11. Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army 2

After the Nazi Zombies wreaked havoc in the first standalone expansion to Sniper Elite V2, who could guess they’d return for another around? Nazi Zombie Army 2 offers a new campaign with fresh locations and enemy types, and you’ll once again slay undead by the droves solo or with up to three other players. Don’t fix what isn’t broken, but when it feels more repetitive than its predecessor, you have to wonder if it’s really worth it. Nevertheless, it’s more maps for slaying zombies, which counts most for some.

10. Sniper Elite VR: Winter Warrior

Another follow-up that noticeably falls short of the original, Winter Warrior is developed by Just Add Water of Oddworld fame. Given how well the first title fared, you would expect the momentum to continue. A forgettable narrative and iffy controls later, and you realize that’s not the case. The sequel doesn’t even do enough to switch up the formula or spruce up the visuals. The gunplay is still on point, but there isn’t enough content to justify jumping in. A mixed bag overall.

9. Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army

The original and Rebellion’s first attempt at a Left 4 Dead-style undead spinoff starring Karl Fairburne but set in an alternate universe World War 2. The shift from careful and methodical sniping and stealth to gunning down zombie hordes en masse is still a huge shift for the series. Nazi Zombie Army handles it well enough, combining the realistic gunplay and X-Ray Kill Cam with new kinds of threats and co-op. Though it won’t be competing with the best co-op zombie shooters in the genre, it’s a fun ol’ time, if nothing else.

8. Sniper Elite V2

The first sequel in the series, Sniper Elite V2 focuses on Fairburne attempting to stop the V-2 rocket program in Berlin (which explains why it didn’t get a simple “2” in its title). While it received some praise for the realistic ballistics, the AI was a mixed bag, alternating between competent and imbecilic. Respawning enemies and stealth were also points of contention, with sniping being the only aspect that resonated. That’s because Sniper Elite V2 introduced what would become a staple of the series for over a decade – the X-Ray Kill Cam, rewarding kills with a bloody showcase.

7. Zombie Army Trilogy

It’s a close tie between Sniper Elite V2 and Zombie Army Trilogy in quality. However, the latter wins out by not only remastering the first Nazi Zombie Army expansions but including a third campaign. You can play through them with up to four players, choosing from eight different characters (with Left 4 Dead 1 and 2’s cast joining later for an additional eight), and even adjusting the difficulty. The famed ballistics and X-Ray Kill Cam are also present alongside dismemberment, which adds a bit more strategy. It’s still pretty repetitive and lacks much of the series’ nuance, but it’s still good for mindless fun with friends.

6. Sniper Elite VR

The first Sniper Elite VR title and one that boasts a poor narrative with some strange gates stopping you from completing the last few missions. No autosaves, bugs, underwhelming melee combat – it’s almost hard to get on board. Where it excels is in the fine mix of arcade shooting and realistic ballistics. It’s also responsive enough to make racking up points with the most creative kills enjoyable. Still far from the best in the series, but a solid option for those who want a fun sniping title in VR.

6. Sniper Elite 3

After Sniper Elite V2 underwhelmed, Sniper Elite 3 came along and…marginally improved things (while flailing even more in other departments). Technically a prequel, it saw Fairburne venture to North Africa, with new desert locations to deal with. Unfortunately, the story wasn’t much to write home about, and the AI still had its failings. Where Sniper Elite 3 succeeded is in presenting larger more open levels for players to plan out a myriad of approaches.

Sabotaging generators to mask your shots with the sound, leveraging the revamped stealth to tactically take out threats, scrounging for weapon parts, setting up traps – it all felt so liberating (and, of course, the sniping was still on point). Add on improvements to the X-Ray Kill Cam to factor in organs and bone shattering, and on several gameplay levels, Sniper Elite 3 could be a fun time.

4. Sniper Elite 1

It’s somewhat ironic that one of the better games in the franchise is the one that started it all. Sniper Elite launched in 2005, and as far as sniping-focused titles were concerned, it was unlike anything else in the WW2 shooter space. The realistic depiction of ballistics, where factoring in things like the wind, felt fresh and challenging. Sure, you didn’t get the explosive viscera of the X-Ray Kill Cam, but it was still satisfying for a bullet to dramatically reach your target in slow motion. With all the other relatively new tactics, like using louder sounds to mask your shots, it’s no wonder it received attention despite some shortcomings.

