Sniper Elite V2 release in May 2012...

[PZ]

... also called a "thinking man's shooter", it is reported to be a realistic sniper game with the emphasis on stealth.  You are still a WWII sniper using a Springfield M1903, and there is a new twist to the bullet action - you sometimes see what looks similar to an X-ray of the bullet passing through the body - interesting gruesome action footage that somehow brings home a bit of the harsh reality of war and death.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIywk89RBvU#ws

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-5UXa2q_Tg#ws

One of our members reviewed the original Sniper Elite about a year ago - read it here

[PZ]

Installed the game last night but was too tired to play much but the first part of the prologue.  I wasn't too impressed initially, but this morning when I had a chance to play real missions, I had a great time.

Although linear like Sniper Ghost Warrior, for me it is much more fun largely because of the WWII setting.  You start out with a Springfield 1903, a silent pistol, Thompson machine gun, and a small assortment of explosives.  It was great using the silent pistol - unlike the 6P9 in FC2, you don't have to perform head shots to achieve a kill!

Also like in FC2, you can wound enemy, who will call for help.

One really nice feature is a powerful binocular set - you can zoom in on the smallest things.

A linear game I am also fond of is Brothers in Arms, Hells Highway, in which there are a couple of basic sniper missions.  This game is similar to BIAHH, but tons better in how the sniper works.

All in all, I would purchase the game again, even though I know I won't play through many times due to the linear nature.

[Art Blade]

thanks for the crisp first impressions, PZ :)

[PZ]

My pleasure  ^-^

The game is rapidly becoming more favored in my eyes - just finished a mission where I set explosives on bridge supports, and then made my way to a sniper vantage point.  My mission was to snipe the explosives while Russian tanks were crossing the bridge.  The sniper position was on top of a high building, and because the player is able to go prone, it was a perfect position.

Completed the mission and the tanks went into the river.  Then the icing on the cake was that there was a broad field of targets that were now trying to kill me, including another tank - the new objective was to destroy the tank which you do by shooting some kind of explosive canister on it's hull.  This was a real fun mission.

As to general game play, there are some periods of intense action where your machine gun is really handy, others where a silent head shot with your pistol allows you to advance through a building, and times I really appreciate - where you scope broad areas with your binoculars, tag your targets, and plan your course of action. 

The latter almost feels like playing chess - you have plenty of time to plan your activities because the enemy is completely unaware of your presence, and you are usually so far away they can't see you.

When you are sneaking through buildings or other areas and hear footsteps, the sound is proportionate to the distance from you - in other words, you can use the soldiers footsteps to predict their position.

Although linear, this is definitely the best sniper experience I have ever played in any game.

[Art Blade]

this sounds like a really nice sniper experience, as it should be: far away, enemies unaware of your presence, study the situation and make tactical decisions. Nice :)

How are the graphics, do you think an older rig (mine) could handle it?

[PZ]

How are the graphics, do you think an older rig (mine) could handle it?

I don't know - I'm playing on the console.  The graphics are quite good, and detailed when you zoom in.  At a distant view the graphics seem to be on par with all other games I currently have, so I would guess that your (and my) PC could handle it.  As you already know, graphics are important in any game for me, and these are excellent, but not breath-taking.

As to tactical planning - yes indeed.  Although linear, you have the choice of several approaches (for instance ground level versus high point in a building).  I really like how in many situations, you are high in a sniper position, and you need to discover all of the enemy present (you can tag them) before you initiate your attack.  Quite often there will be ambient noises (like Church bells ringing) that you can use to mask the sound of your rifle - time it right, and hit the enemy in secluded spots first and no one will alert.

Another cool thing I experienced when traveling through the ruins of Berlin - as I passed some of the bombed-out buildings, bricks broke loose and fell down - what a great touch.  :-X

As to the sound effects - I really like the kill animations along with the sounds, but I suspect this will be an individual preference.  There are Russian and German soldiers who are speaking in their native languages - not too bad, and for the most part accurate.  However, when the German soldiers are hunting for me, they are taunting ineffectually.  Think of Elton John trying to sound tough while speaking German and you get the idea.  While some of the German soldiers speak as I would expect, not all of them do.  When I think "German soldier" I think loud, confident, arrogant, and speaking every word as if they are spitting it out.

[fragger]

Thanks for sharing your impressions thus far mate, SEV2 sounds pretty cool. I like games where you can plan a course of action, and I can live with linear in the right circumstances. I might even be able to play this game now that I've gotten some decent hardware together (please tell me it isn't a Steam title...)

Think of Elton John trying to sound tough while speaking German

Can't picture him in the Wehrmacht - they probably frowned on sequins...

