Rebellion’s Sniper Elite franchise is one that I often forget about. In between releases, I tend to move on and I don’t really think about Sniper Elite until another entry is announced. It’s always a pleasant surprise because the games are really well put together. They’re lots of fun, the sniping is tricky and rewarding and the stealth is some of the most accessible but enjoyable there is.
Overall, Sniper Elite is a great series of games that definitely deserves to be celebrated. It’s also a series that players who enjoy action, stealth and shooting really should play.
Thankfully, now that Sniper Elite is being released on Switch, more players than ever can enjoy the grotesque, slow-motion bullet ballet than ever before. This time, it’s Sniper Elite 3.
Sniper Elite 3 Switch Review
Set three-years before Sniper Elite V2, Sniper Elite 3 has players once again stepping into the boots of OSS Agent Karl Fairburne. This time, the action takes place in Africa in 1942.
The move to Africa is coupled with larger maps, reworked mechanics and an improved X-Ray system. While still not anywhere near as large as the maps in Sniper Elite 4, Sniper Elite 3 definitely features larger maps than those in previous instalments.
Players will need to cover much more ground, find alternate paths to approach objectives and be on the lookout for linkages and looping connections through the levels.
Each level is still fairly straight-forward and easy to navigate, but there’s certainly more to do, see and explore. Moving from V2 to Sniper Elite 3 is a huge improvement both in map size and design and in mechanics.
Stealth in Sniper Elite 3 is much improved. Many, now, standard stealth features were introduced in Sniper Elite 3 when it was released. Enemies now have a detection meter above their heads, indicating suspicion or alert status. An eye icon on the HUD also shows how visible Fairburne is to enemies.
Finally, the last known location of Fairburne appears as a ghostly outline to show players where enemies will search first. This lets players know that they need to relocate and evade those pesky nazis.
Sniper Elite’s most famous feature, X-Ray kills, are back again. In Sniper Elite 3 there’s more detail than ever before and it’s way more gruesome and full-on. If you don’t like the idea of watching skulls, testicles, kidneys, lungs and more exploding due to sniper fire, maybe don’t play this one.
As a cross-gen game, Sniper Elite 3 isn’t exactly a technical and visual wonder but, it does hold up pretty well, especially on Switch. Playing in handheld or TV mode, Sniper Elite 3 on Switch looks pretty good. It’s still highly playable and although there are some dodgy textures and low poly models, you’re not going to struggle to see what’s going on.
The only issue I have with the Switch release is the terrible motion controls. They are awful and should be avoided at all costs. Sometimes developers manage to nail motion aiming controls, but this is not one of them.
Sniper Elite 3 Ultimate Edition on Switch is a great way to play the game, though you might not want to do it on the train since the gore is off the charts.
Sniper Elite 3 was reviewed on Switch using a digital code provided by the publisher.
PowerUp! Reviews
Game Title: Sniper Elite III
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Looks great on Switch - 8.2/108.2/10
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Plays great on Switch - 7.4/107.4/10
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Motion Controls are rubbish - 4/104/10
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Plenty of content - 7.5/107.5/10
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Still a great game - 8/108/10
