Sniper Elite

Sniper Elite is a shooting game set during World War II. In it, the player takes on the role of an American secret agent sent on a daring undercover mission during the fall of Berlin. As the Red Army closes in, Karl Fairburne must infiltrate the city to retrieve the secrets of the German nuclear weapon research programme. Unlike most shooters, Sniper Elite is as much about stealth and tactics as it is about reflexes and aggression. In addition to his trusty sniper rifle, Fairburne can set booby traps using grenades or take out enemy troops with a silenced pistol. There's the occasional anti-tank rocket, but for the most part Sniper Elite is all about precision and finesse.

The distinctive feature of Sniper Elite is its ballistics system. To make a successful sniper shot at long range, you'll have to factor in variables such as the strength of the wind, the effect of gravity on the bullet and even Karl's breathing. Pay attention to the environment; loud noises such as artillery fire or even thunder can mask the sound of a shot, while targets will respond to sniper fire in different ways. You may even find it more productive to wound your first victim, forcing his comrades to break cover and retrieve him.

If you're used to the run-and-gun gameplay of most shooters, Sniper Elite will be a definite change. Victory here depends on patience and planning as much as on accuracy; you do need to make your shots, of course (and the headshots are gratifying enough to reward all the tension) but you also need to think carefully about when and where to make them. The physics isn't completely realistic; you'll have to learn the game's shooting system as you go. Still, once you've learned how much you need to compensate for bullet drop (a surprising amount even at relatively short distances) you'll be headshotting with the best of them.

Sniper Elite's multiplayer modes include both cooperative and competitive gameplay, although as with any older game you may struggle to find an opponent who isn't a battle-hardened killing machine. Likewise, the game shows its age in its graphics and sound.

Pros

• Tense stealth gameplay
• Complex sniping mechanic

Cons

• Dated graphics
• Same old WWII setting
• Unrealistic bullet physics