Sniper Elite 4: Digital Deluxe Edition

A lot of games tout the ability to “play how you want to play,” but Sniper Elite 4’s missions and mechanics actually are robust enough to back up that claim. Picking apart the Nazi war machine piece by piece, using whatever plan comes to mind, is a blast. The way it encourages you to stay mindful, experiment, and get better is a refreshing vote of confidence, even if it doesn’t always reward the extra effort you’re putting in.

The grisly ballistics are still second to none, but it's the improvements made beyond the sniper scope that make Sniper Elite 4 a series standout.

Schlocky, supple and slicker than what's gone before, Sniper Elite 4 is a riotously entertaining WW2 stealth adventure.

A hearty improvement on Sniper Elite 3 that embraces freeform play, gets better in co-op, and most importantly lets us shoot things from very far away.

With its inconsequential story and addiction to inane splatter kills, Rebellion's Sniper Elite 4 doesn't subvert expectations. It doesn't have to necessarily: The appeal of shooting digital Nazis may never stagnate, and increasing the scale of each stage means more Nazis to kill and an increased potential for strategy. But a bigger scope makes the inherent problems more visible.

Huge levels and an incredible array of new ways to take down your targets make Sniper Elite 4 a killer addition to the stealthy series

Mapping out your route, checking off objectives, and taking out your targets never ceases to be a blast

Rebellion's long-distance shooter brings the action to second world war Italy, but refuses to depart from well-known conventions

Sniper Elite 4 comes across as a fully-realized result of the shifts Rebellion set in motion with the previous game, and proves itself an ably constructed, often gorgeous, and thoroughly engrossing stealth-action shooter.

Enormous, open levels augment Sniper Elite 4 with some of the best long-distance shootouts that the series has seen thus far. The under-the-hood improvements – paired with the idyllic Italian backdrop – do give this entry the edge over its predecessor, but if you've played one of these games before then you'll know more or less what to expect. Nevertheless, as far as ball busters go, it doesn't get much better (or wince-inducing) than this.