I started this series with the 4th game and it was fantastic.

Going back to 3 I noticed how improved 4 was however I've got to say I enjoyed the locations and missions more in 3 at the time of finishing.

I may have to go back and play 4 as I do prefer 4 overall but 3 was really a special game the story was kinda whatever but the locations music and gameplay were all really fun.

Playing Sniper Elite III was a bit like finding the missing link in human evolution as far as it's own series goes. I had previously played 4 with it's huge open maps, followed by V2 with it's incredibly linear level structure. Sniper Elite III hits somewhere in the middle and feels like the worst game of the 3 for it. It doesn't have the tight design of 2 or the absolute freedom of exploration of 4. It should be in the goldilocks zone but actually ends as the worst of both. The game's setting also doesn't do it huge favors with lighting and level design. It feels like a huge amount of bloom, often limited fov when zooming in on the distance which is pretty awful for a sniper title.

The biggest offence though is the lack of slow motion cams of bullets x-ray smashing Nazi fascists in the face. It pulls a bit of a switcharoo anyway, I play these games co-op with a friend and the first level on the first 3 enemies we get the cam, one of the best parts of the series. We're laughing, excited. Then not another one for the rest of the game learning it's removed in co-op except those first 3 enemies.

Our disappointment was palpable.

All that said the game is still pretty fun overall. planning attacks with a friend in co-op to try and be stealthy as possible, the ability to customize load outs, and the excellent performance. It was a cross gen PS3, PS4 title yet runs incredibly smooth 60fps which their later game Strange Brigade couldn't match at all is an odd one.

All in all this game is fine. it's the start or prototype for what the series will become. It almost never goes on sale however and when you can get Sniper Elite 4 ultimate edition with all DLC in sales for £7-8 all the time? It's not really worth going back to this except for curiosity.

+ Relatively fun to play over a few evenings.
+ Excellent feeling performance on PS5.

- No X-ray kills in co-op.
- Level design and visuals feel a bit meh.
- Can get better games in the series much cheaper.

Solid enough game. A great example of the downsides of realism in video games; the maps are so big but you'll probably be playing stealthily the entire time, but seeing as you're crouched, you'll move pretty slowly and progress will take forever. Sniping feels very satisfying, especially the slow-motion camera. Some technical issues with getting blocked by objects, not being able to pass through or under things it looks like you should be able to pass by/through and sniping over cover is a nightmare. Africa is a neat setting but is kinda underutilized, as none of the maps really seemed that incredibly unique to me, although there are some neat structures and settings, most of it feels like a very bland desert. Decent game, but it has superior alternatives.

Well, it's certainly a marked improvement from the last entry, but it's still not quite enough to be worthwhile.

Sniper Elite III takes things from the dreary, war-torn streets of Berlin in the final days of the Second World War back to the North African front in the early 1940s. This change in scenery gives the game a nice, unique look and a visual upgrade from the last one, even in its remastered form.

With these new sandy vistas comes an upgrade in level and game design. Having learned from last time, this third entry, while still very much baked in linear objectives and intent, allows a lot more freedom in its levels this time, giving you several different paths to approach your objective from. These alternate paths also come with optional side objectives that serve no purpose other than granting you some extra XP that goes towards unlocking new weapons or reticles for your rifle.

In conjunction with this new approach to its level design, Sniper Elite III also vastly improves its stealth mechanics, making sneaking an actual viable option now. In fact, it encompassed a good 90% of my playthrough. You now have an eye indicator to show your visibility, as well as a stealth melee prompt and a lot more opportunities to mask your noise.

All of this serves to make the overall Sniper Elite experience a lot more palatable, and yet, I wouldn't say it's enjoyable still. Not to sound picky or anything, but much of the game feels like you're just going through the motions in a very dull way. Perhaps this is down to the continuing issue of the lack of an engaging narrative or purpose for embarking on these missions, or perhaps that the objectives themselves are uninspired.

There's really no one level that stands out in Sniper Elite III; it all just kind of blends together by the end.

Despite this, I did still have a better time with the third entry than I did in V2, and while there are still areas for improvement next time, after everything I've heard about the fourth entry, it sounds like they've once again outdone themselves.

6/10