Fans of the Sniper Elite-franchise have been craving new content for the excellent Sniper Elite 4 for many months. A new map for coop would be appreciated just as much as a new DLC. But instead, Rebellion gave us the remastered Sniper Elite V2. Having come late to the franchise I was, of course, thrilled. Which is why I played it over the course of two days, the second of which saw me glued to my couch for four hours straight, right to the finish.
This epic image will send you off into the credits once you finish the game.
It has been a while since I played Sniper Elite 4, which is why I chose the easiest difficulty, Cadet, for my first playthrough. A wise decision, as it turned out. I am, of course, already on my second playthrough and have yet to try coop mode.
The story
The story is like any other of the franchise: Nazi-Germany is trying to avoid the looming defeat in WW2 by crafting nasty weapons, Karl Fairburne, expert sniper and highly capable commando, has to prevent catastrophe, using sabotage and assassination. In contrast to Sniper Elite 4, which brought some humanity to the franchise, Sniper Elite V2 is pure sniping fun. Which means that the story is of no real importance. In this case, that is fine with me. Some games are not played because of their story.
Welcome to Berlin during the last days of the second world war.
Now, in this game, set in the ruins of Berlin, Karl Fairburne has to eliminate five scientists, who worked on the ominous V2-project, before they fall into Russian hands. Each mission will lead him to another location in this vast city and it will involve explosions, enemy snipers, tanks and waves of foot soldiers coming at him.
This mission leads Karl Fairburne to the museum island and it offers some beautiful views.
The further I progressed, the harder I found the missions, which is just how I like it. The most memorable where the ones at the museum and the one pitching Fairburne against a tank and a team of Russian snipers amidst the ruins.
This mission has Karl Fairburne retrieve intel from St. Olibartus Church, afterwards he has to fight off the assault of enemy forces in a tense battle.
Apart from being aware of vantage points where a sniper might lurk, quick reflexes and a steady aim, you will need serious stealth skills when infiltrating some of the facilities. That’s what I like about this franchise.
The arsenal
Karl Fairburne is outfitted with a silent Welrod handgun, a Thompson machine gun and his trusty sniper rifle, starting with a Springfield, though during the game he will acquire a Gewehr 43 and a Mosin Nagat rifle. Machine guns of different types can be picked up when dropped by enemy soldiers, but good luck finding the ammo for those. I stuck with the Thompson and actually used the rifle almost exclusively. Unfortunately, you cannot upgrade your rifle, which is something I really enjoyed in the later games.
Additional challenges
Apart from the main missions, you can also accept a few additional challenges, like sabotaging an outpost or assassinating the Führer. They are also great fun.
The Verdict
Sniper Elite V2 is just what I expected. I find it incredibly satisfying to be able to alternate between stealth and sniping skills and combat mode. The missions are tense, there are a few surprises and the maps allow for some freedom of how to approach a mission. Not much, but that’s alright.
Keep on playing!
Cheers
Vanessa
whatchaa.com 