I’m not going to lie, I’m a die hard fan of this series. So needless to say I was excited that it was released on the X-Box Gamepass.

When I first played Sniper Elite 3, I was immediately hooked as it was a great alternative to Call of duty run and guns.

Admittedly the third installment (and somewhat the redux version of sniper elite 2) are very linear by today’s standard but that was half the challenge as there was no room for error. Miss a shot, alert an enemy and you’re punished.

For Sniper Elite 4 rebellion rolled out the scope and each level was a huge sumptuous Italian playground. The levels went from a 20 minute forage to (depending on your level) taking 2-3 hours. The huge scope enabled you to complete the level suited to your gameplay. The addition of suppression rounds seemed to take the pressure off the punishment and turned the level into somewhat of a sniper’s playground. The negative for me was the now standard emphasis on multiplayer and the unforgivable collectibles you could only get in Co-op.

So Sniper Elite 5,

The game itself is set a few days before D-Day, you infiltrate into northern France to aid the resistance and stop Operation Kraken. The gameplay is very similar to the previous series and the graphics are only somewhat better than Sniper Elite 4. It will not win any next gen awards for ray tracing etc.

Each level has a main objective, sub objectives and a whole boatload of collectables. The levels are huge and gorgeous. From the start of an early morning raid on the northern coast to a daytime infiltration of a chateau. The real show piece is the third level which is based on Mont Saint Michel in Normandy. Whoever designed that level needs a bonus, it is beautiful and well researched.

The main draw as always is the x-ray camera for all the blood and gore shots. I do find that you have to turn it down a little as it can be distracting if you go on a full sniper rampage. One hint – if you sniper shot the guards holding the search light at the start with a testicle shot you will hear the guy next to you howl with an impressed disgust.

Now gameplay wise, you can go in all guns blazing if you wish but you will attract half the wehrmacht by doing such a thing so be prepared to run and shoot your way out. I however prefer the stealth option of long range shots drowned out by a sabotaged engine, unhooking and booby trapping an electricity box or rigging a body with a teller mine. There’s a certain satisfaction with this game that I haven’t had since the Brothers in Arms series, where you are vulnerable to the extent of a few bullets and it’s over. So caution is the key to it, can you make a shot? Possibly but if you miss them then are they going to hit the alarm? The same goes for getting close with a pistol, too near your prey may hear you, too far you may just ‘ding’ their helmet.

There are some notable additions that really do add to the game. The first is the workbench that allows you to unlock and customize your standard weapons. The unlock happened by completing various tasks including kill list challenges. In the second level your kill list target needs to be killed by a fallen chandelier for example. The second is the ability to open up new starting points which adds something new to replays. You can also modify the difficulty setting better to allow for a variety of scenarios i.e. no sniper assist but not ridiculously hard like the original authentic level.

Attracting enemies has changed by the introduction of bottle throwing instead of stones and the shu-mines that render guards unconscious. I still haven’t fathomed why i would use non-lethal rounds yet not just pacify a guard but I’m sure i will work that out. Sadly in the single player campaign trip wires and the Nagat sniper rifle (My Fav) are no longer available. I did however like the addition of found weapons, where you can pick up some modded rifles and submachine guns lying around. Find the MG-42 and just go hell for leather in a church for a break in the sneaking or a high powered rifle for that 600m shot.

I can’t comment on the new invasion mode as I’m not a fan of multiplayer. However I like the novel idea of dropping into someone’s Campaign as an opposing sniper.

As always on a fresh release it’s not without a few bugs (I fell through the map while next to a hedge) and the levels have been known to freeze. I am sure that these will be sorted out in the coming weeks.

The bonus content was well worth the purchase, it always included a hitler assassination which has multiple choices including testicle shot. This has been a standard theme throughout the series either breaking into a North African stronghold or a sub pen in the previous reiteration. This time it’s the eagles nest and doesn’t disappoint. With the addition of a season pass I do hope for some content similar to Sniper Elite 4 which were several huge levels including one in the snow at a naval base. By the way Hitler, in this game has only one ball … so make sure you aim for the correct side.

So in short if you’re the kind of gamer that likes to take their time and isn’t into the run n gun, mass battle royals, this is for you. It’s a thinking man’s game.

On a side note i do recommend the sniper elite comics by rebellion, they add background to the main characters story (inc the ever important origin story which is name checked in one of the FMVs)