Sniper Elite III Ultimate Edition (Switch) Review
Release Date: October 1, 2019
Publisher/Developer: RebellionInteract
Platform: Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), previously available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, original editions on PS3/Xbox 360
Price: $34.99
While often described as the weakest of the current-generation systems, the Nintendo Switch has done a great job of porting top-of-the-line games from last generation into handheld mode. Taking the 360’s Ghostbusters on the road with me has been a blast. They’ve even dipped their toes in the water of this generation, stretching the system to it’s limits with a port of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The idea of games we once marveled at as pinnacles of their age, despite what they look like now, in the palm of our hands is truly a wondrous sight. As a youth I would play Super Mario Land in the car, waiting for passing streetlamps or praising the guy behind us who refused to turn off his brights just so I could see the screen. Now, gamers can take many modern games wherever they want, and I’ll take all the ports Nintendo wants to put out. Earlier this year, the Switch got Sniper Elite V2. Here in October, we’ve been treated with Sniper Elite III Ultimate Edition, which was released on both generations. While some corners were cut to compact the game down, it has been optimized to where those cuts are barely noticeable, and the game performs solidly on the robust little system.
Fans of the Sniper Elite series already know the drill; heck Sniper Elite 4 has been out for a couple years now, and the original edition of this game came out in 2014. The Ultimate Edition bundles all of the DLC that was released for the title through it’s lifetime, including three new missions. Gamers take on the role of a sniper during the North African Conflict. Throughout players must use a combination of sniping and stealth skills: as you are funneled around the open-world environment you must locate and conserve ammunition and weaponry whilst completing a list of objectives. Sniping is very satisfying: finding the right vantage point, painting and lining up your target, holding your breath and squeezing the trigger successfully results in an X-Ray kill where a slow-mo shot of exploding organs is shown. If you find yourself in close quarters behind enemy lines, you have to change tactics to a (hopefully) silenced pistol or some close-quarters combat reminiscent of Metal Gear. Just like that series, your character isn’t exactly bulletproof, so stealth is key, though you can attempt to finish the level guns blazing if you see fit. As you uncover new weaponry across the map, you can use some of it to change your loadout and thereby your course through each level. With a huge bevy of alternative modes, such as online and local multiplayer (as well as a co-op option with a few modes of it’s own), shooting range, and leaderboards, Sniper Elite III offers the full buffet of options you would expect on any of the beefier systems, as well as some of the traditional Switch amenities such as local wireless play.
My time with the game so far has been enjoyable, though I can see a few of the limitations inherent in older titles, like straight polygons flying in explosions, simplistic AI that forgets about you after a while, or liberties being taken in the graphical department to make certain models easier to render than today’s standards. I found an absolutely amazing comparison video from Digital Foundry linked here that show the nuances that graphic hounds are bound to notice. Yes, there’s some light filtering and shadow work that have been dialed down thanks to porting to Switch, but none that would turn me off from playing. Digital Foundry went on in that video to show how steady the frames per second is in the Switch edition as well as how quickly it loads, and it really shows that the developers put a lot of work into the game. The Switch works it’s magic on file size too, taking the 30GB PS4 file and trimming it down to a slim 6.3GB for this release.
While I haven’t played any other versions of the title, be it the original last generation or the modern equivalents, I can say the Switch’s motion control support is greatly appreciated. I got used to such comforts playing Breath of the Wild, and that final tweak being done with a twist of the system really helps line up shots, especially when utilizing the tiny sticks on the Joy-Con. The game is a blast with the Pro Controller as well. If I have a complaint about the game, I wish the “open world” was a lot more open. As a sniper, I kept finding high up vantage points and wanting to take out the enemy camp, only to find a huge rock between us, forcing me down the stealth route. This leads to waiting for just the right time to take out enemies, as I said before the main character doesn’t stand a chance when being shot at by multiple assault rifles.
As I said in the beginning, taking games like this on the road is quite the feat. I love how the Switch can make games previously locked to the TV free to move about the country. Sniper Elite 3 Remastered does a great job of this but does come with some faults. The HUD is clear and able to be seen, but the tiny map doesn’t do much for helping you strategize on the fly. Some levels are approached in cover of darkness, and adding a tiny screen to a dark level where you are sniping from potentially miles away can prove difficult, even after cranking up the brightness. There were times that I tried to play it in the light to see more of my reflection than the graphics. A small sacrifice, though, as any difficulty such as that can be popped on a bigger screen when the time comes, or simply be considered a challenge for gamers who have mastered the title otherwise.
Overall, the Sniper Elite series is a welcome addition to the Switch lineup, and this title continues on with the quality pedigree. I’m curious to see if the developers plan to port 4 to the Switch as well. If they show the same amount of care as they have in this port, it’s bound to be a must-have title for shooter fans looking for something more than running in guns blazing.
Pros:
-A well-ported title maximizing performance and minimizing graphical sacrifice
-Motion controls are intuitive and help line up shots
-Ultimate Edition packs all DLC into one package
-Full range of multiplayer options
-Budget price keeps it in line with prices of previously released versions on other systems
Cons:
-Port of an upgraded port: true fans of the series will have a been-there-done-that attitude
-Downgrade: while not much unless you are sitting there watching side-by-side, there is a hit in graphics for the Switch port
-Certain aspects of the campaign, such as night levels, are hard to play portable in any semblance of exterior light
Special thanks to RebellionInteract and Evolve PR for providing a code for review!