3. Zombie Army 4: Dead War

Considering its predecessors, there may not have been many expectations from Zombie Army 4. Yet somehow, everything fell in place, from the campy campaign with its zombie sharks and zoo to the X-Ray Kill-Cam triggering off explosions and well-placed shots alike. Each character has extensive progression and some fun talents; the weaponry went above and beyond, straight-up embracing the elemental and bizarre new enemies debuted, including a zombie tank. Yes, it has overpriced DLC, and yes, the gameplay can still get repetitive, but it’s the series’ – and one of Sniper Elite’s – best offerings yet.

2. Sniper Elite 5

Sniper Elite 5 is not where the series’ truly started to take a turn and really come into its own with the sandbox-style levels and freedom of playstyles. It still excels in those regards, refining the realistic sniping we know and love while presenting some of the best levels in the series. There’s also Axis Invasion, a new mode where an enemy sniper can invade your game, leading to even more tense encounters. The key shortcomings of the series remained, but it felt like Sniper Elite finally carved its winning formula.

1. Sniper Elite 4

And it all truly began with Sniper Elite 4, which took the sandbox-like maps of Sniper Elite 3 and went even bigger. Fairburne was more agile than before, capable of clambering up structures to set up his shots. Night missions introduced new twists to the stealth formula and players were freer than ever to strategically take down enemies, go guns-blazing or take a completely silent approach. While it couldn’t overcome the series’ curse of middling story-telling and AI, Sniper Elite 4 achieved a new level, elevating it into something incredibly fun.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

The guerrilla warfare aspect and lack of a radar in Metal Gear Solid 3 turned sniping into a fairly important mechanic. Rifles could be used to scout ahead and pick off foes from a safe distance, after all though you still had to be careful about leaving bodies. The true test came when facing The End – if you actually tried fighting him, then tracing his position and not getting caught out was key, especially with how incredible his aim could be. This also opened up a number of strategies like capturing and releasing his parrot while using the directional microphone to find his position.

Despite the prevalence of explosives, SMGs and pistols, Sniper Elite VR still retains the sniping gameplay that’s made the series a success. It takes place in 1943 Italy with the Resistance battling against the Nazis across 18 missions in the campaign. You could go all out and mow down enemies or utilize stealth and find the right opportunity (movement is free rather than guided).

When utilizing a rifle, wind direction and ballistics will need to be taken into account. But pull off a particularly nasty shot and the X-Ray Kill Cam goes to work, showcasing the destruction in slow motion. Stay tuned for more details on the title in the meantime.

After the Fall

From the developer behind Arizona Sunshine comes another first-person survival shooter in VR, this time set in the frigid remains of 1980s Los Angeles. You’ll explore the wasteland, discovering powers and scavenging resources to create weapons while fighting off monsters known as the Snowbreed. The campaign supports up to four players and also has crossplay. After the Fall is set to release this Summer for PlayStation VR, PC and Oculus.

Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash!

Available now worldwide, Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash! sees the return of space reporter/dance fighter Ulala. In an interesting twist, players take on the role of a junior reporter, dancing alongside Ulala. You can dance through Story Mode, partake in Arcade mode or try to complete 100 dances in a row through Trial Dance. Even if it’s essentially a fitness game, Ulala’s return has been long overdue.

Rebellion Developments, known for its Sniper Elite franchise, is heading to E3 2019. It recently announced its line-up for the show, which includes a “major unannounced new title”. This will be unveiled at the PC Gaming Show, which airs at 10 AM PST on June 10th.

Other titles that we can look forward to include Evil Genius 2 for PC and Sniper Elite VR. Announced in June 2017, Evil Genius 2 will be showcased for the first time at the PC Gaming Show. More details on the gameplay will also be provided.

Sniper Elite VR is being developed with Just Add Water. Along with being showcased for the first time, attendees can go hands-on with the title. How will the game’s visceral shooting translate over to virtual reality? We’ll have to wait until E3 2019 to find out. The show will take place from June 11th to 13th, but several publishers Electronic Arts and Microsoft will host pressers before the floor officially opens.

We're delighted to confirm that we're going to be bringing THREE titles to @E3 2019;

✅Evil Genius 2
✅Sniper Elite VR
✅A MAJOR UNANNOUNCED NEW TITLE

To book a press appointment, please email press@rebellion.co.uk pic.twitter.com/7BEMWWt8Tf

— Rebellion (@Rebellion) May 31, 2019