I shoot, you run

Nearly 4 years after it’s original February 2017 release on PC/PS4/Xbox One, Sniper Elite 4 makes it’s way to Nintendo’s little console that could, allowing players to once again lace up the boots of Karl Fairburne in his quest to explode Nazi skulls throughout an expansive collection of sandbox levels while on the go. The 4th iteration in the series nails its signature gameplay elements, though it’s slightly dragged down by its middle-of-the-road story and visual presentation.

Sniper Elite 4 picks up directly after the events of the third game, dropping Fairburne into Italy after a freighter is sunk by a new Nazi superweapon. From here the story twists and turns around its 10-15 hour runtime as Karl crosses paths with allies both expected and unexpected. The narrative on display here is serviceable if uninspiring, but ultimately this is not a game you should play for the story. Sure, there’s some appeal there for longtime fans of the series, but really the plot exists primarily as window dressing to the real joy, all the sandbox-sneaking, Nazi-sniping, 200 meter lung-popping action.

MSRP: $39.99
Platforms: Switch (reviewed), XB1, PS4, PC

The large open level structure offers a tremendous degree of freedom on how objectives are approached and how enemies are dispatched. If you’re unfamiliar with the series, each level largely consists of stealthing from point to point, tagging enemies using binoculars and silently eliminating them through effective strategy as one goes. When lining up a sniper shot,players need to manage their breathing (and heartrate if they hold their breath too long) in order to line up the perfect takedown. Depending on the difficultly level, players also need to adjust for wind and distance to ensure that the bullet hits its mark. This structure holds for the game’s full runtime, but the options offered to the player in each set-piece are varied enough to keep things from getting stale.

I loved the amount of player-choice offered to me throughout my experience with the game, and the sheer number of different permutations of ways to handle each situation led me to restart checkpoints multiple times to see what a different strategy might accomplish. Should I lure enemies away from their group to pick them off one by one, or try to lead a group of them to an explosive barrel or cargo crane and take several out at once? Do I sneak up behind this soldier and take him out, or try to find a way around him to some higher ground? The game forces players to make minute to minute decisions in support of an overall plan of attack, but the biggest improvement in Sniper Elite 4 is that even when everything breaks down the improved “loud” combat and CQC skills usually allow players to find a way to reset. Overall, everything people love about the series is on display here, and it’s easy to say that this is the best-playing game of the bunch.

The A.I. does a pretty good job of reacting to noises and visual identification the way you would expect, and reliably hides behind walls or other items when under fire. There’s a sweet spot to AI in a game like this, where they’re smart enough to not get wasted with little to no effort but not so smart that they won’t fall for the “gamey” stuff like leading them into a deathtrap of rigged explosives. Thankfully enemies in this game feel like they’re right in that spot to me, which just adds to the joy of experimentation.

The most impressive aspect of Sniper Elite 4’s visuals is hands down the X-ray kill cam. The visual signature that put the series on the map, its slow-motion camera work and incredibly graphic presentation of bodily harm add a tremendous amount to the satisfaction of each long-distance kill-shot. Outside of that visual flourish however, the rest of the game looks average at best. Some of the animations are choppy or awkward, particularly the animation for jumping over gaps. Draw distance is good, however, with very minimal pop-in, which is particularly important for a game about sniping enemies from a distance.

For those of you who prefer to do your Nazi-killing with a friend, players can play each of the campaign missions local or online co-op in addition to single player. There are also competitive multiplayer modes (this requires a separate free 1.3GBdownload from the eShop) with your standard suite of gameplay types (deathmatch, capture the flag, etc.) and some more attuned to the spirit of the franchise like Distance King where the highest total kill distance wins. My experience with the multiplayer was lag-free, especially important for a game of this type, but I found very few other people online, which can be a challenge with ports like this. For those of you who like to get your practice in before the real action begins, there’s also a shooting range with timed challenges.

With expansive sandbox levels, some thrilling stealth action, and (of course) those magnificent X-ray kill cam shots it’s easy to see why this fourth iteration of Rebellion’s popular series is generally considered the most well rounded. With that being said, the seams are beginning to show this long after the original release, and while the Switch manages to pull off the action behind the scope exactly the way you’d expect, your mileage with the middle of the road visuals and mostly bland story may vary. If you have an Xbox or PlayStation its likely you already have the game for free, as it’s included in Game Pass and was a PlayStation Plus giveaway last year. If you only own a Switch or are looking for a game of this type to play on the go however, you’ll find plenty of content to like behind the $40 price tag.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.