Sniper Elite 4 (Switch) Review – Satisfying Sniping on The Go

Sniper Elite 4 Switch Review

The Sniper Elite series has always been a love letter to both the snipers who live and die by the long-distance shots they make and the gamers that love to emulate their experiences. Not only has the series always allowed for lining up epic shots in vast areas, but that’s never been truer than it is with Sniper Elite 4. Console gamers have been enjoying this latest installment in the Sniper Elite franchise for a few years now, but Nintendo Switch gamers can finally play this essential third-person shooter on the go, in bed, or on the TV. While the optimal graphical experience is still on the PS4 or the Xbox One, the typical hybrid console portability argument remains valid as the visuals on the handheld Switch unit are consistent with other quality shooters on the system such as Overwatch, Crysis, and Doom.

While I did encounter a handful of invisible walls in Sniper Elite 4 on the Nintendo Switch, the vast sandbox areas were fun playgrounds to explore and slowly execute Nazis in. The campaign spans across several areas of Italy that were impacted by World War 2, beginning with San Celini Island in Italy. The early game of the first mission does a great job of introducing the main arsenal of tools, starting off with a stealth infantry execution which is quickly followed by a precise snipe detaching a canon from a pully in order to take out multiple targets with one environmental kill. The vast sandbox areas are easily scanned with the binoculars which are included in any loadout. Binoculars will not only track your prey but will also indicate how far away they are, allowing you to gauge the best way to eliminate them. Whether it’s a long-distance snipe that requires some bullet drop knowhow or a few rapid-fire kills with a Thompson, it’s usually your choice to make as a sniper who eliminates some of the most notorious Nazis to occupy Italy.

Tackle Each Situation Differently

The arsenal of Sniper Elite 4 includes sniper rifles such as Karabiner 98K, Lee-Enfield No. 4, and the infamous M1 Garand. There are a variety of secondaries included such as a pump-action Trench shotgun, fully automatic MP40, and the fully automatic M3 Grease Gun. These weapons come in handy when the Nazis close in on you and you’re able to funnel them into a doorway. Some of the pistols included in the arsenal are the fully automatic Mauser M712, semi-automatic Walther PPK, and single-action Webley MKVI revolver. These weapons will be familiar to historians and weapon enthusiasts alike, as well as knowledgeable shooter fans. They must be purchased outside of the initial arsenal utilized in San Celini Island, but you’re quickly able to build a second loadout if the initial one isn’t for you. Some of my favorite equipment to utilize in Sniper Elite 4 on Nintendo Switch include trip mines, teller mines, and S-mines. Placing these explosive mines strategically around the map and booby-trapping eliminated Nazis to leave a present for their friends to come across. These explosives can make your life a lot easier if you place them ahead of sniping Nazi generals so that their lackeys run into a trap. This strategic aspect of Sniper Elite 4 is the best aspect of the game excluding the sniping itself.

There are multiple ways to execute enemies, from environmental kills to explosive kills, stealth kills, and close-call kills with your secondary. The player freedom of Sniper Elite continues to climb to new levels with Sniper Elite 4, and playing on the Switch brings even more freedom to the table. Some of the best kills in the Sniper Elite franchise are the ones with X-Ray kill cams, showing you the precise organ and bone that your bullet was fired through, but X-Ray kill cams aren’t exclusive to the rifles. These brief cutscenes play out similarly when you perform a stealth takedown, showing you the internal organs your knife pierces in order to execute a Nazi. The most fun I had with these cams was with the mines, as I could be a fair distance away from an area I riddled with explosives and while I’m out working on another mission, a cutscene is triggered to show me the unfortunate Nazi that stumbled across my trap. These kill cams bring more satisfaction to the gameplay and give you a reason to try something new in order to see what happens.

Beautiful Open Sandboxes

If you’re a fan of the Sniper Elite franchise, Sniper Elite 4 on Nintendo Switch is definitely worth checking out. It’s a new campaign in the series with necessary improvements from the last installment, while fans from other platforms can enjoy their favorite Sniper Elite Italian campaign from the comfort of their bed or on their commute to work. Sniper Elite 4 brings snipers into new locations featuring ruined castles, bayside watchtowers, vast orchards, underground tunnels, occupied cities, and far more. The scope of the game may seem common on Xbox One and PS4, but these vast sandbox areas are impressive on the Nintendo Switch when it’s undocked. Rebellion Developments have improved upon the game through updates already and it’s likely that they’ll continue to make the experience silkier smooth moving forward. I personally encountered some issues that were solved by the team swiftly and I commend the developers for that.

***Nintendo Switch review code provided by developer***