Yes, Sniper Elite V2 is a game in which, through an x-ray kill-cam, you can see a man's testicles explode from the force of a high-velocity sniper rifle round. But the sooner you giggle that imagery out of your system, the sooner you'll realize that such silliness is in stark contrast to the realism...

Every gory; detailed kill; Customizable difficulty; The satisfaction of being a good ghost

Feels unpolished in some points; Some checkpoint scarcity at times; The game; if you play it like a Gears-style shooter

Mediocre: An exercise in apathy, neither Solid nor Liquid. Not exactly bad, but not very good either. Just a bit 'meh,' really.

Confession time. I have two passions in this world and neither of them are my kids. I'm really into demolition derbies, and I'm really into snipers. I read every Stephen Hunter novel. I can't get enough of "Top Shot". I've seen "Enemy at the Gates" more times than I can count.

2005's " Sniper Elite " is a legendary WWII game in certain circles of players who love tactical war titles or the skill sets required to take out a moving target across a bombed-out plaza.

While the sniper rifle is a familiar element of most virtual armories, there are only a handful of games that make it the main attraction. Sniper Elite V2 is Rebellion's second shot at the series, and armed with some brand new tech, it aims to make each round fired a spectacle of lethal penetration.

When the dust settles on Sniper Elite V2 though, it'll likely be remembered for those X-Ray kill animations and little else of note. Your level of enjoyment will be almost directly mapped to how entertaining you find the visual spectacle to be, and - for me at least - it was perfectly good fun in...

Concept: Combine visceral x-ray bullet damage with solid WWII sniping to satisfying and wince-inducing results Graphics: Macabre sights like blowing off a rival sniper's fingers are detailed with sickening degree of love Sound: Sustained violin notes and lots of repeated German dialogue Playability:...

Sniper Elite V2 retreads the PS2 stealth-em-up from Rebellion. Does it improve on the original? Read our review to find out.

Often in spite of itself, SEV2 is a really fun and captivating experience whether played solo or with a friend.

Sniper Elite V2 won't serve us well in any video game violence debate. "Honestly, games are wholesome and culturally important!" we'll cry as a slow-motion bullet rips through a Nazi's liver.