If you can tolerate some old-game grit, Sniper Elite 1 offers something the sequels lost:

The game’s highest difficulty setting (also called "Sniper Elite") removes the aiming reticle entirely. You have to manually calculate range using your scope's mil-dots. It turns the game into a physics puzzle. One shot. One kill. If you miss, you run.

8/10 – Flawed, brutal, but unforgettable. Have you played the original Sniper Elite? Or did you start with V2 or SE4? Let me know in the comments below.

It is also fascinating to see the DNA of the series here. Every mechanic you love—the tagging, the traps, the sound masking, the authentic rifles—started in this rough, brilliant PS2/PC title.