There is something immensely gratifying about shooting your enemies from afar without being seen, and it’s what the best sniper games do well. Picking off enemies one by one without them noticing, taking headshots from afar, all that without them ever knowing someone is hunting them. The best sniper games aren’t necessarily only about snipers, and there are a number of games that cater to run and gun and stealthy sniper styles equally. However, all of them allow you to use long-range weaponry.
If a game allows me to slap a silencer (however unrealistic) on a huge sniper rifle and kill all enemies with stealth, I will do it. Whether it’s a multiplayer shooter or a single-player RPG, I’m going the stealth sniper route. We picked the best sniper games on how well the sniping experience is.
The list has dedicated sniping games and a mix of others that provide a unique sniping experience. Many targeted sniping games these days also have a slew of backup gun options available, so even if your perfect stealth fails, you can still get out of a jam.
Sniper Elite 5
Release Date: May 26, 2022
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Windows PC
The latest installment in the long-running sniping series, Sniper Elite 5, manages to be the best one yet. If you are a fan of shooting Nazis with classic sniper rifles, this game will fulfill your dreams. I may sound a bit unhinged, but there is something beautiful about popping a headshot and seeing the bullet go through the skull in slow-motion x-ray. Sniper Elite 5 is a gory, ruthless, and fun sniping game that makes you feel powerful and in control.
You play as a covert US Ranger named Karl Fairburne and move through France in 1944. All the while you’re spoiling Nazi war plans and shooting hundreds upon hundreds of soldiers. There’s a good selection of sniper rifles from the era available in Sniper Elite 5, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
Of course, there are silencers available to dampen the gunshots, but unlike other games in this genre, they don’t completely make your gun silent. This means you’ll need to look at the audible range before you take the shot or try to mask it with other sounds like thunder, overhead planes, and even broken generators. This further adds a layer of strategy to a straightforward sniping game, turning the levels into puzzles you need to solve for effective stealth infiltration.
Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2
Release Date: June 4, 2021
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Windows PC
The Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2, as the name suggests, allows you to be a sniper, a stealthy ghost, and a warrior when your cover is blown. It is a standard sniper shooting experience, complete with bullet drop physics and slow-motion close-up kill shots. However, it does it with great style and polish.
There are traditional open mini sandbox-like areas for you to sneak around and kill your targets. There’s a lot of selection of modern sniping equipment here, and some of it feels a bit futuristic. But the game keeps the sniping experience streamlined, skill-based, and enjoyable.
The Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2, unlike its predecessor, provides 3 long-shot contracts. These are smaller maps, with you significantly far away from your targets. When there are thousands of meters between you and the people you want to kill, you’ll need to use all the sniping tools at your disposal.
Adjusting the scope, adjusting the aim for bullet drop, and even arranging yourself to compensate for wind direction, makes the shooting experience all the more rewarding. Overall, if you’re looking for a modern sniping game, Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 is simply one of the best sniper games around.
Hitman 3
Release Date: January 20, 2021
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Windows PC, Nintendo Switch (Cloud)
Hitman has been around for a long while, Hitman 3 is the 3rd and final entry in the latest rebooted trilogy. IO Interactive, the developers behind the long-running series, are masters at crafting beautiful, environmentally rich, and engaging levels. While this series is about stealth, disguises, and assassinations, you can always go into a level with a trusty sniper rifle packed in a briefcase.
The game isn’t all about sniping targets, but if you want to do a sniper run, the game won’t penalize you at all. You don’t even have to shoot your targets directly most of the time, and you can use environmental kills that can usually be activated with a sniper rifle from afar.
The developers are smart and include sniping vantage points scattered across the levels, so you can simply sneak your way up to the top and start picking targets. It also helps that the latest game in the assassination series looks phenomenal graphically, especially if you’re playing on a beefy PC, making Hitman one of the best sniper games on PC.
Additionally, IO Interactive has recently announced that if you own Hitman 3, you’ll get Hitman 1 and 2 free from 26th January 2023, essentially making it one game.
