Sniper
Elite:
Resistance
is
a
odd
entry
in
the
long-running
and
highly
enjoyable
series
about
shooting
Nazis
in
the
junk.
Running
alongside
Operation
Kraken
from
Sniper
Elite
5,
it’s
technically
a
sequel
but
ultimately
ends
up
feeling
more
like
a
big
expansion
pack
as
very
little
has
changed.
The
few
new
additions
are
forgettable,
and
so
your
potential
enjoyment
comes
down
to
whether
you
feel
like
the
series
is
due
for
a
big
overhaul,
or
whether
you’re
still
happy
to
shoot
Nazi’s
from
across
the
map.
Luckily
for
Resistance,
I
was
in
the
second
camp
going
in.
Now
that
I’ve
finished
it,
though,
Sniper
Elite
6
needs
to
up
its
game
lest
the
series
become
stuck
in
the
past.

Series
stalwart
Karl
Fairbourne
has
been
replaced
for
this
adventure
by
Harry
Hawker,
a
Brit
with
a
budget
Jason
Statham
accent
and
exactly
the
same
level
of
personality
as
Karl-
i.e.
not
much.
Where
Karl
was
gruff,
Harry
is
also
gruff,
except
now
it’s
gruff
with
a
beard
and
a
slightly
crazed-looking
facial
model.
Seriously,
look
at
his
eyes
–
the
man
is
clearly
in
the
throes
of
a
psychotic
break.

Available
On:
PS4,
PS5,
Xbox
One,
Xbox
Series
S/X,
PC,
Game
Pass
Reviewed
On:
PS5
Developed
By:
Rebellion
Published
By:
Rebellion

Review
key
provided
by
the
publisher.

Unfortunately,
his
chattiness
levels
have
been
upped
to
a
slightly
annoying
degree.
“A
scoped
rifle,
this
will
come
in
handy”
exclaims
the
sniper
for
the
hundredth
time.
“I
know
it
like
the
back
of
my
hand”
he
says
while
picking
up
another
sniper
rifle.
If
you
didn’t
know
a
sniper’s
rifle
like
the
back
of
your
hand,
Harry,
I’d
be
a
bit
worried
about
your
job
title,
mate.

Let’s
be
honest
with
ourselves,
though:
who
plays
the
Sniper
Elite
series
for
the
story
and
characters?
I’m
guessing
very
few
of
us.
Resistance
does
little
to
change
this
fact,
weaving
together
a
fictional
WW2
story
of
superweapons,
while
also
barely
involving
the
actual
resistance
fighters
that
the
game’s
own
name
alludes
to.
Its
bland
stuff
told
through
stilted
cutscenes
that
bookend
missions
and
voice
acting
that
ranges
from
lazy
to
completely
over-the-top.
Kudos
go
to
the
bomber
pilot
in
the
opening
tutorial
mission
who
gets
show
down.
That
man
gave
it
all
in
his
performance.

Perhaps
this
is
one
area
in
which
the
series
could
look
to
improve
going
forward,
though.
A
little
more
effort
into
the
story
could
help
keep
it
feeling
fresh.

Honestly,
it’s
hard
to
care
about
the
weak
story
and
non-existent
characters
when
the
game
is
so
damn
fun
to
play,
though.
I’ve
had
a
soft
spot
for
this
franchise
for
years
because
it
perfectly
encapsulates
everything
brilliant
about
the
double-A
gaming
space
–
it’s
a
bit
janky,
a
bit
rough
around
the
edges,
but
it’s
also
scratching
an
itch
that
no
other
games
quite
scratch.
It’s
like
a
comfort
food
to
me,
a
little
digital
playground
where
I
can
mess
around
with
Nazis,
line
up
absurdly
long-distance
shots
and
revel
in
the
franchise’s
staple
gory
x-ray
camera
shots
of
intestines
exploding
and
brains
being
penetrated.
Of
course,
you
can
choose
to
turn
the
X-ray
sequences
off
which
is
probably
a
good
idea
as
they
do
slow
the
pace
of
the
game
down
quite
a
bit.

Like
the
title
on
the
box
would
suggest,
sniping
is
the
name
of
the
game,
and
it’s
as
satisfying
as
ever.
Resistance
keeps
up
Sniper
Elite
5’s
level
design
ethos,
meaning
the
maps
are
big,
varied
and
have
plenty
of
handy
vantage
spots
where
you
can
happily
spend
30
minutes
delivering
long-range
bullet-parcels
to
unsuspecting
Nazi
soldiers
like
the
world’s
most
violent
courier.
Like
before,
there
are
a
host
of
options
to
choose
from
to
make
sniping
as
easy
or
as
hard
as
you
like.
You
can
turn
off
things
like
bullet
drop,
for
example,
and
make
heavy
use
of
the
focus
mode
that
draws
a
square
on
the
screen
to
indicate
where
you
need
to
aim
to
account
for
wind,
drop
and
travel
time.
Or
you
can
go
the
hardcore
route,
turn
all
that
crap
off
and
attempt
to
use
all
that
school
maths
you
never
remembered.
Whatever
method
you
opt
for,
sniping
is
a
blast,
especially
when
you
decide
to
try
out
explosive
ammo
and
watch
in
shocked
awe
as
a
soldier
is
launched
skyward
by
your
well-aimed
bullet
to
the
crotch.
Look
at
him
go!
That’s
an
Olympic-level
height,
that
is.

