Sniper Elite 5 Review – The Franchise Could Have Done Better

As a big fan of the Sniper Elite franchise, I was eagerly waiting for Sniper Elite 5, and it actually delivered by providing the most refined gameplay in the franchise, which I’ll discuss more about in my review.

However, a few problems have persisted throughout the franchise and are still present in the fifth entry. You would also expect some kind of innovation from a fifth release but sadly, the game also lacks that too.

Story And Setting

As expected, the story greets me with another journey of Karl Fairburne, the longtime returning protagonist of the Sniper Elite franchise. However, this time, the crazy adventures of assassinating Nazis took me to France and allowed me to explore these large yet well-crafted levels.

In these games, the narrative is always secondary to what the gameplay offers but I was still impressed with the overall narrative of the title, even if the whole concept has been reused many times over. The trope of fighting off Nazis actually never gets old.

In these games, the narrative is always secondary to what the gameplay offers.

Even though the side characters were not that interesting, the performance of Tom Clark as Karl was still the star of the show.

Gameplay

Sniper Elite improves upon and learns from the mechanics of the previous entries to provide a fine-tuned gameplay experience.

Dont expect anything revolutionary going into this game. However, be ready to sink hundreds of hours into this game because the gameplay is just that addictive. I was spending hours upon hours on a single level in this game, and there’s a reason for that.

Each level almost acts like a sandbox and can be tackled with multiple different methods. The levels are also huge, and stealth can be used to infiltrate almost each and every area. I really like how you can also start each level from various different spawn points which adds more variety and freedom to the gameplay.

Every time I started a major level, I would see a huge building in the distance, which I would slowly make my way towards. Later, I would be exploring the same areas that were visible only minutely from afar. I really like it when games do this; it makes exploration feel much more immersive.

Speaking of immersion, loadouts are also back, which adds variety to all of the weapons. What is a Sniper Elite game if not for that customized sniper rifle that caters to the type of gameplay that you enjoy? I also came across workbenches whilst exploring the levels. These are very well hidden, and it felt rewarding to find one on my own because the bench allowed me to change my loadout mid-mission completely.

Even though the game can be played with both action and stealth, I always found myself tackling each encounter with stealth. Stealth is way more fun, and it is clearly what the game has been designed for. Straight-up action and spraying guns around does not sit right in Sniper Elite 5, and it doesn’t even feel fun to do. There are so many different ways of killing your target using stealth.

Sniper Elite improves upon and learns from the mechanics of the previous entries to provide a fine-tuned gameplay experience.

When I finally pulled the trigger on my sniper, and an x-ray kill cam came on the screen, it made me jump as a fan of the series. I was so happy to see the trademark kill cam of the franchise making a return. It never gets old seeing your target getting pierced slowly by your calculated shot. However, I still have a complain with Sniper Elite 5 that has persisted in the franchise as well.

The kill cam showed me a lot of gore and damage that the bullet deals to your target. But none of that damage is reflected on the target’s body in the game. It almost feels like the developers rendered damage only for the kill cam but not for the dead bodies themselves. Huge levels need to be filled with content, and thankfully, there are many side missions that I came across in each major mission of the game.

However, I cannot praise the quality of these side objectives since they become repetitive pretty quickly. But on the bright side, the assassinations themselves never lose their charm. Planning my way inside a building and removing the main target without being seen will always feel satisfying. It almost feels like the Hitman games in this sense.

For a game well equipped with stealth and shooting mechanics, I found the AI of enemies to be really dumb or janky at times. The enemies in this game really cannot outsmart you or even try to make you feel endangered during missions unless you get ambushed by a group. That, too, can be avoided using the focus ability, which allows you to hear enemies in your surroundings.

Speaking of the focus skill, I came across a whole skill tree that can really affect your combat, weapons, and abilities. Unlocking new skills made the game even more fun and added more variety.

One skill that allows you to revive yourself literally became a lifesaver for me during the end game. And the best part about the skill tree is that you can customize separate skills for offline and online modes.

However, I cannot praise the quality of these side objectives since they become repetitive pretty quickly.

Sniper Elite 5 also offers an extensive online mode where you can invade other players and even play through the main campaign with a friend. I did not try the campaign with a friend, but I believe that sneaking around with a partner is going to be anything but boring.

Lastly, I felt that the number of missions in the main story was insufficient. Sure, I spent hours exploring the area in a single mission, but for its price, there should’ve been a lot more missions than what the base game offers.

Visuals And Performance

Each new mission not only offered a new location to explore, but each of these locations had distinct visual designs. I was continuously amazed by the visuals throughout my playthrough. The explosions are extremely detailed but the kill cam is what might be the most visually detailed thing in the game.

As the bullet slows down before hitting a target, I would immediately pay attention to detailed structures inside the body of the nazi that would get destroyed by my shots.

The game also runs without any performance issues. However, there are some minor bugs, like a gun not reloading or straight up not firing, that were more frequent in my playthrough. I did not experience anything major or game-breaking, but these bugs did break my immersion at times.

Verdict

Sniper Elite 5 is a very safe sequel in the franchise that does not innovate in its formula. However, the game is still fun to play since it offers the best, most refined gameplay when compared to its predecessors.

If you’re a fan of the franchise, then you’re in for a treat. The number of main missions is serviceable, and if you’re not going to utilize the multiplayer features, then I suggest waiting for a sale to get the best bang for your buck.

This has been our Sniper Elite 5 review. While you’re here, consider checking out some of our other articles. 

• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
• Sonic Dream Team
• God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla
• SteamWorld Build Review
• Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader Review
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Review