sniper elite: resistance cover art

Sniper Elite: Resistance Review (PS5) – A Sure-Fire Shot at Greatness

Sniper Elite: Resistance is the latest in the franchise from Rebellion, and after multiple excursions with the protagonist Karl Fairburne, we take on the role of a new hero, Harry Hawker, as we head to France to nullify an entirely new and dangerous threat. Was changing up an established formula the right idea? Has Sniper Elite: Resistance changed too much? We found out for you.

Harry Hawker is a New Start

Sniper Elite: Resistance is almost here, with it releasing on the 30th of January, and after over twenty hours with it, I have some thoughts on what you should expect. Whether you’re a new or old fan of the franchise, you’ll likely know the general premise of the franchise, and that extends to the newest adventure. You’re a sniper, sent in behind enemy lines to disrupt and destroy the enemy presence and war effort during World War 2.

Unlike previous entries though, you’re no longer Karl Fairburne, and instead, you’re taking on a new mantle in the terribly named Harry Hawker, a British operative with a penchant for sarcasm, dark humor, and ensuring he always comes out on top. After multiple entries, a new protagonist was certainly the right shout for Rebellion, but I’m not sure Hawker is the way to go. Ignoring the already mentioned terrible name, I struggled to care for or relate to him during my time as him, and the script didn’t do him any favors.

Set over nine massive open-world levels, Sniper Elite: Resistance pits Hawker against an old threat with a new plan; finding and destroying an experimental nerve agent that the Nazis plan on using to swing the war effort in their favor. The story may not be the most important part of any Sniper Elite game, but it felt bare bones here, what didn’t feel bare bones was the ridiculously sized levels. Each of the nine was truly magnificent in its own way, with huge dams, Nazi fortresses, trainyards, and more on offer, and thanks to the size of the levels, you’re afforded a huge variety in how you choose to approach the objectives you’re tasked with.

Harry Hawker in Sniper Elite: Resistance shooting a Nazi soldier.
Harry Hawker doesn’t mess around. Image Credit: Rebellion.

Whether it’s destroying the dam, killing a specific officer, or just causing disarray, Sniper Elite: Resistance will offer you a multitude of options, entrances, and exits, ensuring no two playthroughs are the same. It’s a tried and tested formula for the franchise, and thankfully this isn’t something Rebellion changed all that much this time. It works, so why change it?

Playing through the campaign in both single-player and co-op is once again available, and the gameplay is improved once more this time around, especially in co-op play. The AI, dependent on the difficulty level, will swarm to gunshots heard in the distance, meaning when playing with a friend, you can choose to use that to your advantage if you so wish.

Stealth gameplay is far better too, with the enemies acting more naturally with their patrols, but conversely, if they find dead bodies, you best believe they’ll be on alert and searching hard for you. That AI intelligence I mentioned? Well, seeing them trying to pick up and save their incapacitated comrades never got old, and again, it was a gameplay style you could use to your benefit if you so wished.

Blood, Guts Return in Sniper Elite: Resistance

As many fans will tell you, one of the biggest draws of the Sniper Elite franchise is the ‘fun’ X-ray mechanics that come into play when you pull off the best shots, and I’m glad to say it returns in glorious fashion in Sniper Elite: Resistance. Whether it’s 50m or 400m when your shot is going to hit internal organs, you’ll be treated to an X-ray cinematic where the bullet is followed from the barrel of your gun to its final resting place, which is usually the head or internal organs (or even the famed testicle shots), and it’s fair to say it never gets boring.

Beyond just the campaign, Sniper Elite: Resistance features a multitude of game modes to try out, including multiplayer that’ll allow you to take on your friends, a horde mode that sends a multitude of enemies toward your location as you try to keep them at bay and protect your base, and a challenge mode that’ll test your different playstyles, from stealth to all-out war.

Harry Hawker looking out into the open world level of Sniper Elite: Resistance.
Massive open-world levels are present, as always. Image Credit: Rebellion.

The PVP multiplayer modes don’t offer anything out of the ordinary beyond free-for-all and team deathmatch, but the ‘No Cross’ mode where players can’t cross an invisible boundary, therefore forcing the use of snipers, proved to be a firm favorite during my time. There were no machine guns here.

Lastly, the sheer customization options available in all the modes are a testament to the developers. Multiple weapons in each of the different types, with tens of different attachments, further add to the replayability of the whole experience, and as they’re tied to the collectibles in the campaign, you’re not only rewarded for exploring the massive levels but end up with more of a reason to go through them again.

It Can’t All Be Good

My time with Sniper Elite: Resistance did encounter a few problems though, some of which were as baffling as any other design choices I’ve seen in a game. When you’re choosing to play with a friend in the campaign, it’s as simple as choosing the ‘Host Co-op Game’ and inviting them. Easy. Unlike that though, the rigamarole of trying to start a multiplayer game with a friend in your lobby is either a well-hidden feature or nonexistent. It resulted in me having to launch a lobby (which would be completely full once open to the public, no doubt) and then hurriedly inviting them. This should be fix number one for Rebellion when it comes to a post-launch patch.

The environment was another bugbear at times. Whilst the levels were unbelievably massive, incredibly detailed, and pretty to look at, the inconsistent assets meant that simply traversing them was irritating. I’d run up to some fences/hedges/brick walls and vault them with ease, whilst others that looked identical couldn’t be climbed no matter what. It grew frustrating and in times of being overwhelmed or discovered by enemies, proved the difference in whether I survived as I tried to escape.

Not only was the new-look protagonist Harry Hawker another lesser point of the game as well, but the story wasn’t anything to write home about either, and was little more than a background to the action, but a few more cutscenes, meaningful dialogue would have benefitted, and made the transition to a new lead for the franchise a little easier to bear.

All-in-all, my time with Sniper Elite: Resistance was a favorable one, and one I will be returning to regularly. With the huge array of modes on offer, co-op fun, and more weapons than you can shake a stick at, the fundamental experience of Sniper Elite: Resistance is one that old and new fans of the franchise will enjoy.

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Luke Addison

sniper elite: resistance cover art

Featuring a new protagonist, a new threat, and a new epic campaign, Sniper Elite: Resistance will take players on an adventure to rid the world of a devastating World War 2 danger that’d rival some of today’s most dangerous nerve agents. Available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Gameplay
Graphics
Performance
Audio
Narrative

Summary

Rebellion gives us another go-round with the arcade sniping sim with Sniper Elite: Resistance, and all-in-all it’s an enjoyable one. A few post-launch patches from the devs could go a long way to fixing some issues, but a stronger story and more interesting characters are much needed next time. That said, shooting Nazis was an absolute riot, which is the most important thing.

HOURS PLAYED: 21

3.5
Pros
  • Gigantic, multiple-approach levels offer near unbridled freedom and replayability.
  • As always, fun combat with attention to the sniping elements of the franchise.
  • A huge array of weapons to allow you to fully make your approach unique.
Cons
  • Boring story, 2D characters and a new protagonist that misses.
  • Inconsistent environmental assets prove annoying to traverse.
  • Odd choices for multiplayer lobbies and the inability to invite friends.

Sniper Elite: Resistance releases on 30th January 2025 and is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

For more Thumb Wars reviews, check out our impressions of the liminal space explorer Dreamcore, or how about our PS1-era remaster of Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles review? This and every Thumb Wars review is featured on OpenCritic.

Leave a Comment

Comments

No comments yet. Why don’t you start the discussion?

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *