Sniper Elite V2 [Essentials] - Boxed - PS3

Sniper Elite V2 is both a sequel to and a remake of Sniper Elite. It brings back Karl Fairburne, the protagonist of the first game, and features a setting in the same period as the original title. However, the gameplay and levels are completely new, so it's only a remake in the sense that it reimagines the character and setting of the original game. Fairburne is an American OSS (Office of Strategic Services) agent disguised as a German sniper, deployed during the final days of the Second World War in 1945 at the Battle of Berlin. In the original game, he was after information on the German nuclear weapons programme. In this game, he must hunt down German V-2 rocket scientists.

This shooter is played from a first-person perspective and favours tactics and stealth over direct combat. In many of the missions, a location must be entered covertly, and movement patterns must be observed before acting. It's possible to crawl and throw stones to distract guards, but grenades are also available. A threat indicator shows how exposed Fairburne is. If he's not careful, an alarm will be triggered, and the enemy threat then becomes overwhelming, not least because of limited ammunition. In many scenarios, it's also necessary to retreat and then flee. A safe escape is aided by laying tripwire mines, setting booby traps, or dragging away bodies. It's also possible to sneak, take cover, and quickly pop back out. Nearby enemies can be taken out with a suppressed pistol. In most situations, especially for long-range kills, a sniper rifle is used. At that moment, the camera switches to a first-person view. Accuracy is affected by heartbeat, breathing (which can be steadied), gravity and distance, as well as general ballistics. The degree of ballistic realism can be reduced via a difficulty setting. In some missions there are duels against enemy snipers, and in these cases even their scope glints, which shine in sunlight, can be used to give away their position.

The various game modes include single player, co-op games and competitive multiplayer. Co-op games include Kill Tally, in which endless waves of enemies must be killed in a race against the clock, Bombing Run, in which an area must be searched for parts to repair a broken vehicle before the location is bombed, Overwatch, in which a sniper works together with an agent to mark targets, and the entire main campaign, which can also be played together with a friend.

Compared to the first game, this title includes elements of contemporary shooters, such as point rewards for actions and kills (similar to the Modern Warfare games) and a slow-motion kill cam for long-range hits with an anatomical cutaway X-ray view, similar to the one used in Mortal Kombat (2011) to depict bone-breaking attacks. It shows exactly where the bullet enters the body and the damage it causes to the organs. The player is encouraged to pull off difficult shots, such as shooting an enemy through the eye. Other features include white figures indicating where enemy soldiers were last seen, and the ability to mark fighters to get their position and additional target information. The mission environments are not entirely open, but guide the player in one direction with a certain degree of freedom. In addition to the main objectives, hidden bottles and gold bars can be collected. More