Sniper Elite 4
Release Date: February 13, 2017
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Windows PC, Nintendo Switch
Sniper Elite 4 might be a bit older, but it still packs a wonderfully crunchy punch. Just like Sniper Elite 5, you play as elite marksman Karl Fairburne, but this time around, you are dropped in Italy. There are huge levels that facilitate long-range sniping shots, plenty of gameplay choices to be made, and some competent stealth action.
I love the impressive selection of iconic World War II weaponry featured in the game, including sniper rifles, submachine guns, and pistols.
There is also a good selection of traps and explosives that can be strategically placed to cover your behind. That’s not all, and the whole campaign can be played in cooperative mode with a friend, making it an exciting experience. The graphics look great even after half a decade, plus the game is usually discounted, so you can grab it for cheap and have up to 25 hours of sniping fun.
If you’re a general fan of sniping in games, you can’t go wrong with the Sniper Elite series as a whole, and there are dozens of hours of fun packed into these fairly focused games.
Arma 3
Release Date: September 12, 2013
Platforms: Windows PC
Using the sniper rifle in Arma 3 is not simple. It is a war simulation first-person sniping game and likes to keep things realistic. This also means that the sniper rifles are also close to realism. You actually have to use a rangefinder, then zero your scope, and then study your aim by holding your breath for each shot you take. And you’ll have to exercise caution because sniper rifles are loud and can give away your position very easily.
It is a multiplayer online game, so other players are also hyper-aware of their surroundings. I have seen many players use a spotter when they are sniping, this makes sniping in Arma 3 a cooperative experience. If you’re looking for a first-person shooter that’s realistic to a fault, this is the best FPS game on the market right now.
Don’t let the realism discourage you, though, because if you’re looking for an authentic military experience where you want to play as a Sniper, this is essentially the benchmark for that. If you can put in the time, and learn the mechanics, then it can be quite rewarding.
Hitman 2
Release Date: November 9, 2018
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X
Hitman 2 is a stealth-oriented assassination game that allows you to assume the role of Agent 47. Agent 47 is a trained clone, raised up to be a world-class assassin. So this means you’ll be disguising yourself as other people and reach your target for the final shot. You’ll also have a vast array of weapons at your disposal, including the iconic sniper rifle.
The base game gives players plenty of opportunities to shoot their targets from afar. Sniper perches and great sniping spots are carefully placed across many levels, so you can climb up and make easy work of your assassination targets.
But that’s not why we are ranking Hitman 2 this high on the best sniper games list, it’s because of the dedicated Sniper Assassin missions. They are completely separate from the base game and allow Agent 47 to put his sniper rifle to good use.
There are ample opportunities for agent 47 to eliminate targets, distract enemies, and silently dispose of them simply by using a sniper rifle. It is somewhat a calming and simple experience, but figuring out how to eliminate targets presents itself as a puzzle. Figuring out creative ways to kill your targets is half the fun here.
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts
Release Date: November 22, 2019
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Windows PC
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts walked so Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 could shoot heads off. Not that this game doesn’t feature head-exploding fun times, though. Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts takes you to Serbia and has 5 different locations complete with objectives and tasks. If you think that Serbia is all about snow, then you’d be surprised to see how visually beautiful it looks.
Sniping-wise, the game introduces a new Dynamic Reticle System that allows you to better manage the external variables that can impact your headshots. There are a number of gadgets that can aid you in your stealth sniping experience. The only drawback is the weak AI, but if you’re sniping them from hundreds of meters away, their incompetency is usually shrouded.
The game is obviously overshadowed by its sequel, but this was a step in the right direction for the Ghost Warrior series. It’s nice to see developers take the required feedback to improve their franchise with each entry, and this new sub-series is exactly what Underdog Studio needed.
