Games like Hitman have the ability to provide wonderfully unique player-authored experiences. I can understand that design approach, even if I don't agree with it here. It notably includes an explanation from Rebellion head of design, Jordan Woodward, alongside the video creator's own incredibly well-articulated breakdown of the issues I'm grappling with here.Īccording to Woodward, the addition of non-lethal tools is "all about offering choice to the player and getting them to think about every decision they make in the game." He continues with what is initially a rather dry and matter-of-fact justification: Some players do like to clear the entire map, but there are also those who prefer to "limit their kills, focusing only on the major target." So, in that sense, non-lethal tools used to spare virtual Nazi lives are about filling up the sandbox with more ways to play. When I went looking for some kind of explanation as to why a Nazi murder simulator would introduce a feature which immediately undermines its series-signature Kill Cams (Opens in a new tab), I came across this video (Opens in a new tab) from a YouTuber called The Hidden Object Guru. ![]() Especially given the justification Rebellion has offered for including them in the first place. It's hard to set aside the fact that they exist, though. So those less-than-fatal tools and actions can be safely ignored without impeding your progress. There are plenty of other ways to level up, including a long list of medals that have nothing to do with the non-lethal gameplay. That progression is powered in part by unlockable medals that you earn passively, say for knocking a certain number of Nazis unconscious. You level up as you play Sniper Elite 5, earning skill points that are spent to upgrade various abilities and improve your virtual soldier's survivability. It's downright satisfying to obliterate Nazis.īeing able to knock out foes using your hands or special purpose ammunition in any hostile encounter complicates that fundamental appeal, especially since players are incentivized to use the new tools. It's a small act of emotional catharsis that has always felt to me like the reason people tend to enjoy World War II-set shooting games (Opens in a new tab). In fact, I make it a personal challenge in any given Sniper Elite level to wipe every Nazi off the map before I move to the next mission. I don't have any interest whatsoever in saving Nazis, let alone a game that manufactures reasons to do so. The problem here is we're talking about Nazis, wretched villains of our modern history. Rebellion is in the awkward position here of making a "not all Nazis" argument. Being able to take a non-lethal approach makes it possible for expert players to complete a Sniper Elite 5 level with no alarms raised and no one killed other than the target, a nod to Hitman's difficult Silent Assassin (Opens in a new tab) challenges. It's the kind of game that is commonly referred to as a " sandbox (Opens in a new tab)." You're in the big world and you have things that need to get done there, but the specific steps you take to complete a given mission are up to you. Mission objectives are flexible, bending and shifting as you scour each map for intel, and the whole world is a sniper's playground. ![]() ![]() ![]() Just like IO Interactive's lush murder mousetrap, Sniper Elite 5 drops players into large, open maps deep behind enemy lines in 1940s Europe. If you're not familiar with the series, it's helpful to think of Sniper Elite in its current form as a World War II spin on the Hitman series. The latest sequel's problematic addition of non-lethal approaches to combat, and the way players are incentivized to use them, is evident right from the start. The long arc of Sniper Elite 5's plot is immaterial to the issue that's made continued progress such a chore for me. So much so that I decided to put the game down about halfway through the campaign. This is an acceptable way of dealing with video game Nazis.
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