A solid entry into the Sniper Elite franchise, Sniper Elite 3 takes the mechanics from Sniper Elite V2 and uses them in better ways. You play the role of a sniper working with the British military in North Africa during the Second World War. Really, you're equal parts sniper and spy as your missions have you single-handedly infiltrating enemy camps and bases as you try to find an infamous German general and piece together a plot involving Nazi superweapons.

Unlike Sniper Elite V2, the maps in SE3 are much more open and this benefits the game immensely. Where, in V2, I often felt as though I spent half the game playing run 'n gun with my submachine gun, in SE3 I probably used my SMG less than five times. Your silenced pistol will still get a firm workout as you move into positions unseen where you can begin to death upon your foes with your rifle. This isn't a modern era setting shooter though with super-scopes and giant silencers to turn your shots into whispers. If you want to avoid a straight up firefight, you'll need to time your shots against background noise from low-flying aircraft or sabotaged generators to prevent the enemy from knowing where you're at. The game manages a good balance by forcing you to be patient as you line up your shots without making the whole ordeal tedious. There are some stealth mechanics as well including sight indicators, the ability to hide in shadows, guards locating you via sound, etc. Much of the game is spent creeping around and avoiding conflict until you're ready to bring swift vengeance from your perch. The famous Sniper Elite X-Ray Kill Cam makes its return, now updated to show your bullet tearing into muscle and severing arteries as well as bone and organs. Curiously, for all the effort into showing me in graphic detail the damage I'm inflicting, every hit in SE3 is a fatal blow. Shooting someone in the foot was as fatal as expertly putting a round through an enemy sniper's scope and into his brain [Edit: Higher levels introduce much more frequent "incapacitating" or wounding shots versus clean kills]. For those feeling squeamish or just bored watching bullet cams, this feature can be easily adjusted or turned off.

I only played through the campaign on the default difficulty [Edit: I've since played through on more difficult settings] which used light ballistics modeling but my understanding is that ballistics on the higher levels remain well done, requiring players to account for bullet drop and wind direction and making rifle characteristics such as scope sway and bullet velocity more important. It is unfortunate that there are only four weapons in each class (pistol, rifle, SMG) included in the base game. A wealth of others are available via DLC which, while something of a cash grab, the game redeems itself slightly by including a firing range where you can test fire all the available guns and see which you like before purchasing a weapons pack.

The story is nothing special and you won't feel invested in the plot or making sure that you succeed. The end in particular felt very weak. However, from a mechanics point of view the game shines and the story is just a contrivance to line up 200m shots and put a bullet through someone's temple as artillery fires in the distance, hiding your presence. If you enjoyed V2 (or disliked it mainly for its enclosed maps) or if you find yourself playing the sniper in shooters, you'll probably enjoy your run through this title.

A solid entry into the Sniper Elite franchise, Sniper Elite 3 takes the mechanics from Sniper Elite V2 and uses them in better ways. You play the role of a sniper working with the British military in North Africa during the Second World War. Really, you're equal parts sniper and spy as your missions have you single-handedly infiltrating enemy camps and bases as you try to find an infamous German general and piece together a plot involving Nazi superweapons. Unlike Sniper Elite V2, the maps in SE3 are much more open and this benefits the game immensely. Where, in V2, I often felt as though I spent half the game playing run 'n gun with my submachine gun, in SE3 I probably used my SMG less than five times. Your silenced pistol will still get a firm workout as you move into positions unseen where you can begin to death upon your foes with your rifle. This isn't a modern era setting shooter though with super-scopes and giant silencers to turn your shots into whispers. If you want to avoid a straight up firefight, you'll need to time your shots against background noise from low-flying aircraft or sabotaged generators to prevent the enemy from knowing where you're at. The game manages a good balance by forcing you to be patient as you line up your shots without making the whole ordeal tedious. There are some stealth mechanics as well including sight indicators, the ability to hide in shadows, guards locating you via sound, etc. Much of the game is spent creeping around and avoiding conflict until you're ready to bring swift vengeance from your perch. The famous Sniper Elite X-Ray Kill Cam makes its return, now updated to show your bullet tearing into muscle and severing arteries as well as bone and organs. Curiously, for all the effort into showing me in graphic detail the damage I'm inflicting, every hit in SE3 is a fatal blow. Shooting someone in the foot was as fatal as expertly putting a round through an enemy sniper's scope and into his brain [Edit: Higher levels introduce much more frequent "incapacitating" or wounding shots versus clean kills]. For those feeling squeamish or just bored watching bullet cams, this feature can be easily adjusted or turned off. I only played through the campaign on the default difficulty [Edit: I've since played through on more difficult settings] which used light ballistics modeling but my understanding is that ballistics on the higher levels remain well done, requiring players to account for bullet drop and wind direction and making rifle characteristics such as scope sway and bullet velocity more important. It is unfortunate that there are only four weapons in each class (pistol, rifle, SMG) included in the base game. A wealth of others are available via DLC which, while something of a cash grab, the game redeems itself slightly by including a firing range where you can test fire all the available guns and see which you like before purchasing a weapons pack. The story is nothing special and you won't feel invested in the plot or making sure that you succeed. The end in particular felt very weak. However, from a mechanics point of view the game shines and the story is just a contrivance to line up 200m shots and put a bullet through someone's temple as artillery fires in the distance, hiding your presence. If you enjoyed V2 (or disliked it mainly for its enclosed maps) or if you find yourself playing the sniper in shooters, you'll probably enjoy your run through this title.