Put this one in your scope

In today's contest you can win a Switch copy of Sniper Elite 4!

Switches be portin'! Or ports be Switchin'! One of those two. What I'm trying to say is the Switch gets a lot of cool ports, including today's faire: Sniper Elite 4. So, you know what that means: Contest time! Win yourself a c?opy of this portable port and snipe those smelly Nazis from the toilet.

It's still the 1940s, and there's still plenty of Nazis to b??e sniped. The acclaimed tactical shooting franchise takes the war to I??taly, where the Axis powers are trying to conduct their wartime strategy. Sucks for them -- you're an elite sniper, and you're probably gonna kill most of them. Snipe your way through Italia and give the Allies the boost they need to knock out ol' shitstache, himself.

• An expansive campaign set in WW2 Italy
• Genre-defining sniping featuring advanced ballistics and boundless strategy
• Trademark X-Ray kill cams, including melee and explosive takedowns
• Iconic WW2 weaponry; sniper rifles, pistols, SMGs, traps, grenades and more
• Upgrade and customize your skills and weaponry as you progress
• Tactical traversal mechanics; climb, hang, shimmy and leap across maps
• Co-op and multiplayer modes across local wireless and online play

Shoot Nazis on the toilet. Need I say more?

To enter to win, comment below telling us your favorite Switch game to play on the john. If you want to pretend you've never done that, you can substitute for favorite Switch game to play whi?le not in front of your TV. But let's be honest, folks -- we've all marked our consoles. Buyer beware to anyone who buys one used!

We have five Switch NA copies to give away; we'll draw winners next Monday. Please comment using a Dtoid account with your current email address on file -- new users can sign up here. Be sure to check out Nintendo Enthusiast to score on another opportunity to win!

Sniper Elite 4 is available now via the eShop.

The post Contest: Win Sniper Elite 4 for Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

Hold your breath

Rebellion's award-winning shooter sequel Sniper Elite 4 has finally been given a release date for its long-awaited Switch port. The stealth-ba?sed shooter will launch on the Nintendo platform on November 17.

Available in both digital and physical form, Sniper Elite 4 puts players in?? the uber-patient boots of a highly skilled marksman, stationed in Nazi-occupied Italy during the thick of WWII. Through a series of sabotage, stealth, and assassination missions, it will be our hero's duty to turn the tide of the war, one bullet at a time.

The Nintendo Switch edition includes the story campaign of the PS4, PC, and Xbox One r??elease - complete with its advanced sniper mechanics, authentic WWII weaponry, and notorious X-ray killcams - but will also add options for gyroscopic aiming, HD Rumble support, and local wireless connection for co-op and other multiplayer modes.

You can check out a new trailer for the Nintendo S?witch release below?.

The post Sniper?? Elite 4 will take the shot on Nintendo Switch November 17 appeared first on Destructoid.

One Shot, One Kill

This morning's Nintendo Direct Mini presentation offered a look at Rebellion's Sniper Elite 4, which i?s bringing its stealth-action and pin-point marksmanship to Nintendo Switch.

As a highly-skilled sniper stationed in Italy at the height of WWII, players must complete a campaign of vitally important missions of assassination, espionage,?? and sabotage, bringing down the encroaching Nazi regime one bullet at a time. Tactical planning, smart positioning, and s??toic patience will be key elements to achieving each goal, ultimately demonstrating how one man can carry the worth of an entire army.

Sniper Elite 4 is availabl??e ??now on PS4, PC, and Xbox One. It will launch on Nintendo Switch in winter 2020.

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Because those are mutally exclusive

At long last, Sony has delivered a solid month for PlayStation Plus subscribers. After last month's kerfuffle with removing PES 2019 for the "classic" that is Detroit: Become Human, there really isn't much reason to complain about August's options. Both Sniper Elite 4 and Wipeout Omega Collection ar?e worth playing and should occupy even the most discerning of players.

While I don't see the common thread here, you're bound to get some fun out of either title. The current selection will be removed after August 5, so you still have another week to grab last month's options. I'd say don't miss out on Detroit, but I don't want to lie to anyone.

Dominate the racetrack o?r decimate the enemy with Aug?ust's lineup [PlayStation Blog]

The post August’s PS Plus selection sees Nazi sniping and futuristic racing appeared first on Destructoid.

Is it OK to shoot a Nazi in the nuts?

