Sniper Elite Resistance Hands-On – Holding the Fort

Sniper Elite Resistance is set to be released in a few short months, though we’ve managed to get our hands on a very early preview build, sneaking around, punching Nazis, and blowing up heads. Our early impressions talk about our experience with the shooter, and what we can expect come release. 

For the Resistance

In Sniper Elite Resistance, you play as Harry Hawker, a British operative, who many fans will recognize as the optional partner in past games. This time, though, he’s taking the centerpiece in his own adventure, as longtime protagonist Karl Fairburne is out handling other business (That business is Sniper Elite 5). Though we still don’t know much about Harry, we do know that the story of Sniper Elite Resistance takes place in 1940s France and will be focused on the resistance forces in the area during World War II. You’ll be tasked with finding intel about Hitler’s new Wunderwaffe (wonder weapon) and its whereabouts so that you can destroy it and help bring an end to this war. 

While our hands-on didn’t see us explore much of the story, it seems like a perfect setting for the franchise, as often, many WWII games are focused on the significant battles that many are more versed in. Fighting alongside the resistance group will undoubtedly bring in some unique story opportunities that we’ve yet to see told in a video game, and based on the small interactions we’ve seen so far, I think Sniper Elite Resistance will bring much to the table on the storefront. However, that’s never really been the big thing with the series, as many, including myself, fell in love with the franchise the first moment we started playing around in its grand and gorgeous sandbox world. 

Stalker in the Night

Watching the gameplay, it would be easy to mistake Sniper Elite Resistance for Sniper Elite 5. Fans have shared this sentiment ever since the reveal, and after playing it myself, I agree, as much of Sniper Elite 5 has been carried over into Resistance.

That’s not to say that’s a bad thing, as I’m quite fond of Sniper Elite 5, and have always said that not every new iteration in whichever series needs to be some genre mover or massive innovation from the previous entry. Sniper Elite has done a ton of that already through the years. Fans also know that sense of familiarity, as the series is set during World War II, an era from which many other titles have shifted away due to the general view of it being “overdone.” Not for Rebellion Studios, though, as they’ve repeatedly proven with the Sniper Elite franchise that the era has plenty to give. 

That, in part, is thanks to the game’s sandbox mechanics, where you’re given an objective but complete freedom over how you get and do that objective. In our demo, played via streaming, we started things off on the third main campaign mission. Our objective? Secure highly confidential intel located inside of Hotel Terminus. Though the game allows you to play any style you want, I decided to go with the stealthier approach because this was a nighttime mission. So, I made my way through the cold trainyard into the more tightly spaced city as German forces patrolled around. 

Using cover, such as a wooden box and even tall grass, I snuck around, avoiding any potential encounters. However, that didn’t last for long, primarily due to my poor latency during my stream, so I had to start taking a more direct approach. I stealthily (whistling helps) took down any enemies I could and sniped out others with my long-range rifle. That prompted the X-ray kill cam, and no matter how many times I’ve seen it before in past iterations, it remained just as satisfying here. Seeing my bullet wiz past so many structures in slow-motion, only to come in contact with the skull of my enemy, and seeing it slowly dig its way through, shattering bones and ripping through flesh and brains. It’s a gory sight, but it’s the kind of sight that you don’t want to look away from and can’t help but smile with amusement. 

But seeing that this was a streamed demo and in a very short time, I eventually had to rush through things. I don’t want that to really be indicative of the core experience, as you’ll have unlimited time to do things. But this meant that I was constantly tripping alarms and alerting enemies of my presence throughout the demo. Still, this allowed me to check the AI out a bit more, and I do have to say they do feel like an improvement over Sniper Elite 5. They aren’t perfect, but they can be pretty brutal and have far better patterns than I witnessed during my gameplay. Thankfully, the level’s design was loaded with interiors and pathways to help evade enemies, allowing me to return to sneaking around. 

Brutality!

In many ways, it’s very Hitman-like, where you want to plan your approach, execute it, and then get away. But like Hitman, not everything goes your way, and you’ll often adapt on the go. That can create tense moments, such as taking out a guard only to see two other guards slowly approaching. You have to decide: do you have time to pick up the body and stash it away somewhere hidden without being seen? Or do you risk them finding the body as you make your escape elsewhere and away from the area, leaving them confused? It’s the kind of heart-pounding reaction I like feeling, which has always come in plenty in the Sniper Elite series. 

It’s fun, brutal, and gory, just how I like my Sniper Elite games, and though there are familiar threads with Resistance, I enjoyed the small slice of gameplay I got to try out during this session. Again, Sniper Elite Resistance isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel by any means that likely will be reserved for the next numbered title. But for those who enjoyed what Sniper Elite 5 had to offer, I think Sniper Elite Resistance will be right up your alley. This is just based on the solo-campaign mission, as the full game will feature cooperative play, as well as online PvP, so while it may sound like a DLC, make no mistake, Sniper Elite Resistance is shaping up to be quite the package when it releases next year. 

Sniper Elite Resistance is set for release this January 30, and you can check out the pre-order bonuses, roadmap and more here.

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