What I have learned so far.

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about my No Hit Sniper Elite 5 challenge that I invented. This challenge has consumed me and I have played it as much as my stupid flu has allowed, so I want to share a couple of things I have learned.

I have started seeing the game with new eyes. Since it is so critical to eliminate enemies as safely as possible, I have noticed multiple places where you can in fact snipe soldiers without them being able to retaliate, like inside a cathedral. It has been a huge learning experience.

When enemies are alerted to your presence, they are either in Combat, Enemy Hunting, Investigating or Clear modes. Combat means they know where you are, they can probably see you and bullets are whizzing around. Enemy Hunting means they know you are (or were) nearby and are trying to find you. Investigating is them reacting to a noise or perhaps they saw a glimpse of you, either way they are mobile and alert. When Clear pops up, it means that no enemies are looking for you anymore. This could be because you killed them all, or that they can't be bothered chasing you any further. When Clear hits, they normally go straight back to their patrol area and resume doing what they were doing. But there is a catch. Some enemies won't move when Enemy Hunting is up. Instead they will freeze in place and cover an area. On rare occasions they have even remained so when Clear hits. What this boils down to is that when you are in hiding waiting for things to calm down, do not move just because Clear hits. This is a very dangerous time, since some enemies will travel a surprisingly long distance, and it will take a long time for them to return to where they were. This is when you turn a corner and come face to face with a well armed soldier with his finger on the trigger...

If you know an area is clear, it means you only think it is clear. If you think an area is clear, it isn't. I have lost count of how many times I've been so sure that there can be no remaining enemies in an area, only for some clueless twerp to come along, blissfully unaware that you have just killed a dozen of his friends and your day is ruined. Treat every area as unsafe at all times and the challenge will be a bit easier.

Another thing I have learned is to use more traps. Cut off areas and secure choke points with mines. Of course, you can only carry three mines so I've had to start using shu-mines. They are non lethal, but an unconscious enemy is still out. I also learned that the shu-mine can be set with a timer that makes a noise that lures enemies in. Super useful when you don't want to risk being shot.

Focus mode is your best friend and sometimes your worst enemy. Focus mode lets you see the outline of enemies through walls and is obviously incredibly useful. But it has a shorter range than you might think. Just because you scanned an area and found nothing, doesn't mean no one is there. Trust me...

Finally, use different ammo types. Sniping at a longer distance? Soft point bullets are your friend, as they cause bleeding. This will take out an enemy that you only managed to wing. Is it crucial that you take out an enemy wearing a helmet with the first shot? Armor piercing ammo to the rescue. It is worth the extra time it takes to reload, it really is.

Finally finally, you need to have all the patience. Mark all the targets. Wait for that one enemy to return rather than dealing with him later. When things go wrong (and they will) run away. Don't stick around to be a badass, run! The further away you can go, the safer you are.

As of writing this, I just managed to clear Mission 3 The Spy Academy. I can't believe how cocky I was when I came up with this idea, it has been so much harder than I thought, but at the same time so rewarding. I'm sure there are other games that could work with a similar challenge if you think your favorite games are getting stale.

That's that and all that. Join me again next time and until then, have a great week!

 

Don't get hit.

I have on previous occasions written about the Sniper Elite games series, seeing as I'm a long term fan.

The latest game in the series, Sniper Elite 5 is perhaps my favorite in the main series, and I have played it a lot, so much in fact that I have the weapon master medal. Then I ran into the problem of wanting to play, but needing a challenge. There is of course Authentic difficulty, which I may yet try, but I came up with an alternative:

The No Damage Challenge.

These are my rules.

1. Difficulty is set to Sniper Elite.

2. All objectives must be completed on each map.

3. You can leave enemies alive, it's not a kill everything challenge.

4. If you have alternative starting locations unlocked, you can start maps anywhere.

5. You can use any and all weapons you own.

6. Collectibles are optional. Grab them if you like, but they don't count for the challenge.

7. The challenge only covers the main campaign, include DLC missions if you want.

8. It doesn't matter if you are seen, it's not a ghost challenge.

9. You can save the game in case the game crashes, but you can't save scum.

10. If you take even one point of damage from any source, you must start the entire campaign from the beginning.

The idea came to me after seeing a video about people who play all the Soulsborne games, i.e. Dark Souls, Bloodborne etc. without taking a single hit. That is of course a lot harder than Sniper Elite, but trust me, this challenge is not as easy as it seems.