I love sniping in games, but I never do it. That’s because I’m terrible at sniping in video games. Give me a sniper rifle during a multiplayer match and you may as well have pulled the plug on my session, for that’s about how useful I become when armed with that type of weapon. I never had the combination of twitch skills and patience great game sniping requires, nor did I have the temperament to “get good”.

Sniper Elite 4 makes me feel like a good sniper. I still wouldn’t trust myself around a scope in any other game, but the folks at Rebellion have managed this feat in theirs. Ironically, they did it not by making sniping simple enough for someone of my level (what’s the level below “decomposing monkey”?) but by making it harder, more complex, and altogether a rarer activity than one would expect from a game called Sniper Elite.

Sniper Elite 4 [PS4 (Reviewed), Xbox One, PC]
Developer: Rebellion Developments
Publisher: Rebellion Developments
Released: February 14, 2017
MSRP: $59.99

As I mentioned in my?? earlier impressions of ?the game, Sniper Elite 4 is a far different game than one might have imagined back in 2005, when the franchise first debuted as an early console shooter constructed around the cheap-but-effective gimmick of gory, slow-motion kill shots. Whereas the original Sniper Elite and its V2 remake played out like the shooter equivalent of Mortal Kombat, known more for gratuitous violence than deep gameplay, Sniper Elite III brought the beginnings of ?a sea change in design and flow.

Rather than distinct set pieces funneling players towards dramatic long-range kills, Rebellion shifted the game to a more open, stealth-action footing, favoring larger maps and allowing players to approach each situation according to their preferences. Sniper Elite 4 feels like the point where that change reaches its logical end, resulting in a play experience that has more in common with Hitman, ArmA, and Metal Gear Solid V than the?? slightly tacky W?orld War II shooting gallery that began the series.

Of cou?rse, it's not as if the game has given up on visceral, gory thrills. In fact, they're as prevalent as ever, thanks to the power of modern technological flourishes. The "X-ray" shots of bullets entering bodies, bursting organs and shattering bones, return, and now even apply when players set off explosive traps or use melee at??tacks. Indeed, most deadly acts can be counted on to result in some kind of graphic payoff. More squeamish players can turn this off, though.

If anything, what's most impressive about Sniper Elite 4 is that playing it feels almost as engaging without gore as with it, and that speaks well to the ways Rebellion have buil??t out the design. Not to mention that the game's customary attention to sniping has resulted in one of the ??most satisfying interactions in contemporary gaming. Sending a bullet downrange to pop some unlucky Nazi's brain or nads feels like nothing else. 

Better still, it's almost easy to do, even for a really bad sniper like myself. A series of HUD-based assists (that hardcore users can disable) make compensating for ballistic drop and wind a simple task. Indeed, the challenge? of this third-person shooter has moved from testing a player's marksmanship to testing their tactical acuity, and their ability to find the best aiming spots and set up opportunities to maximize their kill count and get away unscathed when the enemy comes running. To that end, the game offers an expanded repertoire of traversal options, such as climbing, and tools to create kill zones. Trip wires, sticky grenades, TNT charges, and land mines can all be used to make an area deadly to fascists or to defend a vulnerable approach. 

Able use of noise and sight mechanics also make stealth and more up-close action a valid (if risky) alternative. Silent takedowns, corpse hiding, and the ability to distract enemies away from their patrol routes or charges allows players to try to "ghost" levels if they wish, though movi??ng stealthily is quite slow. Further, enemies have surprisingly acute senses, with AI routines advanced enough to triangulate a player by their sound and investigate when patrol partners have gone missing. They're not quite smart enough to truly threaten a reasonably competent player, but they do the job. 

Some players looking for sniping above all might be put off, though. Between the size of the maps and the variations in terrain and objectives, players must range farther and wider to get the job done. In many cases that might mean opting not to snipe hapless enemies, and this almost forced departure from the game's strongest mechanic can grate on the nerves at times??. Further, the lack of more scripted, straightforward set-piece moments can make the game feel a little less dramatic. Part of the fun of fictional sniping is seeing "trick" shots performed from extreme range. This can still happen, of course, but the pressure to take the path of least resistance can be overwhelming.

That, though, is more a matter of taste than design. If there's anything that disappoints in a more definitive way, it's the narrative. Sniper Elite games were never known for their story, and got by providing just enough justification for players to take ace lieutenant Karl Fairburne across the battlefields of World War II in search of Nazis to gun down. Having exploded every fascist testicle in North Africa, Karl's sights are turned on Italy, just as the Allies prepare to invade Il Duce's kingdom. There he'll hook up with Italy's Partisan resistance, take down Nazi and Italian targets, and interrupt Axis weapons programs. In other words, he'll do pretty much the same thing as he's been doing in all the Sniper Elite games. 

