‘Sniper Elite 4’: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Sniper Elite 4, the fourth installment in the tactical third-person shooter franchise, comes out today for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Set in 1943 Italy immediately after the events in Sniper Elite III, players control Office of Strategic Services Agent Karl Fairburne, who is tasked to assist the Italian resistance force by fighting fascists in World War II.

The Sniper Elite franchise has pushed more than 10 million units worldwide, and the franchise has been quite popular with critics. In an IGN review, Sniper Elite III received a 8.2 out of 10 rating and was praised for “being more than just a showcase for slow-motion gore.”

Here are five fast facts you need to know:

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1. There Is More To It Than Just Sniping & Environments Are Bigger Than Ever

Sniping is obviously a big part of franchise, hence the name Sniper Elite, but there are big improvements on the game’s graphics and gameplay that turn the game into a true stealth-based shooter.

There is no doubt that Sniper Elite 4 is the sharpest looking game in the series. It is the first Sniper Elite title to be developed for next-gen consoles, and the teaser trailer for the game is breathtaking at at 1080p HD and 60 frames-per-second on Xbox One and PS4.

Gameplay has also been expanded to include melee kills, shrapnel kills and stealth kills, and cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes have been reintroduced to the series. The game’s maps are also way bigger than the environments in the earlier games, with some areas being three times as large as the biggest map in Sniper Elite III.

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2. AI Has Improved

Sniper Elite 4‘s artificial intelligence has also significantly improved, with enemies being able to react to players’ actions more responsively. For example, when an enemy is killed, other enemies will actively begin to look for their missing comrade.

The game also will now tell you the rank of your enemies as officers early will lead his army to retreat, while leaving him alive may end up costing you.

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3. Kill Cams Are Better & Has More of a Splinter Cell Vibe

Because of the additions of melee, shrapnel and melee kills, the kill cams in Sniper Elite 4 show even more gory detail than before. The post-mortem X-ray replays have been improved, which players are now able to watch no matter how they kill their fascist enemy.

The game also makes a big factor out of stealth. In night missions, players will want to shoot out nearby lights to disguise themselves in the dark much like in the Splinter Cell franchise.

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4. The Campaign Is Perfect For the Stealthy Shooter

Sniper Elite 4‘s campaign features eight core missions, as well as an array of primary and secondary objectives. Karl can now climb, which enables players to find some pretty sweet bird’s nests to prey from.

Tim Jones, Rebellion Development’s head of creative, said the studio wanted to make the game “a sniper’s paradise,” which Kotaku says it successfully does. The missions are much more vertical and the maps’ openness is more expansive than earlier Sniper Elite games. There are explosive objects and other environmental elements that Karl can shoot to sweeten the kill, as well.

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5. Mines & Trap Cam Are a Great New Way To Kill

Sniper Elite 4‘s weapon wheel is a plethora of new options to choose from, including different types of traps set for the enemy. One of the cooler additions is the S mine, colloquially known as the “Bouncing Betty,” which pops in the air and fires shrapnel in all directions when triggered. According to Games Radar, players can set mines to require two presses instead of one to explode.

If the gory new X-ray shots are not enough, the game features a trap cam that allows players to view their enemies death — even if far away. Place a mine, wait and boom: a slow-motion explosive scene of your fascist enemy disintegrating before your eyes.

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