What I like about games that are set in World War II is that there are various battles, events and stories that can be used to create a pretty unique experience. These can range from based on true stories such as games like Medal of Honor Frontline and Call of Duty Finest Hour to a mix of cosmic horror like Achtung! Cthulhu. The game we’re taking a look at today has us going behind enemy lines with nothing but our wits and trusty sniper rifle. Let’s drop behind enemies line with Sniper Elite V2 Remaster for the Nintendo Switch.
V-Day
Story- I’ve always liked the premise of the game. But for those who are playing this game for the first time on the Switch, here’s what the game is about: You are Lt. Karl Fairbume, an American OSS sniper who has been embedded Berlin during the final days of World War II in 1945. As the Allies are closing in from both fronts, German officers and scientists that were involved in the development and production of the V-2 rockets plan to defect to the Soviet Union and offer their knowledge to Stalin. Not wanting the Soviets gaining an advantage, Fairbume is ordered to hunt and kill the officers and scientists before they can defect. As I’ve mentioned many times before, history was my favorite subject in school and WWII was my favorite era in human history learning about. I also love it when developers use bits of history and integrate it to their games. Sniper Elite V2 and its remaster does this in spades as we learn more about WII, such as the Americans plan to have German scientists defect to their side in Operation Paperclip and Operation Overcast, the siege and fall of Berlin, and of course the infamous V-2 rockets that rained down terror over London.
Complete package- When a game gets remastered, this can mean many things. The game could just have gotten a cosmetic make-over, the gameplay could have been tweaked, new features could have been added, or the developers/publishers could be lazy and just ported the game over, added nothing and just slap the label “remaster” on to the title. This isn’t the case for Sniper Elite V2 Remaster. In addition to everything that basic to a remastered game (updated graphics, updated patches, gameplay tweaks, etc.) Sniper Elite V2 Remaster also comes with all of the DLC when it was first released, which are the extras missions Neudorf Outpost, The Landwehr Canal, Saint Pierre and Assassinate the Fuhrer. Since Sniper Elite V2 was originally a single-player experience, multiplayer modes, both co-op and competitive, where added in later. With the remaster version, they are added into the base game. And in the case of the Nintendo Switch version, a LAN mode was added, so now you and your friends can hunt down Nazis on the go.
Solid gameplay- For the most part, the gameplay for the original Sniper Elite V2 was pretty solid. There were some issues with the AI, such as some guards’ reactions delayed when their buddy right next to them get shot. Other than that, everything was solid. For Sniper Elite V2 Remaster, gameplay is still solid, though the only difference is that the AI is a bit more aggressive, which isn’t too bad.
LAN Spotter- As I mentioned before, the Nintendo Switch version of Sniper Elite V2 Remaster is that it has a LAN mode where either up to four players can participate in competitive multiplayer or you and a friend can pair up and play in various co-op games or tackle the campaign together. Sure most games on the Switch has some sort of LAN mode, but one of my favorite things about game is the Overwatch mode. Basically two players cooperate with each other to get a set of objective done. One player is the one completing the objective while the second player is at a vantage point providing covering fire. It’s so much fun having a second person sitting right next to you with their Switch providing you with covering fire, talking tactics and trying to be as silent as possible.
Day of Infamy
Not the prettiest game- While Sniper Elite V2 Remaster is an HD version of the original game, the Switch version isn’t the prettiest looking version. It’s not terrible looking or anything, as the game’s graphics look like as if they were from late last gen, which to be fair where actually pretty good for the time. It’s just when you think of a remaster in this generation of re-releases, you automatically think of updated graphics/textures/models etc. This is especially apparent when going from a 1080 display when the Switch is in docked mode, to 720 in handheld mode/portable mode.
Aggressive AI- The AI seems to be a mix of being extra aggressive and sensitive. Here’s what I mean by that: I am in a vantage point where I am well covered and can see all the enemies in my vicinity. Now if try to shoot at guards on my left, everyone will hear and rush at me. But if shoot at the guards on my right who are not in the view and are not in ear shot of the guards on the left, I will not be detected. So thinking that, I take the shot at the guards before they alert the other. Even though they have been silenced and haven’t alerted the other, the game seems to alert the other guards anyway. This mostly happens in the urban and factory areas of the game though.
Sniper Elite V2 Remaster for the Nintendo Switch is a pretty decent port of a game that was released last generation. Like most remasters in this generation, it added all of the previously released DLC and post launch content in one cart, so gamers are getting the definitive version of the game. For those who like taking their Switch on the go, the LAN modes will be a hit with friends, especially for those who like to play co-op. Gameplay is solid and fun, though the AI can be a bit aggressive at times. Also even though the game says its a remaster, the graphics look like they came from late last gen and not the HD of this gen, at least with the Switch version. Regardless Sniper Elite V2 Remaster is a solid fun time and welcome addition to the ever growing library of good ports.
