Sniper Elite 4, much like its predecessors in the Sniper Elite series, is a game that's laser-focused as its namesake weapon. The game takes place during World War 2, and players take on the role of series mainstay Karl Fairburne investigating Nazi-controlled Italy, following intel of a new superweapon.
While Sniper Elite 4's environments and levels are varied, its core gameplay loop is single-minded and honed. Players sneak through an open map in each level, picking off enemies from afar while searching for a priority target.
With this kind of game, good pacing is critical to the overall experience. It can't end too quickly, but it could easily overstay its welcome. How does Sniper Elite 4 fare?
Sniper Elite 4's Mission List
Sniper Elite 4's base release has eight missions:
- San Celini
- Bitani Village
- Regilino Viaduct
- Lorino Dockyard
- Abrunza Monastery
- Megazzeno Facility
- Giovi Fiori Mansion
- Allagra Fortress
This list may seem short, but there are a couple of factors that extend the experience. Like the similar Hitman series, Sniper Elite 4's open levels allow for multiple approaches and have optional side objectives. Further, each level has hidden collectibles, like letters and documents. Players will likely experience the same levels multiple times.
Even if the player isn't aiming for completion, they'll have to deal with Sniper Elite 4's difficulty. While the game has adjustable difficulty levels, it's still harder than the average WWII shooter. Bullets do more damage to both the enemies and the player. It will likely take more than one try to get a clean run.
Overall, the first clear for each mission should take a little over an hour, and a first playthrough should take about 10 hours to beat. If the player goes back to finish all optional objectives, it should take about 15 hours, and finding all the collectibles and reaching 100% completion should take about 20-25 hours, depending on how well players know the game's maps.
Sniper Elite 4's DLC Missions
Sniper Elite 4 also has four extra DLC missions:
- Target: Fuhrer
- Deathstorm Part 1: Inception
- Deathstorm Part 2: Infiltration
- Deathstorm Part 3: Obliteration.
Target Fuher takes about half an hour to an hour to beat, while each Deathstorm mission takes 1 to 2 hours, increasing the game's length by 3.5 - 7 hours.
Sniper Elite 4 is out on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
