For people who enjoy shooter games but prefer to take a more tactical approach to situations, it's hard to go wrong with one of the many incredible sniper games that exist. Sniper games often combine similar elements, but one common thing that links them is how much tougher they can be compared to general shooter games.
Many of the best sniper games require you to take your time, stalking your future target to learn their schedules or movement patterns before you make your move. Thanks to their innovative nature, some games feature unique mechanics that help them stand out even within the sniper genre.
Updated July 29, 2022 By Ben Jessey: Sniping is one of the most enjoyable forms of shooting in video games. There's just something so satisfying about picking people off from a distance. And developers clearly know this, as there are entire games revolving around the concept.
In some of them, you have to use a sniper, while in others, you get the option. Either way, there are some great sniper games out there. A bunch of them made it onto the original version of this list. We've now added a few more.
13 Far Cry 5
In the fifth Far Cry game, you play as a Deputy Sheriff, who goes to a place called Hope County to apprehend cult leader Joseph Seed. Naturally, things go wrong, and you have to survive in the dangerous region while trying to bring down the Seed family.
The game gives you plenty of freedom about how you want to play. So, you could easily play a majority of the game as a sniper. There are even structures you can climb or repel to reach good vantage spots to pick off your prey.
12 Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Big Boss stars as the main protagonist in The Phantom Pain, and if you've been following his career, you know he is well versed in all types of combat. So, naturally, he is a master of the sniper rifle. Therefore, you are free to play through the game with a sniper in your hands.
Using the resources you acquire, you can even craft and upgrade rifles, including a non-lethal one if you're doing a pacifist run. You don't have to snipe alone, either. During the story, you acquire a teammate known as Quiet, who is among the most effective sharpshooters ever.
11 Mass Effect Legendary Edition
One of the first things you do at the start of the Mass Effect trilogy is pick your class. If you're a fan of sniping, you should select the Infiltrator. This class isn't the only one that allows you to use snipers, but it's the one specifically designed for sniper play.
As such, most of your skills are revolved around staying back and dealing plenty of damage from a distance. In the second and third games, you also have a skill that lets you turn invisible, which adds more of a stealth element to your sniping.
10 Zombie Army 4: Dead War
Zombie Army 4 is not an out-and-out sniper title. But the title is from the makers of a legendary series of sniper games, and, of course, you can choose to be the sniper in your playthrough with a team of friends.
Readjusting the gameplay of the Sniper Elite games into a battle for survival against the hordes of the undead is a surprisingly great time. Of course, the series' most famous mechanic carries over for some gruesome sniper shots against the undead.
9 Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2
On the surface, Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 can be a bit tough to get into if it's your first sniper game. Veterans of the genre will know just how much exploring the game's vast levels truly can be.
It should be said that it's definitely not a game for everyone as it implements relatively realistic sniping physics, making the gameplay quite difficult. A shot that would be simple in other games is brutally difficult here, but if that's something you enjoy, it's a great option.
8 Sniper Elite VR
While it's certainly not the most revolutionary game from the Sniper Elite series, it is still a lot of fun to try out. Taking something as simple as a sniper game and truly allowing you to immerse yourself in the experience is something many have been waiting for.
The game is exactly what you'd expect if you're a fan of the Sniper Elite franchise, although it does suffer from the same things many games have as they step into the realm of virtual reality. Regardless, it's a great sniper game, and the x-ray mechanics work surprisingly well, even in VR.
7 Sniper Ghost Warrior 3
Many sniper game experiences can get old quickly if it forces you into the same few levels with the same few options for completion. The genre as a whole has struggled with that, and many have turned toward sniping in open worlds as a result.
While this game's open-world has been criticized widely over the years, something that usually isn't criticized is the game's actual sniping mechanics. You do have many other options to tackle the game's challenges, but sniping is often the most rewarding.
6 Ghost Recon Breakpoint
There is a lot to criticize from Ghost Recon Breakpoint in regard to how it decided to handle the always dreaded microtransactions in-game, but that didn't stop it from being a great game for fans of the sniper genre.
Players may also not enjoy feeling relatively fragile when compared to other sniper games as the enemies in the game can pose a serious threat at most ranges. Players with a tactical mind and the patience to pick off enemies from a great distance will still find plenty of value in this title.
5 Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands
There are dozens of different ways to tackle pretty much any situation within Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands, but one of the best is to keep things tactical. In most instances, you'll be able to survey areas and even your next target to line up your next shot.
While it is fair to say that the huge open-world map is impressive, the NPCs that call the world home leave it feeling a bit void. If that doesn't bother you, then you'll have plenty of fun trying to outthink and snipe the occasionally pretty tough enemies darted throughout the game's tougher regions.
4 Sniper Elite 3
While the entirety of the Sniper Elite series has been criticized for its lacking narrative and characters, Sniper Elite 3 knew how to keep its addictive gameplay fresh. Huge maps and plenty of options go a long way in any Sniper Elite.
You do get multiple weapons to make your way through the game's African levels, but everyone is sure to agree that taking your time and picking off your enemies from afar is easily the best way to experience the entire exciting franchise.
3 Sniper Elite 4
If you are a huge fan of Sniper Elite 3 but somehow haven't played Sniper Elite 4, many people will tell you that you're missing out. For how great Sniper Elite 3 was, its follow-up entry in the series only sought to improve on the classic formula in any way it could.
This game almost doubles down on the importance of surveying as much of the level as possible before taking any action. Enemies aren't all that static - if you mess up, they will come to try to find you with as much firepower as possible.
2 Hitman 2
It's really hard to do better than the Hitman series in most respects. The huge levels and unique NPC schedules not only allow you to take out your targets any way you want but also from across the level entirely via the sniper rifle of your choosing.
While some levels are certainly better than others for sniping, the game does also offer a dedicated sniper mode with unique missions that aren't experienced in the main story. That may sound relatively simple, but being successful in that mode is a puzzle in itself.
1 Hitman 3
Another game that simply took a proven formula and did what they could to improve upon it is the fantastic Hitman 3. You once again have plenty of options to take out your various targets with everyone's favorite bald assassin, but one of the most rewarding is sniping.
Like the previous game in the Hitman series, Hitman 3 features a dedicated Sniper Assassin mode. While that mode is plenty of fun, Hitman 3 offers some incredible and sprawling levels that can be plenty of fun to survey your targets in with your rifle of choice.