The Sniper 2 (PS2) - Stage 04 [A Game of Betrayal]
Channel: Louis B
Date: 17/04/2024

The Sniper 2 is another European exclusive English localisation, one with the dubious honour of being called “kusoge” – a crappy game. 

It also happens to be perfect fodder for Youtube Poops.

Where I have completely buried some games on this channel for their faults, I would rather prefer to admit The Sniper 2 isn’t actually all that bad, it isn’t good either, but there is enough engrossing material here that I can’t imagine I would have been thoroughly pissed off picking this one up from a Supermarket bargain bin at £10. Keep in mind, The Sniper 2 was released by Midas Interactive, the masters of budget PS2 games, and likewise The Sniper 2 was originally a Simple Series title, put out at the low, low price of 2000 Yen by D3 Publisher in Japan.

The Sniper 2 reminds me of “So Bad they’re Good” games like Blue Stinger or Deadly Premonition. The way Sniper 2 introduces many of it’s levels is akin to a TV show, or anime, with an opening crawl introducing the players and an outro with a credits spill to match. It visually looks like an early Dreamcast game, very blocky and stiff, with equally awkward line delivery and music. I imagine the oddball nature of the presentation was enough to put-off any mainstream video game journalist back in the day, inbetween their obnoxious 10/10 scores for the latest Pro Evolution Soccer game, or inappropriately sexist remarks about women in gaming (I honestly don’t miss Official PS2 Magazine UK for this very reason).

Regardless, The Sniper 2’s gameplay is incredibly basic. Scenarios have you sniping targets, with the idea normally being to get the best possible shot, in the least amount of time, and with the least amount of bullets wasted. I say normally because the game’s grading system does not have much rhyme or reason, going anywhere from AAA to C, the criteria of which never being inherently clear. If you’ve ever played Silent Scope, it isn’t a million miles removed from that either, although frustratingly the controls are restricted to digital movement and aiming only – there are no analogue options. Some of the tighter levels, such as the mission where you need to precisely pop a car tyre, could have benefited from either mouse or light gun support as well. Alas, The Sniper 2 is a budget title – and those niceties don’t tend to come alongside an otherwise slapped together game of this nature.

Really, the best way to enjoy The Sniper 2 is to not take it seriously: Wrap yourself in the silliness it offers, with a dumb story that can be bested in only a couple hours, and move on to something else. Although there are branching paths, based on how you perform in missions, The Sniper 2 has the kind of campaign I would only advise playing through once. With this playthrough, I have stitched together a couple of the different routes you can take, but it honestly doesn’t change the outcome of the story.

And so, in closing, The Sniper 2’s an experience, yeah, an experience. Whether it is a worthwhile one though? 

Well… I’ll let you decide aha!


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A LEGAL NOTICE:
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Any copyrighted footage I use is covered under fair use laws, or more specifically those listed under Section 30(1) of the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1989 and under section 107 of US Copyright Act 1976. This video exists purely for the purpose of research and criticism. I do not make a profit from any uploaded content, nor do I intend to. Thank you for watching.