Sniper Elite 4 is finally available on PC and consoles, giving fans of the franchise eight new stages (nine if you pre-ordered) and dozens of new objectives to complete. And mostly positive reviews for Sniper Elite 4, including our own, suggest new fans will join the fold in 2017. But many players still struggle to find success in stealth shooters, particularly those that don’t offer many “loud” options for those less capable of a quiet approach.
To make the learning process a bit easier, we’ve gathered a handful of tips for anyone new to the Sniper Elite franchise or returning after a long absence. Many of the strategies popularized by the Sniper Elite 3 community remain viable in the series fourth outing, but a few changes to the Sniper Elite formula do necessitate some modifications. The information on this page isn’t going to help you finish the Sniper Elite 4 campaign on its hardest difficulty but it should be more than enough to help you find success on a less intense voyage through the story.
Here are our tips for novice Sniper Elite 4 players:
Be Patient
There is nothing in Sniper Elite 4 that will get you into trouble faster than a lack of patience. Hundreds of Nazi soldiers roam each map, from the highest peaks to the lowest valleys, and it only takes one to alert the whole base to Karl’s presence. Be cautious when moving from one hiding spot to the next. Spot nearby enemies, that way you can tell where they’re facing on the radar, and quietly eliminate any soldier whose body is unlikely to be noticed by other guards.
Stay Crouched
It’s the ABCs of stealth gaming. Always Be Crouched. Always.
Yes, even in the scenario you just posited to your computer screen. Always.
Tag Everything and Everyone
Tagging has always been vital to success in Sniper Elite but the system has consistently been limited by older hardware. Even Sniper Elite 3 didn’t let you tag more than a handful of enemy soldiers or strategic objects in your immediate vicinity. Thankfully, modern game consoles (and PC parts) have eliminated that problem, allowing Rebellion to remove the tag limit in Sniper Elite 4 . So tag everything. Every red barrel. Every Nazi soldier. Every truck, tank or ammo crate.
Tag it all and never be surprised by anyone (or anything) ever again.
Change Locations Frequently
This is another tip that might seem obvious to longtime fans of stealth games, but may be less obvious to people who’ve previously limited their enjoyment of sniper media to Hollywood films. Get in the habit of changing cover, and looking for new options, with some frequency. It won’t always be necessary but the skills you’ll developer -- particularly the quickness with which you’ll be able to identify and move to new hiding spots -- will prove useful if/when the Nazis are alerted to your presence. It’ll also slow down triangulation if you fire Karl’s rifle without a sound-mask.
Always Carry Suppressed Ammo
You won’t find any suppressor attachments in Sniper Elite 4 loadout menu, despite the presence of dozens of firearms that could fit one, but they’re still present in the game. Players just have to know where to look. After leveling up a few times, you’ll be able to afford suppressed pistol and rifle ammunition, both of which make Karl’s whole arsenal much, much deadlier. You’ll have to remember to equip the suppressed ammo, by pressing R1 / RB while the corresponding weapon is highlighted in the radial menu, but the limited supply of quieter shots should be enough to get Karl out of any situation in which he doesn’t have a sound mask.
Replace Excess Healing Supplies
Your first few hours with Sniper Elite 4 are probably going to be rough. You’ll frequently rely on the bandages and first aid kits Karl carries and (depending on the difficulty level) likely die more frequently than you’d like. But as your skills improve, the healing supplies will become less necessary and you’ll be able to swap them out for better equipment. Our preferred loadout is a single first aid kit, one grenade, two boxes of TNT and two boxes of suppressed rifle ammo. You might find a different combination works better for you. But you definitely won’t need to devote four slots to healing items by the end of the Sniper Elite 4 campaign.
Don’t Panic When Spotted
This one is pretty self-explanatory. It’s important to remember there are multiple stages to the alert system in Sniper Elite 4 . If the guard’s first attention meter (yellow) doesn’t fill all the way, there’s a chance they won’t even abandon their post. If they do, the soldier in question (and anyone standing in the vicinity) will quickly search their surroundings. If possible, find some foliage and go prone until the investigation concludes. The only time you need to make a quick decision -- and even quicker shots -- is when the red bar begins to fill. Then you’ll only have a few seconds to kill the soldier in question, or find a way to remove Karl from the enemy’s vision cone before his cover is blown.
Use Explosions To Throw Off Search Parties
If you’re forced to (or accidentally) fire a round without a sound-mask or suppressor, there’s a good chance enemy forces will begin to triangulate Karl’s position. Soldiers won’t know exactly where he is, at first, but they’ll figure it out pretty quickly unless the search is disrupted. The easiest way to redirect your pursuers’ attention is to trigger an explosion somewhere else on the map, usually by destroying a vehicle or using the Welrod to detonate nearby explosive material. Any soldiers who see/hear the blast will make a beeline for the site, sometimes fast enough to be caught in chain reactions. Even if they survive, their attention should be diverted long enough for you to find a safer hiding spot.
Traps Are Better Than Hidden Bodies
Hiding bodies takes time. It also makes Karl easier to spot, since he can’t go prone, and leaves him unable to fire his rifle. Booby-trapped bodies draw the attention of nearby soldiers, without exposing Karl, and can be used to clear paths that would otherwise be guarded by Nazi forces. From a less practical standpoint, they also pay dividends with satisfying killcam shots.
Bottom line: traps are better than unnecessary risk when you’re just getting started.
Other Tips:
There are plenty of ways to one-shot Karl’s enemies. If you can’t see the target’s head, a bullet to the heart, intestines, kidneys, liver, lungs, stomach or throat is just as lethal.
You can shoot grenades being carried by Nazi troops to distract/kill nearby soldiers. You can also shoot grenades you’ve thrown to trigger a quicker explosion.
Wounded enemies will warn fellow soldiers about Karl’s presence, including his last known location if he’s been spotted, but they can also be used to bait nearby guards or lure an officer out of the structure where he’s taken refuge.
Stick with the Welrod until you regularly receive Snapshot points for pistol kills. It’s not the most powerful handgun. But every shot is suppressed and headshots are headshots.
Sniper Elite 4 is currently available on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Be sure to check back with iDigitalTimes and follow Scott on Twitter for additional Sniper Elite 4 news throughout 2017 and however long Rebellion supports Sniper Elite 4 after launch.