It’s
also
still
a
lot
of
fun
to
think
like
a
sniper,
too,
by
laying
down
traps
to
take
out
any
Nazi
who
happens
to
hear
your
gunshots,
or
by
sabotaging
a
generator
so
that
its
failing
engine
covers
up
your
shots.

In
other
words,
being
a
sniper
is
still
an
immensely
fun
and
enjoyable
gameplay
loop.

Harry’s
adventures
take
him
to
a
varied
selection
of
levels,
too.
There’s
a
beautiful
vibrant
French
town
that
boasts
a
church,
a
small
castle,
flats
and
even
a
very
nice
library.
There’s
a
sizable
dam
you
visit
twice
in
the
campaign,
offering
scenic
views
and
ample
opportunities
for
long-range
violence.
A
rain-soaked
island
plays
home
to
a
vast
Nazi
bunker
and
buckets
full
of
atmosphere.

Notably,
the
developers
said
they
took
inspiration
from
Sniper
Elite
5’s
“Spy
Academy”
mission
which
was
and
still
is
widely
viewed
as
the
pinnacle
of
the
series.
Unfortunately,
while
I
can
see
where
they
tried
to
emulate
that
level’s
sprawling
layout,
excellent
verticality
and
dramatic
vibe,
none
of
Resistance’s
locations
come
close
nor
sticks
in
the
memory
quite
like
“Spy
Academy”
did.
Worse,
the
locations
are
starting
to
feel
samey
and
recycled,
like
visiting
yet
another
train
station
or
countryside
manor.

But
while
the
levels
don’t
hit
quite
the
same,
they
are
still
well
designed
with
plenty
of
room
to
mess
around.
Exploring
can
lead
to
finding
underground
tunnels,
gaps
in
fences,
climbable
walls
and
various
other
ways
of
reaching
objectives.
It’s
like
a
Hitman-lite
kind
of
vibe.

These
levels
play
host
to
plenty
of
optional
content.
There’s
always
a
side-mission
to
complete,
plus
each
area
has
a
special
target
to
kill,
including
a
secret
special
method
of
execution
that
will
unlock
bonus
guns
to
use.
Various
weapon
benches
hidden
in
the
levels
also
open
up
more
weapons
and
customisation
options
for
all
them.
It
gives
the
game
solid
replay
value.

Just
like
the
previous
Sniper
titles,
pretty
much
everything
outside
of
the
elite-level
sniping
is
where
the
game
struggles.
While
the
levels
are
big
and
offer
plenty
of
uninterrupted
views
that
are
perfect
for
sniping,
the
game
likes
to
force
you
into
buildings,
bunkers
and
barns
where
a
sniper
rifle
isn’t
so
useful.
Stealth
is
meant
to
be
the
preferred
approach
using
a
mixture
of
melee
takedowns
(non-lethal
is
an
option,
but
there’s
really
no
reason
to
use
it)
and
silenced
weapons.
Something
I
really
appreciate
about
this
series
is
that
silencers
do
not
automatically
render
a
gun
completely
silent,
they
just
reduce
the
audible
range
at
the
cost
of
power.
It
means
you
have
to
be
aware
of
how
close
enemies
are,
otherwise
they
will
be
alerted
to
your
presence.
Overall,
the
stealth
is
functional.
It’s
fine.
But
it
plays
like
every
other
basic
stealth
game,
right
down
to
hiding
in
the
tall
grass
and
whistling
to
lure
enemies
to
their
doom.

Getting
into
gunfights
is
pretty
much
the
same;
functional
and
competent
but
lacking
any
oomph,
any
element
that
makes
it
stand
out.
In
theory
firefights
should
be
best
avoided,
but
in
reality
you
can
blaze
through
Nazis
easily,
and
escaping
the
area
is
a
doddle,
so
getting
spotted
and
shooting
everything
is
not
a
punishment
–
hell,
it’s
probably
quicker
and
easier
in
most
regards.

It’s
not
like
I
actively
dislike
sneaking
and
shooting
–
both
elements
work
just
fine
and
can
be
fun
in
small
doses,
but
I
also
didn’t
look
forward
to
them
like
I
did
the
sniping.
If
we
get
a
Sniper
Elite
6,
and
I
assume
we
will,
this
are
key
areas
in
which
the
series
needs
to
improve.

