Disappointing...but you still get to shoot people.
Let's start with the GAMEPLAY, since that is what matters the most:
Sniper Elite has tried to find middle ground between First Person Shooter and Sneak-Em-Up and, in my opinion, got mixed results. The game repeatedly advises you to lay low and not shoot everything in sight, and then puts you time and again in situations where you have no choice but to do the opposite. It talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk. Nice little details which you can read on the box (such as how gravity, wind and heart rate all play a part in accuracy - which I would expect and demand from a sniper game anyway! That's like advertising an FPS as "featuring guns".) all contribute to making the game sound realistic and painstakingly authentic - but some how they're just not carried out properly, and the final product appears to be less than the sum of all it's parts. Overall there is an arcade quality to this game - which is aided by the very goal driven, and somewhat repetitive, gameplay (Assassinate this man, sneak here, shot there etc., etc.). All of which means that it's still playable and enjoyable, but it's not the "open city" free-style, sniper "simulation" that I hoped it would be. Having said this, I suspect the game has been aimed at (excuse the pun) the multiplayer market, like everything else these days, which is a shame because i can't stand being flamed and shot every 30 seconds by someone called "DeathFragger69012".
Graphics:
The graphics in Sniper Elite are mediocre at best - if I didn't know better I would have thought this game was a few years old at least. Of course it's always possible that I've been spoiled lately with games such as Brothers in Arms, but personally I've never really been too bothered about graphics as long as the gameplay is good (I'm strongly considering playing Duke Nukem 3d all over again!). I still don't know whether or not i like the "Action-replay" bullet cam, it's great being able to see, close up, when your bullet hits someone right in the eye, but it removes you from the gameplay for a few moments which is not good during a fire fight! Maybe the criteria for Bullet Cam should have been higher i.e. only when you break your personal record for longest shot. Again I assume that the reason for the game's "entry level" (wink, wink) graphics is down to the multiplayer market - people would prefer gameplay with no lag to high end graphics.
Sound:
Not much to say about this really. As with the graphics, sound is pretty mediocre - complete with dodgy accents.
Summary:
After re-reading this somewhat pessimistic review I wonder why I keep returning to this game - it obviously must have something replayable about it. But then maybe that's just the joy of shooting people with a sniper rifle, which can be done in many FPS's. Over here in the UK Sniper Elite is going for £25 which is quite reasonable for a new game, but I'd still wait it out for the sales or second hand copies if I were you.