Sniper Elite 4 Nintendo Switch Review

I remember stumbling upon the Sniper Elite series on its first entry on PC all the way back in 2005. It was an enjoyable romp, while being a little rough around the edges, and laid the framework for a great gaming franchise which seems to improve with every iteration that comes out. But as the franchise steps out into this new WWII Open World, will it stay in the shadows, or will it hit its mark?

Once again, you step into the boots of Karl Fairburn, the elite sniper of the previous entries, on his mission to grind the Nazi War Machine to a halt. This time, Karl has a range of allies supporting him on his mission from Italian resistance fighters to the Mafia. These characters serve to give you additional objectives in the staging areas before your mission. Talking to them expands on the story alongside clarifying these new objectives to add a bit more depth to the game.

The brave new shift into an open world for at is easily Sniper Elite 4’s greatest strength. While the preset shooting gallery setups were fun, the open-world approach allows players to set intricate traps and ambushes, further creating exciting gameplay opportunities. I often found myself taking the time to mark enemies and monitor their patrol patterns, which then allowed me to plant mines to cover my tracks before commencing my attack. Do you blow your cover so the truck full of reinforcements drives over your teller mine as they scramble to assault your position? Or do you methodically silence enemies with close-quarters knife and pistol attacks, remaining a ghost? These are just 2 examples of how you can tackle any situation, and subsequent playthroughs lead to different approaches and tactics which keep the gameplay fresh and exciting.

Another great improvement in Sniper Elite 4 is the accuracy increase of secondary weapons. In previous titles, Karl would clumsily spray and pray his submachine gun making close combat an unenjoyable slog. This time around, Karl seems to have refined those skills resulting in a more exciting firefight if discovered.

The series staple X-ray kill cam returns in all its bloody gory as well. Making a great shot on your primary weapon, melee, or explosives triggers the slow-motion kill cam which never seems to get old. This time, you can adjust the frequency at which it appears but I found it to be perfect on its default setting, never really interrupting gameplay and always delivering a wow factor. Even when boobie trapping fallen enemies can lead to an off-screen trigger which is immensely satisfying.

There are very few compromises in the Switch port of Sniper Elite 4 with visuals leaving me rather impressed with draw distance and model quality. The only real hit that’s obvious is the foliage on the ground, and it never detracts from the immersion. The X-ray cam is rendered in excellent detail too, ensuring maximum wow factor when hitting that shot. Environments are large and well thought out, and there’s something special about staring out into the vast battlefield that lies ahead. Karl moves fluidly and the animations are great. It’s especially cool to land a well-timed melee attack while remaining in cover, or hitting a grenade on an enemy resulting in a slow-motion explosion.

Enemies chatter and complain, although there are only a few voice lines that are repeated which could be improved upon. The ambiance of the world around you helps immerse you further into the battlefield, creating an exciting world to explore. Guns sound great and impactful, and explosions and distant airstrikes not only sound great but help mask your position and shots too. Sound plays a huge part in this game so I highly recommend playing with headphones on to really get the most out of Sniper Elite 4.

Overall, Sniper Elite 4 is a huge improvement on an already great foundation. Opening up the world leads to a more in-depth experience, allowing you to take hours to complete a single mission and not get bored. It’s clear that the developer took the time to adjust their sights on making Sniper Elite 4 one of the contenders for the best tactical shooter on the Nintendo Switch.

So What’s it Like?

A cross between Metal Gear Solid and Call of Duty.