That kind of story does the job, sure, but given the quality of the rest of the game, it feels like Sniper Elite 4's stor?y is a missed opportunity. The Italian theater of World War II is rat?her underexplored, and it would've been nice to care a bit more about the sun-drenched environments one is shooting all their bullets into.

Multiplayer also makes a return, and it proves a surprisingly robust offering. Classic modes like No Cross (a team deathmatch set on maps divided by an impassable trench) are the best suited to Sniper Elite's strength. A cooperative survival mode is also available, and with the right group of friends, can feel like an interactive version of Stolz der Nation, though with the sides reversed. 

Sadly, though, this gloriousness will largely depend on being able to get into a matc?h at all. Even in the days after release I found myself waiting fo??r minutes on end to populate a match. Hopefully the servers will fill up as more people give the game a shot, but at the moment one shouldn't count on a vibrant multiplayer scene.

Still, Sniper Elite 4 comes across as a fully-realized result of the shifts Rebellion set in motion with the previous game, and proves itself ?an ably constructed, often gorgeous, and thoroughly engros?sing stealth-action shooter.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Sniper Elite 4 appeared first on Destructoid.

Scope out some deals

Sniper Elite 4 is hitting the shelves at your local game store tomorrow for the typical console crowd, but for PC gamers, the fastest way to slay Nazis is to download the game. Best of all there's no need to pay full price on Steam as discounts up to 25% off are floati?ng around the?? net from authorized digital retailers.

Green Man Gaming is known to be shipping?? keys instantly with its 20% pric??e break. There you'll see the Standard Edition drop to $48 while Deluxe is $72. It has the same Target: Führer mission DLC and Camouflage Combat Rifles Pack pre-order bonuses as on Steam.

A good alternative, and arguably a better deal, is the Sweden-based GamersGate selling the title 25% off for both editions. This makes Standard only $45 while Deluxe drop under $70. You will get the same pre-order bonuses as you would? on GMG or Steam.

Sniper Elite 4 PC/Steam Deals

• Sniper Elite 4 Standard Edition — $44.99 at GamersGate  (list price $60)
• Sniper Elite 4 Deluxe Edition — $67.49 at GamersGate  (list price $90)

• Sniper Elite 4 Standard Edition — $45.99 at GMG  (list price $60)
• Sniper Elite 4 Deluxe Edition — $71.99 at GMG  (list price $90)

The post Last-minute Sniper Elite 4 PC deals for Steam appeared first on Destructoid.

Review At The Gates

Here's a fun fact for you??: The invasion of Normandy, one of the largest military operations ever conducted, was delayed! Originally scheduled to take place on June 5th, 1944, a forecast of bad weather convinced Allied leadership to put their plans to invade Nazi-oc?cupied France on hold for 24 hours. 

I'm giving you this tidbit of information because just as the weather put a temporary damper on the Allies' grand plans, external factors prevented me from getting a full review of Sniper Elite 4 in on time. I do, however, have some things t??o say about what I've played of it so far.

Sniper Elite 4 [PS4 (Reviewed), Xbox One, PC]
Developer: Rebellion Developments
Publisher: Rebellion Developments
Released: February 14, 2017
MSRP: $59.99

It's heart??ening to think of how far Rebellion's shooter franchi?se has come. Once a mediocre B-game seemingly made to milk its single gimmick of slow-motion long-distance sniper kills, the series has grown into an expansive stealth-action title. 

As a part of the series, Sniper Elite 4 shares the shifted dynamics brought by 2014's Sniper Elite III. More than a change in numbering convention, Sniper Elite 4 follows up and builds on III's changes, refocusing Sniper Elite V2's fairly linear (if long-ranged) corridor shooter and transitioning into sandbox-style affair that takes hints from the playbook of Hitman, Crysis, and Metal Gear Solid V. 

The game's maps, set in Italy just before the Allied invasion, are still distinct spaces, their mission objectives bespoke. But the game emphasizes freedom of approach more than ever before, littering the sun-drenched landscape with countless spots from which to snipe, avenues for infiltration and escape, and options to explore. Protagonist Karl Fairburne is free to do whatever he needs to do to pave the way for the forces of democracy to roll up Mussolini's kingdom, and ironically, that can lead to a disquieting lack of sniping.

