Recent reviews by ZapCord

epic

Pros: Big maps with multiple entry points and tasks that can be completed in any order.
Most detailed sniping with different bullet types available.
Can use suppressors with super sonic bullets, which does affect enemy detection range.

Cons:
Campaign is too short but that is every one of these games. Difficulty isn't as hard as previous authentic experience since there are save points available.
the enemy snipers did not feel hard to counter/the scope glint is way too noticeable in settings that don't make sense, such as at night.

fun and still updated

Super fun game. 3 minutes max a match. Support this 3 man dev team!

Great ship that's decently balanced. Closest non-DLC ships in game are Agamemnon and Ingermanland. Agamemnon has bigger broadside weight and is tankier than this ship but is a little bit slower at turning. Ingermanland has the same hp but due to hull shape don't bounce as many shots as this ship. Ingermanland does have significantly larger gun deck guns though (32 pounder versus 24 pounder) while being faster and more agile than this ship.

Compared to the Leopard, this ship has a larger broadside and has significantly more crew (490 vs 400). However, it's a bit slower than the Leopard so pvp hunters may enjoy the Leopard more depending on playstyle.

Needs 490 crew (flag captain or 8/12 equivalent) to fully crew so new players do not buy unless prepared to invest a decent amount of time into the game. Can be sold for ~20k reals to admiralty or broken up for seasoned woods as it is redeemable everyday.

Can be used to do 4th rate missions or as a low-risk pvp ship. Don't expect to be able to tag faster ships with it but once in battle in good position, can use its 6 bow chasers to keep enemies in battle or do sail damage.

Medium frigate with 12 pounders guns deck and 9 pounders weather deck. As a result, feels rather lacking in firepower for the amount of BR it has. Closest ship that it feels like in game minus Santa Cecilia since they are basically the same ship is the Belle Poule. It has worse turn rate than Belle Poule for a slightly heavier weather deck loadout (9 pounders vs 6 pounders). Makes up for lighter armament with decent armor but don't expect to play broadside to broadside with a Trincomalee. As a result not really good for anything except a backup ship. Not really worth it unless 50% off.

Remains the most broken ship in game and definitely feels pay to win. She is a 6th rate Mediterranean ship. Why is a Mediterranean ship in a Caribbean game?

Definitely don't buy unless you are rank 6/12 (Master and Commander equivalent) because she needs all of that crew.

Imagine being a shallow water 6th rate with more crew than light 5th rate frigates and ability to mount 12 32-pounder carronades on each side. It also has decent amount of HP for being a 6th rate but has a relatively large profile. But who cares? It can sail pretty far upwind to run away from most ship-rigged opponents. Not mounting the carronades makes it a significantly worse ship.

Note:
You'll need to be rank 5/12 in game(lieutenant commander equivalent) to be able to crew it fully so new players beware. Do not buy unless you finish the final exam or have gotten enough xp to be lieutenant commander without the final exam. If you do not heed this warning, you will be very sad as you will not be able to crew it fully. It also does not come with guns or repairs. But if you buy medium guns in any port, this ship is relatively cheap to outfit.

The Hercules is a balanced ship for the most part: It's very, very fast and turns on a dime compared to most other 5th rates. It mounts 18 pounder cannons on the bottom deck, 9 pounders on weather deck and some irrelevant cannons on the quarter deck. It can also mount full 32 pounder carronades on all broadside guns, making it a very hard hitting, quick ship with relatively small profile. As a result, in the hands of a sufficiently skilled captain, it can stern rake lots of ships with no consequences in a 1v1 situation. It is balanced by the fact that it cannot take very many hits, so if used as a tagging ship or if you happen to make a couple of mistakes, expect to be the first one sunk.

But that's okay-because you can get one everyday in the broken meta seasoned woods. Try one in Teak(s), Teak(s) build for some stupidly low risk and fun gameplay.

Even if you are done with playing 5th rates, you can redeem it everyday in a seasoned wood of your choice and break the ship for a chance at those very expensive woods.

This game is great! From the art style to the combat, it is honestly just pure fun.

Some cons:
Story is okay but for the most part there are just 2 choices to the dialogue--there's not really a "gray" area choice but that's on par with other games where choices can affect endings.
Companions comment on quest progress depending on their factions/positions.
Boss fights can be hard but once you figure the patterns out or get some upgrades in your trees, they can be too easy because there aren't a lot of enemy types.

But overall, this game was still worth it to me and is definitely worth looking at if on sale.

Update: Months later, this game is still great. The DLC missions are the hardest ones and the most interesting ones.

If you've never played this series before, this is the one to start with. The scale and AI are so much better compared with the others in the series that the bad parts of the game can be overlooked.

New mechanics include:

The relocation mechanic from SE3 was on the right track after being unable to stealth after shooting in SE: V2. However, the new mechanic in SE4 makes a lot more sense. AI don't randomly forget you after walking 30 meters now. They will only be off alert if they tried to find you and failed to do so. Guards are also now alerted to the player's location by triangulation. The first shot usually results in everyone running for cover. One can no longer sit in the same spot while sniping and remain unspotted at the same time unless planning ahead of time.

The AI also seem to be better at working together to try to kill you, giving a more immersive experience. Ex: while in high alert, a guard saw his friend die while trying to climb down the ladder. The guard tried first to get a shot at me, but I didn't move. He moved all the way around a bunker to flank me. If I was playing on authentic, I wouldn't even have noticed his relocation and probably would be dead.

The guards also seem to use grenades a bit more liberally as well in comparison to other games in the series. They will try to use grenades to flush the sniper out when in high alert if the sniper doesn't move.

Set zeroing distance for sniper rifles: 0m, 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m, 500m

Suppressors for sniper rifles. There's an option in game before start to toggle hollywood "silencers" or more realistic suppressors.

Subsonic bullets for pistols. No more using welrod solely for stealth (if you don't want to) as long as you have these equipped or found some in the mission.

2 types of trap set-offs:

Rock can be switched between rock or whistle to draw attention of guards. No more throwing rocks directly at your feet to attract guards to your position.

Mines can be set on delay. Landmines can be set to 2 feet touch to set off, bandages/med packs can be used for regain of "breath" at a trade off of less healing.

Karl now has a skill tree based solely on level.

Weapons are now unlocked by using coins from level-up. Guns can still be picked up from dead enemies, however.

Weapon upgrades are now based on achievements done in game as opposed to upgrades found from looting dead enemies in SE 3.

Overall, I thought this game was worth it. The day 1 and week 1 dlc kind of makes me sad though.

Update: completed the main campaign on sniper elite with all secondary objectives in around 11 hours. Not all collectibles were found though.

Update: Still accurate in 2018 although authentic plus difficulty is very hard