Obscure Video Games: The Sniper 2

Hit or miss?

The Sniper 2 is not a good game. In fact, it’s pretty much the epitome of “kusoge.” But that’s what makes it so entertaining. Terrible voice acting, mediocre graphics, and an incomprehensible story are what kept me playing all the way to the bitter end

Developer Best Media ran this PlayStation 2 trainwreck through Japan back in 2002, and then it wandered over to Europe two years later. Nobody was brave enough to publish it in the US. Perhaps this was because The Sniper 2 is a direct sequel to a PS1 game that never received an English translation. Or perhaps nobody wanted it. We’ll never know.

This is a budget title, so the gameplay isn’t very deep here. You have a target (usually a person). You figure out where they are, get them in your crosshair, and shoot. Bullets are limited, so if you run out, then the mission’s over. There’s also a timer, but sometimes that’s irrelevant if the target decides to run away. Every mission is a little different to help keep things from getting too monotonous. For example, one stage has you shooting out the tires on a moving limousine. The biggest problem I had with any of this was trying to aim using an analog stick. I have the same problem in GTA sniper missions, so maybe it’s just me.

Gameplay is the least interesting thing here. The real star is the bizarre, ridiculous storyline. You and your friend C.A. pick up a hitchhiker as you’re driving through the desert one day. You stop for lunch, and the Mafia accidentally hits the three of you with a bomb full of a nerve gas called “Tacklmacain.” C.A. gets kidnapped by a mysterious stranger. You find out that the gas is slowly killing you, and you have to find the antidote. The restaurant owner turns out to be working undercover for the CIA and offers to help get you the antidote in exchange for your sniping skills.

It gets weirder, but I won’t ruin the rest. If you want some more info (and spoilers), watch this video:

The game isn’t very long — only about 12 stages — but there is a branching storyline as well as challenge missions that give you some replay. But again, the sniping part is just not that fun, so even if you hit an ending, you’ll probably be fine missing the rest.