Because the SMGs, shotguns, and pistols are fun and easy to use, I didn’t mind getting my hands dirty and taking the fight up close. While being stealthy has serious advantages at times, if you set yourself up with trip-mines and a lot of secondary weapon ammo, there are few situations you can’t fight your way out of. From trip-mines and TNT that blow enemies to smithereens to rocks and whistles that stealthily lure enemies, Sniper Elite 4 empowers players to approach each mission how they want. While sniping is the main draw, Fairburne has plenty of other options at his disposal. While the novelty began to wear on me by the end of the campaign, I was still disappointed each time I scored a headshot and the kill-cam didn’t activate.

Whether you’re blowing out an infantryman’s eye on the way to blasting out his brain or puncturing an officer’s lung, the level of detail in these brief moments is impressively depicted for those who don’t mind the gore of a slow-motion kill. Each time I let off a shot from my sniper rifle, I anticipated witnessing the carnage I was unleashing. These slow-motion x-ray shots are a mainstay of the series for good reason.

I also reveled in watching the cinematic x-ray cam during killing blows. Picking enemies off one-by-one is not only efficient, but landing a successful shot feels great. Though I rarely prefer sniping in other shooters, it is my go-to method of attack in Sniper Elite 4. The cycle of marking enemies with my binoculars, breaking out my rifle, holding my breath to steady my shot, and firing never ceases to satisfy. Sniping is unsurprisingly the main gameplay pillar in Sniper Elite 4, and it feels great. Because of this, I love planning out my route at the start of each mission. These goals are all on the way to your primary targets. While each mission has a few primary missions that must be completed, the map is littered with meaningful secondary objectives, such as taking out a pesky sniper, destroying artillery, or swiping classified Nazi documents. The campaign, which consists of eight lengthy missions, deploys you to a large open area with little more than your loadout and a map marked with objectives. This time, Fairburne’s adventures take him to Italy to assist the resistance forces. Sniper Elite 4 puts you in control of Karl Fairburne, the heroic sniper from the past entries.

With the fourth entry of Sniper Elite, a franchise built on delivering on that feeling, developer Rebellion has created a well-rounded and empowering sandbox shooter. Finding a spot with a great view of the battlefield, staring down the scope of your rifle, and taking out your enemies before they even know what hit them is a thrilling moment in any shooter.

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