Attn gamers: Sniper Elite

Wallcrawler · 10-25-2005, 08:23 PM

If any of you gamers out there are fans of Snipers, or your favorite gun in general in shooters is a Sniper Rifle, you should check out this game.

The game sells for just 39.99, I guess due to the high difficulty level when you play the game as youre meant to.

The game makes you factor in gravity for bullet drop, wind, your own heart rate and breathing, as well as using surrounding background noise to mask your shots.

In many games, the various notches on your sniper scope are just there for show, as they dont make you use them to assist you in your aiming for long shots. The game's manual includes an aiming chart for each of the three rifles you use in the game, to help you better gauge those really long shots.

The game was reviewed by PSM magazine and given 9/10, only taking a point off for what they said was "dated graphics". The graphics to me are still very good, with ZERO pop in, which makes this game so great. If an enemy soldier is patrolling a level at the end, if you can get in a position at the beginning to see him, he is there and ripe for the picking.

The enemy AI on the game is fantastic, even on the lowest difficulty setting, Rookie. You will take fire if spotted, but when you look to see where the shot came from, most often you see nothing. Only by using patience, and your binoculars/scope can you find many of these enemy snipers. Generally, when you see where they are hidden, they will come to the edge of the roof, with just the top portion of their head barely visible, take a quick look, and then they are gone again.

When you accelerate the difficulty to its max level, Sniper Elite, everything is completely realistic. Grenades have a realistic 20 yd blast radius instead of the "hollywood" 8yd blast radius on the easier settings. You will have to adjust for wind, gravity, your posture, your heart rate, and use the "empty lung" technique to hold your breath to give yourself anywhere from 10 seconds on Sniper elite, to 25 seconds on Rookie of rock steady aim with no shake.

There are four basic difficulties, Easy, Normal, Hard, and Very Hard. On top of that, there is a custom difficulty setting where you can adjust many aspects of the game. You can have Normal AI, while having the aiming and grenade settings on Sniper Elite difficulty. The only thing is, the custom difficulty can only be used for practice, because the game will not save any of your "Points of Fame" when you play on the custom setting.

The greatest feature of the game so far is the Bullet Cam. Should you set up a perfect shot, the camera will follow the bullet straight to your target and you can watch where it hits, along with the surprised look on the enemy soldier's face as he falls.

Many realistic techniques are included in the game, including using background noise to mask the sound of your shot. In many areas, artillery fire is constant. Usually once every 7-10 seconds, there is a big explosion somewhere in the level. Lining up your shot, holding your breath, and waiting for the explosion in the background and timing your pull of the trigger with it will get you the "Covert Kill", which really adds up on the points of fame chart. Even better, other enemies in the level have no idea that one of their own has just been taken out. Some measure of caution has to be used however, as an enemy soldier happening upon a downed comrade will put them into an alerted state, and they will begin actively searching the area.

Another great technique is the live bait technique, executed to perfection in the movie "Full Metal Jacket". If any of you saw that movie, and remember the fate of Doc J. and 8-Ball, then you know what I mean. Taking aim on an enemy, and hitting him in the torso/stomach area will drop him and he will writhe on the ground in pain and call for help. Simply keep your sights on the fallen enemy, and soon someone will come to help him. Its up to the individual sniper on what to do next. If youve seen several enemies in the area, you can wound the newest guy on the scene, so that you will have fresh bait in case the first guy you hit dies. Or, my personal favorite is wait until the assisting enemy hoists the fallen comrade over his shoulder, and then fire, sending a bullet right through both of the enemies and hitting that 2 for 1 bonus.

There are several creative ways to take out the enemy. Sniping a grenade on the belt of an enemy can take out any enemies in a 20 yd radius if youre playing on realistic difficulty. Soldiers grouped around a truck can be taken out with a single shot to the gas cap on the fuel tank. If youve spotted a patrol, and they leave the area, sneaking out and planting some TNT in a concealed area of the patrol route is another fun thing to do. Get back to your concealed sniping position, wait for the patrol to come by, and shoot the TNT. If you mask the shot with background noise, you get the Covert Kill, and remote detonation bonuses, and then if there is more than one enemy it racks up to double and triple covert kill, which greatly accelerates the points of fame totals.

Most of the game will be spent crawling, or crouch walking from cover to cover. If you hang out in the open, youre dead. Unless you play on easy, then you just lose 90% of your life, just to let you know you cant be doing that.

This game is not for players who dont have a lot of patience, and prefer to go in guns blazing. That is nearly impossible in this game. There are other weapons, machine guns that you can pick up and have at the ready should the enemy close on your position, but mainly the automatic weapons should be used for defense only, and stick to your rifle as your main offense. Fire from one point, then quickly move to another area.

It can be frustrating at times, but the satisfaction you get from completing a mission with all long range kills is really, really something. This is without a doubt the best sniper game out there right now.

