Review: Sniper Killer

Even though we still see some solid releases, the slasher niche in lo-fi horror is starting to dull. But if there’s one thing you can count on in the indie and alternative spaces, it’s diversity, and while Sniper Killer isn’t entirely out of the wheelhouse of Henry Hoare and Black Eyed Priest, developers of Bloodwash, it’s also not your typical fare.

Like Bloodwash, Sniper Killer is light on gameplay, leaning more on vibes to get its horror across. It tells a story that puts you in the boots of both the protagonist and antagonist, and while that runs the risk of falling into predictability, a dash of humor and surreality helps keep things interesting.

Sniper Killer (PC)
Developer: Black Eyed Priest, Henry Hoare
Publisher: Torture Star Video
Released: October 17, 2024
MSRP: TBA

Sniper Killer opens in a bizarre way. You start as a model, arriving at an extremely sketchy job for an eccentrically sketchy dude. But before you can even get comfortable, you wind up as the first victim of the eponymous serial killer.

The game then puts you in the shoes of said killer and lets you get intimate with them. They’re receiving calls from some unknown person on the other end of a radio. The messages tell them that taking out their targets is necessary for national security, but there’s a big question mark hanging over the antagonist’s sanity, and it remains there through the end.

The rest of the game plays out like speed dating with different characters. Sometimes, you’re the victim, but other times, you’re Detective Comardy, the officer in charge of stopping the Sniper Killer. This creates a somewhat enjoyable dynamic of performing the murder and then checking out your handiwork up close. And while it’s obvious what your objective will be when you’re playing the killer, each time you step into the shoes of Comardy, it’s hard to tell where things will go or how they’ll play out.

The alternating of roles keeps things fresh. One of Sniper Killer’s greatest successes is the tonal differences between characters. It is, as I mentioned, difficult to tell exactly how up a tree the murderer is. While the obvious logic would suggest that they’re merely acting out a fantasy, clues left around their safehouse, the fact that his targets are where they’re described, and visits from a creepy neighbor keep you guessing.

Things aren’t much better on Comardy’s side. The police are only seeing random killings, but something feels off about them. When Comardy starts to find evidence that the killings aren’t as random as they seem, it raises more questions before taking a more surreal turn.

Unfortunately, as deft as the narrative is in some places, it could be a lot punchier. There isn’t a great deal of tension, and while it establishes a decent mystery, it never fully delivers on it. Certain aspects of its plot never get the payoff they should have. The City itself, a gritty place that has seen its share of carnage, could be better explored. There’s an indication that it will wind and twist itself up, but the climax feels like it just arrived because it had to. It’s like there was no clear vision of what Sniper Killer was really going to convey. It’s not that there isn’t a decent story here; it just feels like there was more potential than what was delivered.

The gameplay itself is, unfortunately, rather shallow. Adventure, investigation, and even stealth mechanics don’t amount to much. There isn’t much in the way of puzzles, so while early missions may challenge you to find a vantage point as the killer, the method is usually obvious. Later missions require carefully picking out your targets and landing your shots, which is a bit more enjoyable but still not very engrossing. The best mission requires you to hit targets that aren’t human, which requires a bit more thought. There’s variety, at least, even if it’s all rather flat.

Meanwhile, Comardy’s investigations don’t require any real detective work. There are moments when you are back at the office and need to pin evidence to a board, but it finds its own place without you needing to make any deductions. These scenes only serve to give you a look into the character’s thoughts, which are mostly confused and not very insightful. He has other moments of gameplay that I won’t spoil, but while they’re narratively interesting, they also lack some needed depth.

As for everyone else, they’re interesting narrative vignettes that serve the story well. They round up the perspective of the killer. While Comardy scenes make him seem like a maniac, and the sniper scenes suggest that there may be a reason to the madness or madness to the reason, the victim moments simply show him as a monster. Sniper Killer could have easily excluded these scenes, but it’s stronger for including them.

Sniper Killer manages to stay entertaining for its 2-3 hour runtime. In terms of shortform horror, it’s a capable tale that is a welcome diversion from being pursued by a killer or, alternatively, being the killer. We get both here, which winds up being a rather intriguing approach.

The frustrating part about Sniper Killer is that it is so close to catching onto something truly inspired. The character changes allow for a full view of the human side to all the creepy horror while it casually avoids walking into clichés. It’s surprising at times, surreal in some moments, and grounded in others, which is the perfect mix for a good horror experience. But it doesn’t quite capitalize on its brilliant parts, which is a shame. The shot is on target, but it should maybe adjust its sights if it wants to hit center mass.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}