5 best video games to play before Sniper Elite 5

Karl taking the shot in Sniper Elite 5 (Image via Rebellion Developments)
Karl taking the shot in Sniper Elite 5 (Image via Rebellion Developments)

The video game Sniper Elite 5 is coming out on May 26, 2022, and many players are itching to get their hands on it. The thrill of playing as a sniper and landing that perfect headshot is unparalleled. More often that not, players get the most out of that thrill from Sniper Elite, with its feature of X-ray shots and detailed anatomical damage.

But there are still a few days till Sniper Elite 5 comes out. So, to keep players busy, lets take a look at some of the other video games which offer a great sniping experience.

Whether it is similarly geared only towards a sniper experience, or an FPS shooter with a good deal of sniping in it, or even a different kind of game altogether where sniping plays a major part, here are five best such video games other than Sniper Elite.

Note: This article represents the writer's opinion.


A look at the best video games players can enjoy before Sniper Elite 5 gets released

1) Sniper Ghost Warrior Contract 2

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A sequel to Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts, this video game brings back realistic sniping the series is best known for. It sees the return of the stripped-back narrative from the previous games and lets players experience the simple thrill of shooting down a barrel.

For newcomers, this game might be a little hard to get into at first, as it is quite an accurate sniper simulator. Players will have to take many factors into account and make the required shot for it to land. But once they get used to it, this video game provides a very rewarding experience for players who love to snipe down targets from a long distance.

The game was praised for its realistic ballistics, as well as attention to design for its levels. Level design is done expertly as well, to the point where eliminating a target silently and without raising an alarm is a puzzle unto itself.


2) Call of Duty: Vanguard

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Call of Duty has been lauded as well as criticized for many things, but one thing the series does right is gunplay. And that is true for its latest outing as well. Call of Duty: Vanguard is set during the events of WWII and features sniping in its very campaign, not to even mention the multiplayer.

Players can step into the shoes of various members of Task Force Vanguard, including one Polina Petrova, a Russian sniper. In one particular mission, which goes a long way to show the game’s potential for sniping, Polina must get into a firefight with enemy snipers.

In multiplayer, players must take out several snipers during team matches, and engage enemies long range, from the most unlikely of places. Landing a well-placed sniper shot in a Call of Duty video game and seeing the enemy player go down is a very rewarding experience.


3) Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint

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The latest outing in the Ghost Recon series, Breakpoint, is an enjoyable FPS video game that welds fast-paced gaming with rewarding ballistics and gun fights. While it was released in 2019, Breakpoint still holds up as a more-than-decent shooter experience, even though it is officialy done with content releases.

In this game, players can take control of different classes, with one of them being the Sharpshooter. As sharpshooters, players can gain proficiencies in sniper rifles as well as a class ability to highlight targets in a large radius for a certain duration. This allows players to hang back from the action and pick off targets precisely from a distance.

As Breakpoint can be a solo experience, sniper users also have the option to upgrade and improve their guns at the gunsmith. Tiered loot also allows for additional perks to be added to guns. A combination of these two features gives solo snipers an edge in the open world.


4) Escape from Tarkov

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Escape from Tarkov is an FPS survival video game, with PvP multiplayer being the core essence of the gameplay. Players may play in groups, or solo in raids, where they must find their way through a map to an extraction point to escape the arena.

As this game focuses on killing other NPCs and players to collect loot, the ambushing strategy works quite well. The use of snipers however, can make some matches a very easy run. Due to the game’s reliance on bullet calibre and armor stats, players can equip a hefty sniper rifle from their stash (or get one in-match, if they are playing Scav raids) and stealth-shoot their way through the map.

Finally, the game does a good deal of simulating real gunplay, as the HUD is nonexistent and all information is relayed as realistically as possible. Bullet ricochets and armor penetration are an example of the realistic ballistics that the game employs. All of this makes Escape from Tarkov a great shooter and an even better sniping simulator.


5) Hitman III

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Hitman might not come across as a good sniper game, as it is a third-person video game, with an emphasis on eliminating targets silently. However, it does give the player a lot of freedom with how to eliminate each target. In addition, there is almost always a sniper rifle to be found in each level.

Sniping has always been a valid strategy in almost all Hitman games, and the latest installment, Hitman III is no exception. Every mission has a conveniently placed sniper spot from where Agent 47 can get a good look at one or more targets down the scope of a sniper rifle.

There are even challenges to completing each level with only sniper shots, sometimes even taking out more than one target with one shot. One of the more difficult challenges to complete involve using the sniper as well as getting a 'Silent Assassin' rating. This will not be a problem, of course, if player’s have already unlocked one of the many silenced snipers.