Escape from Tarkov
Release Date: July 27, 2017
Platforms: Windows PC, macOS
Escape from Tarkov isn’t just a sniping game but a first-person multiplayer shooter. You are going to the match with almost nothing and kill other players, loot stuff, and hope to get extracted before you are killed. If you die, everything you’ve worked for is lost. This is exactly why sniping in this FPS game is needed and appreciated.
This sniper game for PC features bullet drop physics as well. So you’ll need to aim well to take down your enemies from afar. As it is a realistic game, it emphasizes the importance of armor and bullet calibers. I recommend comparing up a good sniper rifle with armor-piercing rounds to do a lot of damage with a single shot. Overall, if you’re looking for a multiplayer-focused sniping game or farm in-game Bitcoins Escape from Tarkov is one of the best available on PC.
Like the ARMA series, there is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to Escape from Tarkov, though not as brutal. The first few hours and matches can be quite frustrating, but the more time you spend understanding its gameplay loop, mechanics, and what to loot, there’s a lot of fun to be had in this hardcore shooter.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PS4, PS5
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain has been out for quite a few years now, but it easily rivals a majority of sandbox titles on the market. As Venom Snake, players have the ability to take on objectives as they see fit and can take whatever approach they want in meaningful ways. One of these approaches is using a variety of lethal and non-lethal Sniper rifles at your disposal. These can be upgraded with different ammo types, additional scopes, and even tranquilizers.
It’s quite a treat to take out an entire base from a distance or put everyone to sleep without anyone noticing. MGS, at its heart, is a stealth game, but Phantom Pain takes it further by putting a good amount of depth in each aspect. What’s even more fun is that you can actually bring Quiet along with you on missions. The sniper lady that you can ask to mark enemies and snipe them for you. You can even tag-team as snipers and work twice as efficiently.
MGS V is an excellent title, with missions taking place in wide areas that are perfect for any sniper enthusiast. It routinely goes on sale, and you can pick it up on PC for less than $5 at times.
Battlefield V
Release Date: November 20, 2018
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Windows PC
If we are talking about sniping, we cannot leave Dice’s acclaimed Battlefield series out of the best sniping games list. Sure, the series has seen better days, but the sniping experience remains polished throughout, except for the last entry in the series. This is why we are including Battlefield V, it is a more polished and lag-free experience that allows you to shoot online players with a variety of sniper rifles.
The maps in this FPS game are huge and there are a ton of players actively shooting at each other. Using a sniper rifle in an online multiplayer game is hard, especially if there are bullet drop mechanics involved. You’ll need to zero in on your target, choose the right scope elevation, and then lead the aim if your target is on the move.
In addition, you need to do this without any visual aid that is provided in single-player video games. So nailing a perfect headshot across the map is incredibly rewarding, as it requires skill, practice, and patience.
Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
Release Date: July 26, 2019
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PS4, PS5
Ghost Recon: Breakpoint received a lot of justified flack back when it launched. The game tried to be a light role-playing game with little clarity and gear numbers. Thankfully, the developers have taken criticism well and readjusted the whole experience. Now a headshot means the enemy will die instead of being a bullet sponge.
The game features a massive open-world landscape that actually encourages sniper rifle usage. It also helps that the game has a wide variety of sniper rifles, scopes, and generally reasonable modifications. If you’re like me and just want to shoot enemies from across the map, this is a casual sniping paradise.
It looks gorgeous and features tons of tools at your disposal. Breakpoint also offers a full co-op experience as well, as well as a PvP mode. If you were let down by its launch, it’s now in a state where you can at least enjoy an experience that can be challenging and relies a lot on teamwork, where you can fulfill the role of a long-ranged sniper.
Far Cry 6
Release Date: October 6, 2021
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, Windows PC, Amazon Luna
If you’re looking for a casual sniping experience, then Far Cry 6 might scratch your itch. The game features a large open-world map for you to explore and plenty of ways to tackle the missions. This means you can either go in guns blazing or use a sniper rifle from afar and clear areas before you even go inside. There are plenty of sniper rifles to choose from too. There’s an SR-A, a .308 Carbine, an SVD, and a .50 MBP as well.