Indeed, the openness of the maps can sometimes encourage stealthy-minded players to forgo their greatest weapon (and the game's greatest gimmick) in favor of Metal Gear-style crouch-walking and sneaky melee takedowns. Further, employing the wealth of new gadgets e??ffectively can often require the p?layer to leave an ideal sniping spot to go do things like lay mines and tripwires.

It's an odd tension to have, but for the moment, it's one I ca?n appreciate, especially on higher difficulties, where the sniping is realistic and tricky enough that setting up a successful shot feels genuinely earned. The seeming absence of sniping has made this soldier's heart grow fonder. It remains to be seen if the rest of the game and its assorted multiplayer modes can take advantage of that ?welcome asymmetry, but I'll be sure to tell you in our full review. Stay tuned for it very soon!

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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But the Sniper guts are still there

For whatever reason -- perhaps through no fault of its own -- I can't help but see the workings of other games when I look at Sniper Elite. Rube Goldberg-lite environmental executions remind me of Hitman. Third-person stealth melee killing and subsequent corpse carrying smell of Assassin's Creed. Even the stylish kill cam X-ray cinematically destroying an enemy's insides feel like Mortal Kombat X, even though I'm fully aware it was Sniper's schitck first.

After spending some hands-off time with the newly-announced Sniper Elite 4 this week at GDC, those parallels are still very much present in this next game -- with a few more Assassin's Creed components added to the mix. Since the events of Sniper Elite 3, protagonist Karl Fairburne has learned how to climb and whistle. Those skills are useful for luring a guard over to a ledge and murdering him in the exact same? manner as Ubisoft has had us doing for almost a decade now.

While that enhancement is tough to get excited about, Sniper Elite enthusiasts will be pleased to know this entry has some other significant improvements. What's likely the biggest one is that the locales are much larger in scale. Rebellion creative lead Tim Jones tells us that developing solely for current generation? systems has prevented the developer from being hamstrung by the limitations of legacy consoles.

We were shown two maps in the half hour we spent with Sniper Elite 4. The main one was an Italian coast town. The other was a forest with a stream cutting through it. (The whole game takes place in Italy in 1943, by the way.) Jones commented that the coastal village was one of the smallest maps, but ?still three to four times larger than anything in the previous game. The ocean views and European architecture make for a quaint setting for all the murdering.

Then we shot an explosive crate with a toolbox on top of? it, and a wrench got stuck in a dude's skull.

Despite the straight-faced additions to Sniper Elite 4, this is still a series that is kind of entrenched in the ridiculous. It's a series that, if you so wish, can be entirely about shooting guys in the dick. It's a series that has killed Hitler multiple times, and probably will do it again. I suggested maybe killing baby Hitler&nb?sp;this time, but I don't think Rebellion'??s going to take me up on it. Its loss.

At one point, Jones shot a ledge out from under a soldier, causing him to plumm?e?t to his death. But, instead of falling normally, he inexplicably and wildly toppled end-over-end. Jones abstained from a requested dick-shooting so the ragdolling was an okay consolation. I stifled a laugh, but the visual inanity felt sort of thematically appropriate -- even if it was probably just a preview build bug. It was a good reminder that no matter how seriously Rebellion wants to present its game, the player's going to find comfort and solace in the absurd.

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Hitting PC, PS4, and Xbox One this year

I never would've guessed Rebellion had so many Sniper Elite titles in it, but people keep buying them, so the studio's output has been that series and not much else these past several years (aside from a reportedly badass Battlezone reboot for PlayStation VR that I'd really?? like to try one of these days). It seems video game makers and players will never completely let go of World War II.

The next entry in this line of shooters is Sniper Elite 4, which picks back up with Karl Fairburne fighting alongside the Italian resistance movement in 1943. For those of you who felt Sniper Elite III lacked ambition, Rebellion describes this as the first one designed specifically with current systems in mind and says it? has the "largest and most diverse environments." Stunning area to draw from, for sure.

You won't necessarily get a sense of that heightened s?cale from this teaser trailer, but the studio has shared a few extra bullet points about what to expect: the campaign supports up to two players, there will be dedicated co-op and competitive multiplayer modes, and the game is due out this year.

The stakes th??is time around? Could.?? Not. Be. Higher. "If his mission fails, there will be no Operation Overlord, no D-Day landings, and no Victory in Europe." And that means none of your favorite cereals like Fruity Pebbles or Honeycomb or even Cinnamon Toast Crunch. What an unpleasant thought.

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