The other week in NYC some video game media outlets got a chance to get hands on with the upcoming game Sniper Elite V2. Sniper Elite V2 is published by 505 Games and developed by Rebellion games. It’s a World War II based stealth game that looks to be very interesting for those that enjoy a slow paced one shot one kill type of game. If you always grab the Sniper class in shooters than this one may be right up your alley. It’s a third person point of view with the exception of when firing your weapon of course.

The best way to describe Sniper Elite V2 is to describe it mostly as a sniper simulation game. You’ll experience everything that real life snipers experience and have to take into account things like gravity, wind, velocity, bullet penetration, and stability to name a few. The targeting system takes these things into account and you’ll have to take aim with your crosshairs and then line up your shot according to the red diamond that shrinks as you focus on your target.

Kill cams are incorporated into the game and you’ll get a detailed view of your shot from the moment the bullet leaves the gun all the way to its impact. The one thing about the kill cam is that it will only show up when you make special shots. So no worries about the cam popping up every time you take a shot. Yeah, that would get old for me too. One of the coolest cams you will see if the X-Ray kill cam that basically shows the bullet penetrate through the bone of your target.

In the following walkthrough video you will see our sniper moving through the streets taking out enemies one at a time. As you can see the kill cam is only triggered with really good shots. Now you will notice a missed shot that ricochets off some metal scrap. The enemy reacts and starts walking towards the source of the shot. I wasn’t completely thrilled with his reaction and he seemed way to calm for me. I know what I would have done if I just heard a shot hit something nearby. Just saying.

Church Playthrough

The second walkthrough takes us through the streets during the day and you’ll notice that there is stealth takedowns from behind which was pretty cool. I really liked the ragdoll effect of the one target falling from a top the building but I also noticed that the snipers on the tops of buildings all have a very similar stance to them when stationary. I hope there is more variety in the game and I do hope there is a little more reaction from the enemies in the form of fear or the unknowing.

Street Playthrough

For those that pre-order the game from participating retailers, you’ll receive special DLC known as the Assassinate the Fuhrer. Be patient when playing this mode for you’ll only get one chance at Hitler himself. So make that shot count when taking it. For those that love multiplayer, there is also the chance to play this online with a buddy in the online co-op mode. Make sure you pick a good partner though. You don’t want a partner that’s going to run and gun and jeopardize your missions.

The online co-op allowing you to play an online campaign with a buddy is a great feature for a game like this. Unless you have a buddy with a trigger finger of course. The strategy that can be involved in having two people playing really makes for some interesting moments in the game. It will take teamwork and communication to really be successful in this mode. But in the end, I truly think you can have a lot of fun with a good partner.

Sniper Elite V2 really looks like a lot of fun if you have the patience to play as a sniper. If you want to run and gun then you need to prepare to die and die often. It’s all about the stealth especially for a sniper. There is a demo now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace for you to get some hands on time with the game. With Ghost Recon Future Soldier just around the corner I know this is a difficult title to consider, but I really think once you get your hands on it that you will thoroughly enjoy the title. Check out the demo if you are unsure and make your own call on that. Tell a friend about this game as I really think it could be a sleeper hit of 2012 from what we have seen so far.