

Cleverly, the wind line draws an axis down the rangefinder that tells you how off-center a shot will be while demanding focus to interpret what you're seeing.

The other big step is wind adjustment, which is represented by a trailing white line that periodically updates with changing wind patterns. In fact, dropping a stationary cargo container is the easy way out compared to mastering Contracts 2's challenging sniping mechanics. You can poke and prod at the level in other ways, too, like opening doors by sniping an electrical box with an EMP bullet or making a car jack collapse on the poor soul working beneath it.Īssassination challenges reward you for pulling off these trickier methods of sending targets to the great beyond, but a classic bullet to the head is just as viable. The most obviously telegraphed kill on the first target was a hanging cargo container positioned precariously above a road the target will run down while trying to escape. The setup is familiar if you've played Hitman's sniper missions, right down to the elaborate environment kills. You can only tackle these long shots from a single vantage point each, and that's because the target areas (a port, communications plant, and training yard) are intimately constructed murder dioramas for the player to tinker with from afar.

Don't try to run or drive out there, either. From that distance, you can't even perceive targets unless scoped. Unlike the medium-range engagements in past Sniper games that topped out around 400 meters, all three of this mission's targets were anywhere from 1,000 to 1,400 meters out. The mission I played in my preview build was one of Contracts 2's new 'Long Shot' contracts, which are a big draw of the sequel. Correctly deducing the distance of a rival sniper lying prone by imagining him standing against the height diagram is the new highlight of my videogame sniping career.
