Sniper Elite: Resistance is a lot like a sequel out of the PS2 generation. Rather than building on and expanding what it achieved in Sniper Elite 5, developer Rebellion has gone with more of the same. The old-school TV advert practically writes itself: eight new levels, a returning playable character, and more weapons and gadgets to beat down Nazi scum than ever before. You couldn’t even call it Sniper Elite 5.5; it’s probably 5.3 at best.
This is no bad thing, for the Zombie Army studio has tweaked and tuned its stealth sniping action to a fine art at this point. However, with such menial progression over the previous outing, long-time fans may find it a bit too familiar.
At least one of the differences between the two titles is immediately apparent: Harry Hawker steps into the starring role. The game takes place in parallel with the events of Sniper Elite 5, so while US operative Karl Fairburne is working to dismantle Operation Kraken, Hawker is aiding the French behind enemy lines in the lead-up to D-Day. There are rumours of a secret Nazi superweapon doing the rounds, and Harry must put a stop to it.
The story is mostly just a fun vehicle to guide you from one scenario to the next, but with some of the best sniping action in the business, it’s within those eight levels where Sniper Elite: Resistance shines most.
All playable alone and in two-player online co-op, each expedition lets you play how you want to, tackling its objectives in various manners and managing your gunplay to suit the situation. With such large maps on offer, you can skillfully stick to the shadows and snipe targets from afar or get in at close range with an SMG, safe in the knowledge enemies on the other side of the level won’t hear your gunshots. It’s the type of experience where you can dip in and out of stealth despite the presumption the game name brings.
With the franchise’s trademark x-ray killcam returning along with detailed sniping mechanics, however, it’s still likely through the scope of a rifle that you’ll land most of your shots. From the head to the heart to the testicles, Rebellion has mastered the art of killing a Nazi. Accounting for distance and the weather, few games can top the satisfaction of a Sniper Elite headshot at long range, as an enemy’s skull breaks into pieces — all delivered in slow motion and rewarding detail.
Most of the missions are moulded around this euphoria spiking as often as possible, as their maps feature vast stretches of open space with vantage points and objective-focused buildings dotted in between. You’ll fight through vineyards, infiltrate underground bunkers, and explore levelled towns to stop the Nazis on occupied turf — every location offers something a little different.
Where they falter somewhat, though, is when the alarm is raised and the game takes a turn into standard firefights. An issue carried over from Sniper Elite 5, challenging Nazis with your secondary weapon (an SMG) and pistol when they know you’re there feels far too clunky. Aiming down iron sights is sloppy, with a very slow movement speed. Equally, simply shooting from the third-person perspective doesn’t feel any better.
These problems gain further traction when they result in frustrating — and what at times feel unfair — deaths. Enemies can call in reinforcements and alert other Nazis by activating alarms, which results in all of them swarming your position. This makes sense, but the game doesn’t feel quite fleshed out enough to support such chaotic and intense firefights. With its poor iron sights and scopes, it’s difficult not to feel hard done by sometimes as Nazis gang up on you from all angles. Sniper Elite: Resistance plays fantastically well at a distance, but struggles to keep up at close range.
Given how similarly the game plays, feels, and looks to Sniper Elite 5, these flaws aren’t a surprise — they’re the same ones we highlighted two and a half years ago. It’s disappointing that the gameplay loop hasn’t evolved during that time to make being spotted not so much of a disaster, yet in equal measures, the same strengths of Sniper Elite 5 also still hold water. It’s going to feel overly familiar, right down to carbon copies of the previous game’s UI and menus, and even the same collectible types, but there’s a unique charm and satisfaction Rebellion has managed to capture that aren’t replicated anywhere else. It’s playing to its strengths, and while those weaknesses are starting to feel more prominent and in need of attention, Sniper Elite: Resistance can still deliver an enjoyable campaign.
Surrounding the campaign are a few additional modes, some of which are tied to the single player action while others are challenge-based and focused on PvP. Propaganda Missions test your sniping, fighting, and survival skills while traditional multiplayer modes are also on offer for up to eight players.
The most exciting bonus, though, is the return of Invasion Mode — again from Sniper Elite 5. With this mode active, another real-life player can invade your game ala Dark Souls and hunt you down as an enemy sniper. This adds a great degree of tension to every skirmish and decision you make, as since there’s now a target painted on your own back, landing sniper shots on standard enemies could reveal your position to the other player. You are told when you’ve been invaded, but then you’re on your own. It’s an extra layer that helps to elevate the whole experience.
Conclusion
Sniper Elite: Resistance serves as more of a stopgap than a full-blown sequel to Sniper Elite 5, so much of that experience — including its highs and lows — carries over two and a half years later. Its sniping action truly is elite, but the gunplay surrounding it still needs work. Equally, the Invasion Mode is again a standout while enemy AI remains frustrating at times. It is more of the same. However, when that similarity is a fairly unique model in the first place, Sniper Elite: Resistance just about gets away with it.