I really like it because of the good range of AI levels. You can go easy until you learn how to judge the distance for your shots, and then crank it up to realistic. Also the option to just turn off all of the other elements to sniping such as Gravity, Wind, Heart Rate, and Posture, for those players who just need a break from doing all the calculations required for a great shot, and can just play for a while placing the crosshair where they want the bullet to go and enjoying a few good bullet cam kills before going back to the normal gameplay mode.

Any fan of Snipers, and everything that being a sniper entails should rent this game at the very least.

My longest shot so far was on a rooftop sniper at 226 yards away, but my dad is a little better shot than I am and he dropped a guy from 264 yards with a headshot.

Another nice feature is the 2 player co-op mode, where you can team up with a friend, and play through the full 28 mission campaign, as well as share equipment and render first aid to your partner should one of you be unfortunate enough to get killed during the mission.

This is a pretty cool game, but I dont see it getting much air time in regard to advertising, so this is just a heads up to anyone interested in that type of gameplay.

PastorMikH · 10-25-2005, 09:01 PM

You lost me at $39.99. However, if you want to burn a copy of yours I'd be glad to give it a try.

j/k

My best shot would probably be a prairie dog at 550-600 yards with my 22-250. Made several shots like that every year out in Kansas. Shot a deer last year off hand at 425 yards with my 257 Ackley Improved - that would be my best on a deer.

Hammock Parties · 10-25-2005, 09:05 PM

Got any screenshots?

Oh, wait, you said "rent." I bet it's not for PC.

Hammock Parties · 10-25-2005, 09:06 PM

Nevermind, it's for PC! w00t!

Hammock Parties · 10-25-2005, 09:12 PM

I'm seeing ALOT of third-person screenshots...I hope there's some first person element to the game.

ZootedGranny · 10-25-2005, 09:42 PM

Even though I'm all about sniping, I saw a trailer for this a month or so ago and it looked pretty mediocre. However, I will definitely check it out now based on the your impressions.

wilas101 · 11-10-2005, 08:36 AM

This sounds pretty cool. I hadn't played any tactical type games for like 7 years but recently got started on rainbow six- raven shield. It's renewed my interest in the genre. I wanna try the splinter cell stuff and this one sounds cool as well so I'll have to put it on my list. Thanks.

