Release date: May 14th, 2019

Developer: Rebellion

Platforms: PC, XBL, PSN (Reviewed)

Price: $35

Sniper Elite V2 Remastered is the re-release of the game that was released in 2012. This was a game that set gamers up for something different and would lead to two great follow up games. The biggest questions are what does this remaster offer and is it still fun?

The story takes place during WW2; players will be in the shoes of Karl Fariburne’s and his mission is to stop the development of the V-2 rocket before the end of the war. Gamers are tasked with sneaking through levels and carefully sniping the enemies. Before this I had only dabbled in the Sniper Ghost series which is a modern take on sniping. I don’t mind stealth games, as you may know I enjoy games with stealth elements such as Dishonored, Prey, and Deus Ex. But Sniper Elite V2 is all stealth, players should remember run and gun is not something that is favored in this game.

Let’s start with the stealth gameplay; players have to sneak their way through levels, hiding in buldings, behind rubble, carefully line up the shot and take it whiile not being detected. Sounds easy right? Nope, the AI is both dumb and frustrating. They can detect a player 1 minute and 5 minutes later wander past your location.

When the enemies detect players, the game transforms into a poor man's 3rd person shooter. Karl isn't much of a bullet sponge and is terrible using other firearms. His sub-machine gun is sorely under powered. If you remembered to lay the traps, players can retreat to a better vantage point for more sniping, in theory. I forgot the mines most of the time and tried to retreat from a fire fight or find some cover to pop out for quick shots. This actually works pretty well most of the time. Keeping this in mind, if you are wandering the map and run into an enemy who spots you, use silenced Welrod pistol.

There are some appealing parts to the game. The x-ray kills are what make this game great. Lining up the perfect shot and hitting Nazis in the head, limbs, groin, or the grenade belt is what the game is about. Any of these x ray shots are done with graphic detail of blood, limbs are torn off, blood sprays and organs are disintegrated. I found this to be very satisfying, but the sequels have taken this to the next level.

There is some skill involved in all of this; players will need to be patient and watch for the targets. Players will find that emptying their lungs and watching the wind are important to making those shots go from just a kill to a satisfying head explosion.

The game is pretty linear and some players may find that in 2019 this is boring. Players are scored for every kill and there are collectibles. The graphics have been remastered and the textures have been cleaned up and I hear in 4K it looks pretty good. All the DLC is included, which means gamers can go after Hitler.

Overall, the game isn’t terrible; it has its fun moments, but the design suffers from something from the last generation. If you have never played anything in the series, start with Sniper Elite III which was free on PS Plus for a while and is now down to $11 on PSN or $15-$20 at most GameStops. If you have your heart set on V2, wait for a price drop. Thanks to the publisher for letting us review this game.

Final Score

Pros:

Good Stealth gameplay

Headshots

Cons:

AI is dumb

Gameplay elements from last generation

Sniper Elite V2 Remastered Review