For a sniper nicknamed ‘The Shadow’, Karl Fairburne certainly isn’t afraid to cause a ruckus. After being discovered approaching a Nazi checkpoint on the fortified island of Beaumont-Saint-Denis, we flee into a church. After climbing a spiralling tower, we scuffle with a previously undetected sniper, the sounds alerting every nearby enemy. Following a firefight with a platoon charging up the staircase, we spy a piece of intel nearby, revealing a critical flaw in the roof of a room hosting a meeting of Nazi officials. Armed with this information, we zipline down from the church tower, land in a patch of grass, and resume sneaking through the town.
Moments such as thisat its most flexible – astreamlined take on the immersive sim rewarding those willing to roll with the punches. And while the fifth entry in the series mainly sticks to the tried-and-tested formula of its predecessors, Rebellion’s intricate levels have never felt so refined, the experience of exploring them rarely quite this satisfying.
