A great filter in Sniper Elite V2 Remastered’s photo mode led me to capture pictures as if doing so as the titular sniper.
Despite a remaster and supersampling it’s hard to completely revitalise a game with a dull palette. Don’t get me wrong; the art direction of Sniper Elite V2 is more realistic than, say, the glorified lens flare-haven of Battlefield 3. Credit is due to Rebellion, then, which has added a number of filters and borders to Sniper Elite V2 Remastered’s photo mode that grounds the tool within the game’s setting. I’ve been able to take a series of photos that look as if they’ve really been taken in 1945.
The photo mode isn’t particularly remarkable, on the whole. It’s functional, a bit clunky, but then so is the rest of the game. It’s a remaster that focuses on better textures and shaders rather than bringing the gameplay up to standards set by the more recent Sniper Elite 4.
Almost immediately, I found the filter ‘WWII’ that makes images square and attempts to replicate the colour and quality of pictures taken during the period. There’s enough film grain here that some of the game’s more questionable textures are hidden behind it. In general I feel that the images look better like this; they’re more apt for the game’s setting. I can’t help but imagine the game’s protagonist, Karl Fairburne, putting down his sniper and occasionally pulling out his WWII-era camera to capture the world around him.
Related: Sniper Elite V2 Remastered Review
When I played the original Sniper Elite V2, I never paid much attention to the art direction; shooting Nazis in the now iconic x-ray visuals took centre stage. But as with many titles, the inclusion of a photo mode allows the player to stay around a while, taking in more of their surroundings. A lot of work goes into object placement, and designing small touches in the environment that otherwise we might just overlook. There’s nothing like pulling out an in-game camera to appreciate those more intricate details of a game’s design.
You can scroll through the images I captured in the gallery below. And if you’re playing Sniper Elite V2 Remastered, I suggest you try out the filter for yourself.