The
biggest
problem
with
this
being
essentially
a
reskin
is
that
many
of
the
same
problems
that
plagued
Sniper
Elite
5
have
carried
over,
the
biggest
of
which
is
he
brain-dead
AI.
Sure,
it
is
kind
of
fun
to
think
that
all
Nazis
had
the
brainpower
of
a
goldfish
suffering
from
a
concussion,
but
they
don’t
make
for
very
challenging
foes
on
the
battlefield.
Examples
of
dumb
behaviour
include
getting
stuck
in
scenery,
and
then
running
up
a
wide
open
road
toward
the
known
sniper
before
stopping,
contemplating
life
for
a
moment
and
then
running
back
down
the
road
away
from
aforementioned
lunatic
sniper.
Sometimes
they’ll
attempt
to
flank
you
by
literally
running
all
the
way
around
the
map,
which
is
a
highlight.
Defeat
at
the
hands
of
the
Nazi’s
will
rarely
ever
come
because
they
are
smart
and
dangerous,
but
because
you
got
complacent
and
put
yourself
in
dumb
situations.

Their
intelligence
is
not
improved
when
searching
for
you,
either.
In
fact,
they
seem
even
less
inclined
to
really
press
your
last
known
position,
making
traps
less
effective
overall.
It
also
makes
escaping
the
area
too
easy,
as
you’ll
often
have
minutes
before
an
enemy
soldier
will
come
looking.
It
makes
screwing
up
and
being
heard
meaningless
because
you
can
just
pack
up
and
amble
off.

Invasion
Mode
is
back
and
as
fun
and
tense
as
it
was
in
Sniper
Elite
5.
Provided
you
don’t
turn
off
the
option
it
allows
another
player
to
enter
your
game
as
a
counter-sniper
with
one
goal:
stick
a
bullet
in
your
brain.
It’s
an
intense
game
of
cat
and
mouse
as
you
suddenly
find
yourself
trying
to
complete
objectives
while
constantly
scanning
the
horizon
for
the
glint
of
a
scope.

Of
course,
you
can
opt
to
enter
other
people’s
games
and
ruin
their
day.
As
the
Invader
you
have
a
few
extra
abilities
to
aid
in
your
search
for
Harry
Hawker,
including
your
Nazi
allies
calling
out
potential
locations.
Finally
spotting
your
pretty
and
delivering
an
across-the-map
game
over
screen
is
immensely
satisfying.

The
only
completely
new
piece
of
the
game
are
the
Propaganda
missions
which
are
unlocked
by
taking
down
posters
found
throughout
the
levels.
These
timed
missions
task
you
with
killing
targets
in
a
given
timeframe,
either
by
using
stealth,
sniping
or
something
else.
Bonus
time
is
provided
for
stuff
like
headshots
or
blowing
up
vehicles
using
a
heavy
weapon.
These
are
a
fun
diversion,
worth
a
replay
or
two
in
order
to
get
the
high
scores.

All
of
the
rest
of
the
stuff
from
the
previous
games
in
the
series
is
still
here,
too.
You
can
jump
into
the
multiplayer
or
team
up
with
a
friend
in
co-op
which
is
always
fun.
I
honestly
don’t
have
much
to
say
about
the
multiplayer
aside
from
that
it’s
enjoyable
enough
for
a
few
matches
but
probably
won’t
hold
your
attention.

It’s
not
the
most
exciting
or
revelatory
conclusion,
but
Sniper
Elite:
Resistance
is
basically
more
Sniper
Elite
5
in
a
slightly
different
skin.
It’s
a
stopgap,
hardly
surprising
given
the
subtitle
instead
of
a
number
in
the
title.

That
makes
reviewing
it
a
tad
tricky.
It
can
be
unfair
to
criticise
a
game
too
harshly
for
being
more
of
the
same
because
that’s
really
the
point
of
a
sequel.
You’re
probably
going
to
pick
up
Call
of
Origins:
Subtitle
of
Fate
69
because
you
enjoyed
the
previous
68
games.
Likewise,
you’ll
want
to
pick
up
Sniper
Elite:
Resistance
because
you
enjoyed
the
previous
games.

And
yet,
there’s
also
merit
to
pointing
out
when
a
series
is
stagnating
and
Sniper
Elite
is
heading
that
way.
I’d
argue
it
hasn’t
evolved
its
core
mechanics
since
Sniper
Elite
3.

Regardless,
Sniper
Elite:
Resistance
is
a
fun
sniping
sandbox,
retaining
the
excellent
long-range
shooting
that
has
made
the
series
so
enjoyable.
The
big,
open
levels
have
plenty
of
scope
for
nailing
headshots
from
hundreds
of
meters
away,
and
for
toying
with
dumb
Nazi
soldiers.
Provided
the
series
hasn’t
worn
out
its
welcome
with
you
yet,
Sniper
Elite:
Resistance
is
a
damn
good
time.