Going Non-Lethal In Sniper Elite 5 Is Pointless

thegamer.com:

During a recent hands-on preview event for Sniper Elite 5 I was told about a slew of newly implemented non-lethal options available to me in the ultra-violent shooter. This is a series that for decades now has defined itself with slow-motion kills designed to tear fascists to pieces in excruciating detail. So this suddenly coming along feels a tiny bit silly.

Murder is the name of the game, so being encouraged to be extra nice to the fascists as I lower their unconscious bodies to the ground feels a bit silly. They’re Nazis, I’m not supposed to care about their safety, I’m meant to obliterate them. Which is exactly what I did as I eviscerated each one with bullets, grenades, landmines, knives, rocket launchers, machine guns, and even my bare hands. It was a good ol’ fashioned Nazi kilin’ time.

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Sniper Elite 5 takes plentiful inspiration from Hitman this time around. Rebellion apes IO Interactive with open levels filled with multiple objectives and ways to solve them. You’re able to select a starting location and venture forth using your own devices. It’s a compelling twist on the series as it takes a fairly linear campaign experience and turns it into something freeform. The potential is clear to see, and the satisfaction of blowing off Nazi testicles and murdering countless evildoers remains despite an increased level of complexity.

But much like Agent 47, your arsenal has grown to accommodate such a change in trajectory. This means silent attacks, and non-lethal ways to deal with adversaries so you don’t make a sound and risk alerting the wider army. Approaching foes from behind allows you to slit their throats or knock them out, meaning there’s a chance they will