinny, and the gameplay is virtually nonexistent - there is maybe ten minutes worth gameplay total - but that's fine. The shooting sucks anyway.
So just to give you a quick taste of the impeccable dialogue, the game's real draw, here's a snippet from the intro:
CA: Harry, what's up?
Harry: Oh, just that guy.
CA: Oh him. He was a little scary... do you know who he is?
Harry: No, but he smells the same as I do.
CA: Harry, you don't smell.
Harry: I mean, the smell of a killer. And there is pain in his eyes.
If that doesn't sell you on The Sniper 2, I don't think anything will. If that sounds like something you need to see more of, then I hope you enjoy this amazing $h!tshow of a game. I love it.
_____________
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (http://www.nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!