Recently we told you about the bonus gamers could get if they pre-ordered Hitman: Absolution through GameStop. The bonus—instead of being a simple weapon or outfit—would be a standalone game titled Hitman: Sniper Challenge, where players around the world could test their sniping talents to see who would be the very best, with prizes being handed out for top scorers. (Read more about the offer HERE)

For those of you unsure whether or not to pre-order the game now just to get the bonus, we here at Geeks of Doom wanted to take the Sniper Challenge for a spin around the block a couple of times and let you know how it is.

Check out our thoughts and, if you’re playing too, share your own thoughts below!

First of, a little clarification to those wondering how big the game is. This isn’t a DLC level you’ll navigate as Agent 47 trying to take out the target—in fact, you don’t move at all. Agent 47 is positioned on a rooftop somewhere in Chicago, and all you need to do is zoom, aim, fire.

Your target is the CEO of an armament company who’s making an appearance at a party. He’s also joined by fifteen of his bodyguards, all of which are also your targets (those who hired you want to send a “message”). The fun is figuring out how to take out all fifteen guards and your target quickly, cleanly, and efficiently.

Hitman: Sniper Challenge is a quick game; you have 15 minutes to get the job done and get out of there. It’s also not always easy; one missed shot, one exposed body, one mistake, and your target could be rushing off to his helicopter to escape. You will play this MANY times—that’s the whole idea: a quick and fun game you’ll play over and over and over looking for new ways to take targets out without alerting anyone else; new ways to blast your score up as high as possible; finding all the things you need to find to complete all challenges; trying to unlock all the perks you can unlock (perks, including your monster of a sniper rifle, you’ll be able to bring into Hitman: Absolution when it’s released come November 20th).

Don’t enter this one expecting a realistic sniper experience, either (though it is a hell of a lot of fun if you do love sniping, as I do). No, Hitman: Sniper Challenge is an arcade game, and should be enjoyed as such and never stressed over. If things don’t go how you want them to, just start looking for rubber duckies and gnomes, or random strange people doing random strange things in and around the buildings in your general vicinity. If things really go to Hell, simply enjoy the the brief Absolution promo (to the always haunting and beautiful “Ave Maria”), and start that bad boy over.

So if you’re wondering if this is worth the pre-order? Yes, it surely is. Anytime I get a Hitman craving from now until November, I’ll simply fire this up, try and top my personal best a couple of times, and keep waiting patiently for the real game to get here. The only complaint I have is more of a suggestion: I wish there was more of this to play! Square Enix could throw out an Xbox Live Arcade or PlayStation Network sniping-only game with a bunch of different levels, targets, and endless unique and creative ways to complete your missions, and I would crumble my money into little balls, allowing me to throw it at them faster.

If this one teeny tiny little game is any indication of how fun Absolution will be, then we, my dear friends, are in for quite a treat this fall.

Trailer