Sniper Vs. Sniper:a very polished online shooter
When I play online first person shooters I absolutely love playing a sniper. There is nothing better than setting up shop in a quiet area perpendicular to the battlefield and quietly picking off unsuspecting players. One or two good kills would make an entire afternoon of staring down a scope worth my while. Sniper vs. Sniper tries to bring this experience to your iDevice.
Gameplay:
There is no denying the game has a very professional polish that shows from the start. From the snazzy introduction video to the periodic tips you receive throughout the game you will immediately realize that this game is in the upper tier of content presentation wise available on iTunes.
The game features a single player mode that spans several different locations. On these maps you can engage in three different game types. The game features a 1 v 1 mode which pits you against a classically known sniper. The gameplay is very similar in both online and offline modes.
The second mode is the campaign mode. Campaign mode is supposed to chronicle the life of a sniper. Do not get too excited because you will find the storyline is razor thin. The mode works by pitting you against multiple snipers who are out to kill you. You have a fixed number of lives which are represented by bars at the top of the screen.
If you take a bullet it knocks a portion of your life based upon where you are struck. You are awarded points based upon the accuracy of your shots. Higher points are awarded for head and body mass shots versus hitting someone in the arm. Eliminate all the bad guys and you will progress to the next round.
The single player also features a special mission mode. There are 30 total special missions in the game. They involve hitting a set number of targets under various time constraints. A player would be happy just to have the extra variety. The developer took the extra step and added an incentive to completing the challenges. If you successfully complete challenges you are awarded various perks. They vary from faster reload time to extra armor. This is a really nice touch that you rarely see in iDevice games.
Where this game really shines is the online play. The game has an excellent built in server system. From here you can set up games, invite players to play against you, or just wait for the system to match you up. The online system works well and I never had a problem finding an opponent. The polish I spoke of earlier is blinding in the online system. At the end of a match it gives you the option to re-challenge your opponent, add him as a friend, or check how the match affected your world standings. This is something I would hope to find on a home console. I am thrilled to find the online matchmaking is so user friendly.
Online mode features two scenarios one versus one or alliance. Alliance mode has you teaming up with an opponent to take on a slew of computer snipers. This is a welcome addition but most players will be clamoring for versus mode. In this mode each player is given a set number of lives and the sniping begins.
If your opponent shoots you the round is done and you lose life based upon the accuracy of his shot. If you lose the round you are assisted by having a large circle drawn around where your opponent is currently located. This is supposed to help you stay in the game although you will sometimes find the circle is not always accurate. On the other hand in some games it is too helpful. Making the first person to get a successful shot the winner since the circle assists basically mean you take turns winning a round from that point forward.
Do not fret as this is not always the case. In my first game my opponent repeatedly shot me over and over and over again. Do not be frustrated if you run across an ace as there are plenty of players out there that suck just as bad as you do. The online experience is intense and rewarding. It doesn’t equate to a console shooter but it is a compelling multiplayer experiences on a mobile device, and something more developers need to mimic.
Controls:
The game does not allow you to move or change positions. You are randomly placed by the computer before every match. When the match starts you are essentially staring at a large picture. You can change your view from left to right and up and down by tilting the device.
The player uses binoculars to carefully check each window or around each tree. There are various distractions thrown in such as a couple kissing or a deer in the forest. Once you have located your opponent you switch to scope mode. The scope will automatically tighten in on the center of where your binoculars were last. Then you carefully maneuver your device to take the shot. Whoever scores the first shot wins and the round ends.
The game gives you the opportunity to calibrate the controls under the settings. Unfortunately, even with calibration I found the controls to be somewhat frustrating. It was very difficult to move your view point up and down. At times it felt like I should be able to look further to the left or right and my binoculars simply would not budge.
I honestly do not know whether this is the fault of the developer or the device. The controls can be frustrating at times and it is only compounded when someone is shooting you. Maybe it would help to allow the player to use finger swipes – maybe it won’t. I am beginning to wonder if anything will ever replace my love for a console controller but I digress. I have played numerous other sniping titles on this device and they all suffer from the same issue so I’m not going to lay this squarely at the feet of the developer. The controls while adequate do allow you to have a mobile experience but you definitely won’t be dumping your console shooter anytime soon.
Eventually you will get the hang of the tilting. Although tilting up and down will never really work in my mind since anything that requires you to tilt the screen away from my eyes for movement is going to detract from the experience If I can’t see it how am I supposed to play it!? Luckily the blow is softened by the fact that everybody you play online is having to deal with the same issues. Thus, equalizing the playing field. Getting blown away by a human opponent is far less irritating than getting lit up by the AI.
What We Liked:
Perks for completing special missions + Playing online against real people + Built in online system with rankings and friends list + Overall very polished game with excellent instructions + When online if your opponent misses your rifle automatically zooms to their location + ability to pre-record taunts
What We Disliked:
The controls are definitely not perfect – The binoculars never seem to go enough to the left or right. – A little light on the story in career mode
Final Verdict
The controls are really the only thing holding this back from being the perfect shooter experience. However like I stated before I’ve had these issues on all the other “shooter” games for the iDevices so I can’t blame it all on the developers. It will differently take some time to get the controls down. However the overall polish and attention to detail in every area of the game makes up for this fact., and the overall polish and ability to seamlessly go online and play a live person pushes this otherwise slightly above average sniper title over the top.
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Category: Games
I think you nailed this review. Pretty much my only concern with the game has been the controls and difficulty with the calibration of it, but it can definitely feel like an intense game when online..
It’s funny about your thought if anything can replace your console controller, and I too am finding more and more frustration or just plain unsatisfied with almost all control issues on the idevice, and I’m starting to get a little fatigued of it personally. Anyways, I too share this thought recently…