Sniper Elite 5 Review – A Blast Stuck In The Past

Sniper Elite 5 is a WWII tactical action game that clearly draws inspiration from titles such as Hitman and Splinter Cell. Can it live up to that potential greatness, or is it stuck in the past a bit too much?

Game Name: Sniper Elite 5
Platform(s): Xbox Series X/S (reviewed), Xbox One, PlayStation 4/5, PC.
Publisher(s): Rebellion
Developer(s): Rebellion
Release Date: 26th May 2022

The fifth entry in the Sniper Elite series once again sees players take control of the highly trained Karl Fairburne. This time in France in 1944, players are tasked with uncovering and destroying a secret Nazi project. You might think that sounds interesting; unfortunately, it’s not. What ultimately unfolds is the world’s most generic tale of one man against an army of evil. It certainly doesn’t help that Fairburne himself is about as generic as they come, thinks he’s the best, doesn’t deal well with authority, etc. The list goes on. I found myself less engaged with the story than I have in any game for a long time.

It never gets old

The half of the equation here is the joy of the moment-to-moment gameplay. From sniping a Nazi from a mile away and getting the superb X-Ray kill-cam of his testicles exploding, yes, you read that right! To the sneaking around totally unseen to take out a pair of anti-aircraft guns. The ability to mask the sound of shots using the sounds around you, like a plane flying overhead, is something I very much enjoyed.

Each mission has multiple objectives, some optional and some not—these range from killing a specific target to destroying a machine of some kind. Most missions have similar objectives but what makes them fun to do, again and again, is the freedom given to the player in these vast open levels. You can tackle objectives in any order you wish, with multiple pathways leading to each one. Unlocking new starting points for each mission by finding campfires is something that adds replay value.

It can make objectives easier, and each objective you complete is worth XP, the same as each enemy you kill and how you kill them. This XP levels you up gaining skill points, that can be used on character upgrades such as more health or holding breathe longer. Some of these skills can make a massive difference to your experience as can weapon attachments. These can be obtained by finding workbenches throughout the different missions, and they can make a massive difference to your weapons capabilities. One example of this would be a silenced pistol mixed with the subsonic ammo you can find in the world. You can go unheard the entire mission hitting the enemies with headshots along the way.

Combine this freedom of play with the ability to experience the entire game with a multiplayer aspect. Either in co-op with a friend, which I loved, or using the invasion mechanic where another player can hunt you down. These could be fun, but I turned invasions off. They just changed the dynamic of the game a little too much for me, turning a tactical shooter into a run and gun, free for all at times. One thing is for sure; there is never a dull moment in the gameplay of Sniper Elite. This is just the campaign gameplay, there is also a co-op survival wave-based mode available as well as a more traditional multiplayer experience. There is so much to do in Sniper Elite 5, and it never gets old!

 

Something isn’t right here

Speaking of old… unfortunately, this game looks like it’s from the Xbox 360 era when it comes to character models making cutscenes particularly hard to engage with. Their faces, in particular, stick out, from bulgy dead eyes to the waxy plastic-looking skin no character ever looked good. When combined with bad lip-syncing with audio, the presentation of cutscenes in Sniper Elite 5 isn’t up to the standard expected in 2022. On top of this, outside of cutscenes, things aren’t quite right. Outdoor environments look good, especially around forest areas. When you get closer to industrial areas though, you will notice shadows not being where they should be, unnatural light sources, and more. Primarily the issue outside of cutscenes is some animations are super stiff. Never hurting the ability to play, just looking terrible.

Audio, in general gameplay is done well but isn’t without its problems. Guns that sound different based on attachments, bullet impacts that sound as they should depending on the surface hit. Sneak attack someone, and what you will hear sounds like a deflating car tire, definitely not what you’d expect.

 

Technical Experience

Playing on Xbox Series X, I hadn’t experienced performance issues, with the frame holding steady even in the most chaotic moments.  There is, however, a bug that I kept experiencing, as did my co-op partners. Guns were made unusable due to getting stuck in a reloading animation loop. Reloading a previous save would fix the problem, but hopefully, the devs can patch it in a more permanent solution.

Summary

Sniper Elite 5 is a game I deeply enjoy playing, with well-designed missions that take advantage of the built-in mechanics. Player freedom is key to the experience, much like Hitman, and I’ll be revisiting the game to try and do better. It’s a massive shame that a great game to play is let down by a completely forgettable story and unpleasant visuals. The game is still worth playing, especially for those with stealth or tactical action itch, akin to Hitman or Splinter Cell. If you are a Gamepass subscriber, you can access the game through your subscription. It is worth trying, and I recommend playing with a friend for extra fun.

Review Disclosure Statement: Sniper Elite 5 was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy for more info.