I have previously completed multiple maps without taking any damage, but for some reason, this is really hard. With multiple attempts behind me, I still haven't passed the second map mission. One reason for this is obviously nerves. Knowing that the run can end at any time really ramps up the tension, which is of course what I wanted. Another reason is the inclusion of random elements in SE5. Traffic is a good example. What “should” be a clear area can suddenly have multiple enemies because a passing truck spotted a dead soldier, and now you're in real trouble.

All it takes is one enemy spotting you and shooting you for the whole thing to end. It's frustrating, but so much fun. And it really breathes new life into a familiar game.

That's that and all that. Join me again next time, and until then, have a great week!

 

Sniper Elite 5

On May 26^th, 2022 Rebellion Studios released Sniper Elite 5. Since I have shared my opinion on Sniper Elite (SE from here on) V2, V2 Remastered, 3 and 4, I thought it is high time I shared what I think about the fifth part of the series. This is perhaps a bit late, but it takes time to fully understand a game this complex.

Once more we step into the boots of commando demigod Karl Fairburne. SE5 is set in France in 1944 from just before D-Day until that fateful day itself, and beyond. This makes it the fifth game in sequence but the third game in chronological order.

Mechanically SE5 is much like the other games. Third person camera, a good choice between rifles, submachine guns and pistols and the standard binoculars. Unlike all but SE4, the maps are enormous. It took me about three hours per map and with nine missions not counting DLC, it takes a while to play through, and that does not factor in replayability.

The game looks gorgeous, plays great and feels smooth. On a few of the levels there are loudspeakers that periodically blare out propaganda and I really wish you could turn them off. It is really loud and annoying, but that is the one mechanical element that frustrates me.

Some things are new however. Rebellion have added a RPG like leveling system that is fine but not great, in essence you become more effective with time. Nothing special, but okay. There is also a new mechanic called Focus that allows you to sense enemies through walls but using it raises your heartbeat, which reduces accuracy. When I played on lower difficulty settings, the Focus system was of questionable use at best since you can see the enemies on the mini-map, but once I got to Sniper Elite (hard) difficulty you can no longer see enemies on the map and Focus became incredibly useful.

As mentioned above, the maps are gigantic and very complex. This allows for a myriad of ways to tackle objectives in whichever way you want to. SE5 got some criticism that it is too stealth focused and not a good sniping game, but as someone who is on his fifth play through, I can confidently say that critique is complete nonsense! The maps allow up close take downs, long range sniping, furious assaults, whatever you want really. It is up to you to figure out how to do what you want to do. You get your objectives, and then you get to decide how to do them and in which order.

Another wonderful element is the addition of extra starting positions that you can unlock on each map. This simple little thing almost makes each level a new experience. On some maps you can even start on the other side of the map and essentially play it in reverse. It sounds simple but is in reality a stroke of genius.

The alternative starting positions combined with the medals really push for extra playthroughs. As I mentioned, I'm on my fifth run, and I'm finding new places and details all the time. The previous games have their achievements as does SE5, but here you can also unlock medals for mastering weapons, playing the game on various difficulties, getting long shot kills and best of all, interesting challenges like taking out three snipers in melee on a map, specific kill challenges and much more.

SE5 has a PVP invasion mode, but not only am I not interested in that, it is full of cheaters despite the so called “easy anti cheat” you have to install if you want to do that. I'll make no further comment on this.

I could keep gushing, but I think you get the point by now. I love this game! I haven't played SE4 for a few years and most SE fans say that the fourth game is the best. I agree but I would say that this installment in the series is almost as good as number 4, if not equal to it. If you've been thinking about giving Sniper Elite a chance go with 4 or 5.

That's that and all that. Join me again next time and until then, have a great and safe week!