I recommend that you add a scope to your sniper rifle for those long-range shots. Modify the sniper with a silencer to make it a stealth killing machine. The silencers in Far Cry 6 make the sniper rifles completely silent, so you can even use them at close range without alerting the whole area.
Far Cry 6 refines the mechanics of previous entries, and this is the Far Cry game to play now. The series certainly needs a shakeup at this point, but if you’re looking for a polished sniping experience, Far Cry 6 has you covered.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2
Release Date: March 10, 2020
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, PC
Warzone paved the way for Call of Duty to tap into the free-to-play market with their own take on the battle royale mode, which was expanded from Black Ops 4. Warzone 2, however, improved on practically everything in the first one and is now one of the biggest free-to-play titles on the market where you can show off your sniping skills.
They’ve improved the visuals, gunplay mechanics and even added a third-person perspective. Best of all though, is the variety of snipers you can find scattered throughout the gigantic map. Snipers like the SP-X 80, Victus XMR, and MCRP-300, to name a few, feel amazing to play with, and while Call of Duty still isn’t a “military sim”, using a sniper isn’t as simple as just pointing and shooting in a direction.
Learning to use these snipers takes some time, and given the frantic nature of the game, it can be a bit challenging. However, since the map itself is so big, lining up your shot on an oblivious player and seeing them scatter after your shot is both hilarious and satisfying.
Best of all, this is a completely free experience that you and your friends can enjoy on a variety of platforms.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
Release Date: March 23, 2017
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, Android, iOS, Windows PC
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, or PUBG for short, exploded in the gaming scene and remained at the top of the battle Royale food chain for a while. The game had a large open-world map, vehicles for traversal, and plenty of weapons to shoot other players with.
Among the Arsenal were some powerful sniper rifles. As the game featured a large map, picking off enemies from afar became the norm, and sniper rifles were the tool of destruction many chose. If you’re skilled enough, you could down an enemy from a kilometer away.
But becoming a skilled sniper rifle in this game is hard. You need to factor in bullet drop, travel time, and even muzzle velocity. If you can overcome all these elements, you’d be able to win chicken dinner quite often. PUBG’s sniping takes a bit of time to get used to, but it’s incredibly rewarding once you have it down. Best of all, PUBG shifted to the free-to-play model a while back, and no matter what platform you’re on, including mobile, you’re bound to lose dozens of hours if you get sucked in.
Insurgency: Sandstorm
Release Date: December 12, 2018
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, Windows PC, Linux, macOS
Insurgency: Sandstorm offers a realistic sniping experience, but it is rough around the edges. Thankfully, the sniping mechanics in the game are solid and sniping as a whole is essential to winning a match. In most FPS games, holding a position is usually frowned upon. However, camping in Insurgency: Sandstorm is critical to leading your team to victory.
When you look down a scope, the magnification effect is one of the highlights of this sniping game. There’ve handled little details so well that you can almost forgive the standard janky nature of the game.
There isn’t any bullet drop or travel time because the maps are quite small, but the sniper rifles do pack a punch and look stunning. Holding your sniper nest and not letting enemies flank your teammates is a worthwhile investment. Insurgency: Sandstorm also has some of the best audio design you can get in any FPS, and hearing a sniper rifle shot in this is unmatched.
Conclusion
These were some of the best sniping games available across consoles and PC. While some are realistic war simulations, others offer a much calmer and casual sniping experience. I’d like to mention Fallout 4, Fallout New Vegas, and Far Cry 5, all of these games offer some rewarding sniping experiences.
I know I’m not alone in enjoying long-distance kills because I have seen players stick to the stealthy archer class in Skyrim despite it being their 10th play-through. “Must be the wind”, they say, but we know it was us sniping their beloved coworker from afar.
We all remember the excellent Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s stunning sniping mission. What is your favorite sniping game or even a sniping level? Do tell us in the comments.