[Art Blade]

  good one, both yours and PZ's comments  ^-^

As to how the German soldiers, or anyone who thought was superior, of that time spoke.. it gives me the shivers and makes my hair stand on end. Just listen to old broadcasts such as the "Wochenschau" (newsreel) or political speeches.. omg  :o

[PZ]

I don't know if there is a Steam requirement because I just went into my local Gamestop and purchased it off the shelf.  I did not have to do any kind of online registration when I installed the game.  When I launch the game, a message pops up indicating that there is an update available, but just like FC2, it allows me to cancel and the game starts.

I am enjoying the game so much that I might get it in PC version.

This morning I was given a mission to clear the town of Russian snipers - loads of fun sneaking around popping heads with my Gewehr 43.  >:D

The only bad thing I see on the console is the autosave feature.  When I leave the game in the middle of a mission, it does not start at the last checkpoint as in all my other games.  Instead, you start at the very beginning of the mission.

[PZ]

My son is also playing Sniper Elite V2 and has set a custom difficulty level for his character.  While I have not tried that yet (I'm the casual player kind of guy), it sounds intriguing.

Also interesting (but not something I can do because of my slow Internet connection) is multi-player.  Evidently it is a co-op play with you and one partner playing as sniper and spotter against AI.  He said that the spotter gives wind speed, calculates distance, etc. just like a real life sniper.  Man that would be fun.

[PZ]

Update:  I just discovered that activation via Steam is required for the PC version.   :D

[fragger]

Aaaaargh :D

[PZ]

Well, I'm hoping that the activation part is just a simple one-time thing because I play any Steam games in offline mode.

[Art Blade]

a quick one-time thing with a few hooks attached, such as involving an 800+GB patch download and constant online time.  :-D ??? ???? 8-X

[PZ]

Are you serious about constant online?  ????

[Art Blade]

no, of course not! Sorry  :)

[PZ]

 ^-^

[PZ]

Well, I finished the game and like most linear titles, it left me wanting more.  I can also cay that this is the best linear game I have played, because it is one of the few in which you can plan your course of action; you need not always engage the enemy, if you can stealthily evade their notice, there are many instances where you can simply go around them to your destination.

There is also a challenge section which sets you up in areas you have already visited and your mission is to tally as many kills as you can.

I also enjoyed the long distance sniping on the "Casual" difficulty setting because it is simple shooting - get the cross hairs on the target and Bobs' your uncle.  Next I'm going to go through on a custom level in which you can fine tune how the sniper weapon operates as well as how "smart" your opponents are.

[fragger]

Cool, glad you're continuing to enjoy the game :-X Sounds like there is some replay value there.

Happy sniping to you - and to everybody's favourite uncle, Bob :-()

[Art Blade]

hehe :-D

[PZ]

Well, I started a new play through with "Realistic" bullet dynamics, in which you need to account for bullet drop as well as wind effects.  I still have the enemy set as "Rookie"  :-()

Playing through the second time is fun, especially having to account for what the bullet does with wind and distance.  A nice special effect that I did not notice on the Casual difficulty level is the sound the bullet makes in some instances.  For example, when one of the enemy is wearing a helmet, and the head shot animation plays, you can hear the clank of the bullet passing through the front of the helmet, then crunch of bone, then a second clank as the round passes out of the back of the helmet.

As to replay value, there was an area where I was set up in a sniper position and killed all of the enemy.  Then I was to go down to street level and fight my way through the rest of the troops - evidently a software trigger is activated that causes the second wave of enemy to spawn.  I did it the game's way the first time, but this time I climbed back to the sniper position and had a turkey shoot.  Even though linear, there is room for experimentation, and in this instance, I managed to make the longest shot I have ever done (264 yards) and the highest point reward (2950). 

Playing with different parameters, and thinking more about your moves adds another dimension to play through.   :-X

[fragger]

Realistic bullet dynamics sounds both interesting and challenging :-X

[PZ]

The one annoying thing about the game is how it is saved.  It initially appears that it will operate similarly to most games - you begin a mission, and then there are automatic saved check points.  If you are killed then you revert to the last checkpoint.  However, if it is not convenient to complete a mission and you want to defer to a later time, the game does not pick up where you left off - you have to start the entire mission again!   :D

Despite that annoyance, I still really like the game, and am doing a 70 mb update to see if that might fix the problem.   ::)

[Art Blade]

I ... am doing a 70 mb update to see if that might fix the problem.   ::)

I don't want to rush you, but I think the download should be about finished by now.  :) Just in case it really is finished, did it help? And, I read system requirements DX10/11 but is it playable at DX9?

[PZ]

 

No, the update evidently did not do anything about the save points. Unfortunately I do not know about DX9 because I am playing the game on the console.  :-\\