10-25-2005, 08:23 PM	Topic Starter
Wallcrawler How tall is this thing? Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Ground 0 for enema of US. Casino cash: $4262912	Attn gamers: Sniper Elite If any of you gamers out there are fans of Snipers, or your favorite gun in general in shooters is a Sniper Rifle, you should check out this game. The game sells for just 39.99, I guess due to the high difficulty level when you play the game as youre meant to. The game makes you factor in gravity for bullet drop, wind, your own heart rate and breathing, as well as using surrounding background noise to mask your shots. In many games, the various notches on your sniper scope are just there for show, as they dont make you use them to assist you in your aiming for long shots. The game's manual includes an aiming chart for each of the three rifles you use in the game, to help you better gauge those really long shots. The game was reviewed by PSM magazine and given 9/10, only taking a point off for what they said was "dated graphics". The graphics to me are still very good, with ZERO pop in, which makes this game so great. If an enemy soldier is patrolling a level at the end, if you can get in a position at the beginning to see him, he is there and ripe for the picking. The enemy AI on the game is fantastic, even on the lowest difficulty setting, Rookie. You will take fire if spotted, but when you look to see where the shot came from, most often you see nothing. Only by using patience, and your binoculars/scope can you find many of these enemy snipers. Generally, when you see where they are hidden, they will come to the edge of the roof, with just the top portion of their head barely visible, take a quick look, and then they are gone again. When you accelerate the difficulty to its max level, Sniper Elite, everything is completely realistic. Grenades have a realistic 20 yd blast radius instead of the "hollywood" 8yd blast radius on the easier settings. You will have to adjust for wind, gravity, your posture, your heart rate, and use the "empty lung" technique to hold your breath to give yourself anywhere from 10 seconds on Sniper elite, to 25 seconds on Rookie of rock steady aim with no shake. There are four basic difficulties, Easy, Normal, Hard, and Very Hard. On top of that, there is a custom difficulty setting where you can adjust many aspects of the game. You can have Normal AI, while having the aiming and grenade settings on Sniper Elite difficulty. The only thing is, the custom difficulty can only be used for practice, because the game will not save any of your "Points of Fame" when you play on the custom setting. The greatest feature of the game so far is the Bullet Cam. Should you set up a perfect shot, the camera will follow the bullet straight to your target and you can watch where it hits, along with the surprised look on the enemy soldier's face as he falls. Many realistic techniques are included in the game, including using background noise to mask the sound of your shot. In many areas, artillery fire is constant. Usually once every 7-10 seconds, there is a big explosion somewhere in the level. Lining up your shot, holding your breath, and waiting for the explosion in the background and timing your pull of the trigger with it will get you the "Covert Kill", which really adds up on the points of fame chart. Even better, other enemies in the level have no idea that one of their own has just been taken out. Some measure of caution has to be used however, as an enemy soldier happening upon a downed comrade will put them into an alerted state, and they will begin actively searching the area. Another great technique is the live bait technique, executed to perfection in the movie "Full Metal Jacket". If any of you saw that movie, and remember the fate of Doc J. and 8-Ball, then you know what I mean. Taking aim on an enemy, and hitting him in the torso/stomach area will drop him and he will writhe on the ground in pain and call for help. Simply keep your sights on the fallen enemy, and soon someone will come to help him. Its up to the individual sniper on what to do next. If youve seen several enemies in the area, you can wound the newest guy on the scene, so that you will have fresh bait in case the first guy you hit dies. Or, my personal favorite is wait until the assisting enemy hoists the fallen comrade over his shoulder, and then fire, sending a bullet right through both of the enemies and hitting that 2 for 1 bonus. There are several creative ways to take out the enemy. Sniping a grenade on the belt of an enemy can take out any enemies in a 20 yd radius if youre playing on realistic difficulty. Soldiers grouped around a truck can be taken out with a single shot to the gas cap on the fuel tank. If youve spotted a patrol, and they leave the area, sneaking out and planting some TNT in a concealed area of the patrol route is another fun thing to do. Get back to your concealed sniping position, wait for the patrol to come by, and shoot the TNT. If you mask the shot with background noise, you get the Covert Kill, and remote detonation bonuses, and then if there is more than one enemy it racks up to double and triple covert kill, which greatly accelerates the points of fame totals. Most of the game will be spent crawling, or crouch walking from cover to cover. If you hang out in the open, youre dead. Unless you play on easy, then you just lose 90% of your life, just to let you know you cant be doing that. This game is not for players who dont have a lot of patience, and prefer to go in guns blazing. That is nearly impossible in this game. There are other weapons, machine guns that you can pick up and have at the ready should the enemy close on your position, but mainly the automatic weapons should be used for defense only, and stick to your rifle as your main offense. Fire from one point, then quickly move to another area. It can be frustrating at times, but the satisfaction you get from completing a mission with all long range kills is really, really something. This is without a doubt the best sniper game out there right now. I really like it because of the good range of AI levels. You can go easy until you learn how to judge the distance for your shots, and then crank it up to realistic. Also the option to just turn off all of the other elements to sniping such as Gravity, Wind, Heart Rate, and Posture, for those players who just need a break from doing all the calculations required for a great shot, and can just play for a while placing the crosshair where they want the bullet to go and enjoying a few good bullet cam kills before going back to the normal gameplay mode. Any fan of Snipers, and everything that being a sniper entails should rent this game at the very least. My longest shot so far was on a rooftop sniper at 226 yards away, but my dad is a little better shot than I am and he dropped a guy from 264 yards with a headshot. Another nice feature is the 2 player co-op mode, where you can team up with a friend, and play through the full 28 mission campaign, as well as share equipment and render first aid to your partner should one of you be unfortunate enough to get killed during the mission. This is a pretty cool game, but I dont see it getting much air time in regard to advertising, so this is just a heads up to anyone interested in that type of gameplay.
Posts: 6,930

10-25-2005, 09:01 PM	#2
PastorMikH Will KC ever be better? Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Land of Red Dirt & Necks Casino cash: $9955087	You lost me at $39.99. However, if you want to burn a copy of yours I'd be glad to give it a try. j/k My best shot would probably be a prairie dog at 550-600 yards with my 22-250. Made several shots like that every year out in Kansas. Shot a deer last year off hand at 425 yards with my 257 Ackley Improved - that would be my best on a deer. __________________
Posts: 20,453

10-25-2005, 09:05 PM	#3
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $4740478	Got any screenshots? Oh, wait, you said "rent." I bet it's not for PC. __________________ Chiefs game films
Posts: 277,684

10-25-2005, 09:06 PM	#4
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $4740478	Nevermind, it's for PC! w00t! __________________ Chiefs game films
Posts: 277,684

10-25-2005, 09:12 PM	#5
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $4740478	I'm seeing ALOT of third-person screenshots...I hope there's some first person element to the game. __________________ Chiefs game films
Posts: 277,684

10-25-2005, 09:42 PM	#6
ZootedGranny Chump Steamroller Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: . Casino cash: $10015042	Even though I'm all about sniping, I saw a trailer for this a month or so ago and it looked pretty mediocre. However, I will definitely check it out now based on the your impressions.
Posts: 3,974

11-10-2005, 08:36 AM	#7
wilas101 Starter Join Date: Mar 2005 Casino cash: $8459487	This sounds pretty cool. I hadn't played any tactical type games for like 7 years but recently got started on rainbow six- raven shield. It's renewed my interest in the genre. I wanna try the splinter cell stuff and this one sounds cool as well so I'll have to put it on my list. Thanks.
Posts: 775