by Jamie Monroy
Finding a new source of revenue is (almost) always a bonus for gamers and developers. Games that have already faded away into obscurity can seemingly gain new life once again on the new-ish Nintendo Switch. With Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim leading the way, others have taken to the platform with ports of their own. One of the latest games to come over to this portable outlet is Sniper Elite 3: Ultimate Edition (Rebellion, MSRP $39.99). It is a game I have played many times before but can it find new life on a portable platform?
Where am I going with this you say? Anywhere I want! Which most of the time with my Switch docked, reason being is that with this being a Switch version of the series is, in my opinion, lacks the same luster of even playing back in 2014, that being said with it docked it was a better experience. Especially at the price point of $39.99, some may say ouch I can get the PS4 version of Ultimate for $19.99 in most scenarios you would lean towards the lower price point but here is where I tell you why not to and consider going back to 2014 + and experience this with extras!
Here’s the 411 on the Switch version:
· Enhanced support for the pro controller
· Again you get all the DLC (which includes 4 extra Campaign missions)
· Along with the previous you get extra weapons (which can take away from the fun of leveling through).
· As always (and one of my favs in the series on any platform) the X-Ray Kill Cam
· Multiplayer and Co-op (I’ll speak on this in closing)
Catch my audio thoughts right here on Pop Culture Cosmos #162:
The Bottom Line
Yes, including everything released for the previous iterations all in one bundle is a move to be applauded. The mission structure is solid and you still get all the stealth action with beautiful x-ray kills you can ask for. But even all-inclusive the price point for this five-year-old game smacks of “Bethesda-like” mining into a new gaming crowd for a game that can be had for substantially cheaper on another platform.
If you’ve never played the series before and all you have for gaming is the Nintendo Switch, Sniper Elite 3 is a good way to get into the series. What works against this version are the same quibbles that hamper many games that get ported to this console. Those gripes include a lagging frame rate (especially undocked) and a wonky AI that becomes more noticeable than its more powerful PC and console cousins.
That said, I am optimistic Sniper Elite 3: Ultimate Edition could lead to more games in the series coming to the Nintendo console. To quote my good friend Gerald “this is a great way to bring this series onto the Switch.” And I can’t agree more. I also hope the multiplayer catches on with a base that will show it’s worth on the Switch and have Rebellion finally relieving me of the continual thought I had while playing Sniper Elite 3. “Why didn’t they just go with Sniper Elite 4???
(Please note that for this review, Pop Culture Cosmos/Game Source did receive a review code/model/sample from the company/developer/public relations firm responsible for distribution to the press.)
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