Perhaps not something that many who play "Sniper Elite 5" will care about, but someone at Rebellion is intent on cramming numerous cutscenes into this one, and none of them, without exception, are more dead-eyed Nazis left in the wake of protagonist Carl Fairburn It's duller than that. This macho American commando and sniper is as rugged as he appears in a video game. It is not impossible to breathe internal life and depth into a Nazi killing machine - JJ Blaskovich in "Wolfenstein" was destructive in his well of introspection. But Karl is formulaic, and everything he says washes over me like white noise.
Well, everything except for the moments of unintentional comedy, like the one at the beginning of the game when, after watching a submarine being destroyed, Karl utters "Nazi bastards" over a sad, blaring accordion. Accordion. It's set in France.
The game's choice of score is a subtle hint at the level the sniper elite are working at. It's World War II through the lens of a teenage boy. It's not about the grand plan to shoot Nazis, but it's certainly a major drag in terms of personality and tone, as it's not tongue-in-cheek enough to pull off the macabre humor of "Hitman" or serious enough to handle the realities of occupied France.
The French Resistance makes appearances throughout, but whenever they did, I couldn't help but wonder why they weren't the stars of the show. Why weren't they under-resourced snipers who had to use their resourcefulness and cunning to defeat the powerful Nazi war machine? A man with "personal interests and ties to the state" such a thing is a transparent way to breathe life into the piece, but somehow the series seems to be married to bargain-basement action men.
It's no wonder "Sniper Elite 5" is the worst of the bunch with its tiresome tutorials. But when it finally opens up, at least you'll be able to enjoy what the game does best: picking roosts and shooting bad guys from really far away. This is not an open world. However vast the landscape may conjure up such notions, the actual levels are far more linear. It's not that there aren't choices, and in fact, the limited scope allows players to hit some interesting obstacles. Instead of picking the perfect hill and performing long-distance brain surgery from a safe distance, they are forced to take risks to avoid patrols and reach vantage points without being noticed. The rewards of secret tunnels and climbable ledges are felt to be hard-won, not underfoot.
The third mission, the Spy Academy, is set in the real world on Mont Saint-Michel, a tidal island that is well protected from outside forces. Even obvious sniper spots, such as church towers, can be duds, and such cases often require real attention, rather than streamlined operations.
While the levels of "Sniper Elite 5" are not on the level of overtly influenced games like "Hitman," they still include elements that go beyond just shooting off heads. While not as open as they appear, these levels are vast labyrinths filled with little obstacles and secrets worth conquering. You can even stage an accident in places, but the game's AI basically doesn't recognize it and takes any death as evidence that a sniper is nearby. The variety of options available makes it more fun to conquer the levels. Even if the thrill of trespassing is almost non-existent, as there is no realistic atmosphere or even a sense that the soldiers are doing anything other than waiting for you to show up.
On one level, after taking down a sniper under the noise of a low-flying airplane, I timed it so that a mine I had planted would be triggered by an approaching police car, distracting nearby guards as I sprinted behind enemy lines. Moments like this are rare but satisfying.
However, one cannot shake the impression that the game lacks variety. Instead of doing one thing exceptionally well, it does several things moderately well. When I think of the best depictions of sniping that the game has created, I think of levels like "All Greed Up" and "One Shot, One Kill" from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Sure, it's a linear, set-piece-driven design, but it emphasizes stealth and patience, setting up for that all-important shot rather than annihilating a mass of soldiers. The "Sniper Elite 5" sometimes seems shy about sniping, and I worry that it will get tired of it. There is no need to have the game simulate a single target, but it could do more than second-guess Sam Fisher.
The X-ray kill camera feels like an attempt to add unnecessary spectacle to the art of sniping, and since the second film, it's been the series' calling card. But it continues to struggle to find its place in a game that lacks a meaningful tone; is it intended to be over-the-top grotesque, as in Mortal Kombat? If so, the kills are too lackluster and miss the mark. In a game that treats exploding testicles like the world's greatest punchline, you'd be painfully aware of the suffering you're inflicting; the X-ray kills epitomize many of the series' problems. Instead of something truly novel, it sticks to one annoying but noticeable feature and fails to grasp exactly what it is trying to achieve.
Even the skill tree shows a lack of thoughtfulness in offering perks that hardly change the way the game is played. An additional tool here, a little more strength there. It all feels redundant, as evidenced by the lack of fundamentally different options. The game may force you to spend more time creeping around at close range, but it doesn't do it particularly well. Compared to the decades-old "Splinter Cell," the close combat in "Sniper Elite 5" feels clunky and basic. There is no wall-splitting.
The game itself feels contrived because of the mix of short- and long-range targets. After all, the game is not called Sniper And Sneaking Into Buildings To Grab Documents Elite. The thrill of judging the shot, observing the wind and distance, and guessing the proper adjustments is what this game excels at. Following it up with clunky melee stealth only detracts from the goodness.
However, the difficulty options go a long way toward bringing out the best of it. Like most stealth games these days, Sniper Elite is information overload. You can tag and track enemies, detect when they are about to find you, and get sniper assists ...... At every turn, the game puts on auxiliary rings and expects you to feel empowered. This causes a lack of tension, which thankfully can be recovered by fiddling around with the difficulty options.
You can also reduce the difficulty of the game: there is little to no HUD, no assists, enemies are smarter, and there is no way to track enemies except by memorizing what you see. Obviously harder, but more interesting. If you wear only assists, you will feel terribly bored by the friction and lack of challenge. Advice" It's better to play as "authentic" as possible and take your time, it's a more memorable experience that requires you to really work at what you see and hear.
These options are not the only shake-up of the game. Co-op is back and will fundamentally change the way Sniper Elite is played. Synchronized takedowns and coordination will be possible, giving the game a whole new dimension. In addition, a Dark Souls-style system allows players to infiltrate other people's games as an Axis sniper. This adds a level of tension to the game that cannot be experienced in an offline game. You have to suddenly slow yourself down and duel with an enemy that has real thoughts, not just a slightly dim-witted AI. You can't fool a real player by tossing the bottle far away. If the thought of strangers ambushing you in the bushes is a bit much, you can always turn it off altogether. Nevertheless, it would be a shame not to participate in multiplayer. Because even the games themselves underestimate how much these features enhance the experience.
Under the right circumstances, "Sniper Elite 5" is a decent and sometimes great stealth game. It is wise to be aware of its competitors, but it fails to hit the mark.
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