Sniper Elite III Ultimate Edition
Mature, bloody WWII stealth shooter packs fast-paced action.
Sniper Elite III Ultimate Edition
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Sniper Elite III Ultimate Edition is a third-person World War II shooter for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The game is an expanded version of 2014's Sniper Elite III, and tasks players with using stealth and a variety of weapons (machine guns, explosives, and, of course, a long-range rifle) to kill numerous German soldiers, Nazi officers, and their fellow Axis allies. Though your mission is admirable, sometimes things get a little graphic, even for a shooter. When you kill someone with your sniper rifle, the game switches to a slow-motion, X-ray shot of the bullet tearing through your enemy's bones and internal organs. It also sometimes shows bodies flying when you set off an explosion with your sniper rifle or if, when aiming at someone, you hit a grenade on the person's belt, setting it off. There's infrequent use of "s--t" in dialogue, frequently said in German but translated into English by subtitles.
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What’s It About?
Set in North Africa, SNIPER ELITE III ULTIMATE EDITION casts you as an American sniper who -- either alone or with a friend -- goes on a number of recon and sabotage missions. Armed with a variety of guns, explosives, and other tools, you have to sneak around large, open battlefields, taking out enemies before they see you, stealing their intel, and destroying their stuff. When that all goes awry, as it often does, you have to try to escape in one piece. An expanded version of 2014’s Sniper Elite III, this Ultimate Edition adds the option to play the campaign, survival and overwatch modes with another player. Gamers can also play against up to four players on the same system or up to eight players online. The Ultimate Edition also brings in 18 new weapons as well as a shooting range where you can try them out, and four new bonus missions for the campaign (also playable solo or with a friend) where you have to prevent British Prime Minister Winston Churchill from being assassinated. The Nintendo Switch version also includes additional motion controls for the system's Joycons, and includes Pro Controller support.
Is It Any Good?
At its core, this stealthy action adventure, similar to the original version, is a challenging and engaging third-person World War II shooter that lets you put your sneaky side to good use. Not only are the controls of Sniper Elite III Ultimate Edition tight and intuitive, but the game lets you adapt the sniper controls, making them as easy to use as an arcade game and almost as authentic as an actual rifle. The Switch version even gives you motion controls to fire your weapons and make your way through environments. Also, by tasking you with numerous types of missions in some wide-open spaces, the game has a good amount of variety, since you can strategically attack from any direction … and get attacked from any direction.
The game isn't without its flaws, even though many of them have been fixed with numerous patches and updates since its first release. Some buttons are twitchy, so you may have to be in just the right spot to silently take out an enemy from behind or to search a body for supplies. For Switch players, it's also much easier to use the Pro Controller over the motion controls or the slim Left and Right buttons on the JoyCons. Some of the multiplayer modes, especially "Deathmatch" and "Team Deathmatch," aren't anything special, and though the co-op-specific missions are engaging, playing the story-driven campaign with a friend ruins the game's lone-wolf vibe. But the biggest problem is that some of your enemies just ain't that bright. At one point, for instance, an enemy soldier might stroll right past you as if you aren't sitting there reloading your rifle. These issues aside, Sniper Elite III: Ultimate Edition's action and focus on stealth and strategy makes it a fun game for shooter fans.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in games. Is the impact of the violence in Sniper Elite III Ultimate Edition affected by the fact that you're killing Nazis? Is it ever OK to kill someone in a game if he or she is evil? Is it OK if it's in the
Why is it important to be open to the idea of asking for help or working with other people toward a common goal? What’s the best way to communicate with other people so you can work toward a common goal?
Game Details
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: 505 Games
- Release date: October 1, 2019
- Genre: Third-Person Shooter
- Topics: Adventures, History
- ESRB rating: M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
- Last updated: September 30, 2021
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