Same clip, new ammo.
Sniper Elite 5 was an enjoyable experience, despite the cookie-cutter mission objectives and some technical blemishes that would pop up from time to time. That said, it was a gorgeous WWII shooter with a lot of flexibility on how you went about things and some decent gameplay systems. Three years later, Rebellion is back with Sniper Elite: Resistance, a companion title that takes place alongside the events of Sniper Elite 5 but behind the scope of Harry Hawker, the 2nd player featured in Sniper Elite 5’s co-op campaign. While Karl Fairburne flirted with the resistance in the previous entry, Harry is invested deeper as he attempts to stop the Nazi Regime from creating a superweapon.
Sniper Elite: Resistance may have some new additions like a new grenade type and a new time-based mode, but it’s hard not to simply look at Resistance as dressed up in Sniper Elite 5’s clothing. Nearly every aspect of Resistance feels pulled from the DNA of the previous game. From the same skill tree to the same menus and the entire presentation, it is exactly as you remember it. This causes Resistance to not have its own identity, and it feels like an overpriced expansion pack. Sure, the missions take place in all new locations, but with nine missions that feature two in the same location and one that is less than a minute long, it’s hard not to be disappointed. That said, if you were simply wanting more Sniper Elite 5, then Resistance has you covered.
Sniper Elite: Resistance is simply about stopping the Nazis from amassing a superweapon called Kleine Blume. Unlike Sniper Elite 5, we don’t have a Abelard Möller as a villain. In fact, there isn’t really a villain here to juice up the narrative. Sure, we get teased one, but their appearance is over and done with in seconds. This causes the story to feel like a series of random objectives rather than a cohesive narrative pushing a complete story along. Don’t get me wrong, the sandbox elements are still as great as ever with numerous ways to really give them what for, but this is why Resistance feels like an expansion to Sniper Elite 5 rather than its own game.
From visiting a nighttime district in Lyon, France in Fourvière to the castle interiors of St. Raymond, Harry Hawker will follow the basic steps laid out by Karl Fairburne. This means you’ll have the same general mission objectives such as a kill target that isn’t really too challenging to take on, as well as securing intel, destroying locations pivotal to the Nazi Regime, finding workbenches, personal letters, and more. These objectives don’t amount to too much unless they are part of challenges to unlock new weapons. However, those are usually down to killing your target in a particular way. I also want to point out that the targets feel random to the situation than someone pivotal to the story.
I also found it frustrating that any of the customization elements for Harry or unlocking new characters to play as were all tied to first beating the campaign. Everything available is only accessible once you have already completed the whole thing. This feels incredibly wasteful as nothing is rolled out for challenges or by simply completing stages. While that is a way to force replayability, it feels incredibly cheap. While you can choose any character in certain multiplayer modes, some activities, like the survival mode, require that you first beat all 12 waves.
Now, all my complaints aside, the gameplay is what Sniper Elite fans have wanted from a new release and Resistance does have that in spades. Missions are as flexible as you want with a host of new locations and methods to take down the Nazi threat. Locations look great with a lot of ways to traverse the environment, even if I wish that Harry could mantle up more ledges than he seems to be able to do. While I don’t feel the level design is as impressive as the last go around, there are a few moments in Resistance that showcased some good ideas, like a fight taking place in a hotel.
I mentioned in my Sniper Elite 5 review that while the sniping mechanics were solid, and that each location was a haven for being a sniper’s paradise, that stiff mechanics and movement can often get in the way of the fun. This is apparent here as hitting a ladder from the wrong angle causes you to correct too much of your movement. I encountered several bugs that had me blocked from entering certain doorways, to not being able to reload or even swap guns when I was out of ammo. I also had an issue where I was muted in game chat during multiplayer. While I did have issues with Sniper Elite 5, I found more per hour here in Resistance that resulted in a lot of frustration.
Karl Fairburne was a great protagonist that despite his deadpan delivery, had a good amount of personality. Harry; however, is something else. While I don’t mind the series having a new protagonist in what is essentially a spin-off, the direction of making Harry Hawker sound like a bad Jason Statham impersonator is another thing entirely. I couldn’t help but laugh every time he opened his mouth. I also want to point out that I recently revisited Sniper Elite 5 to get a comparison for the character models between Karl and Harry and they are night and day different. Karl’s model is significantly more detailed and rather striking, whereas Harry’s feels nothing more than what you expect a NPC to look like, albeit his face slathered in mud to have the appearance of a beard. It just doesn’t feel like the same care and attention was given here.
Spread out across several maps are posters that unlock a new mode; Propaganda Challenge. This has you racing against the clock to complete challenges based on tales of resistance bravery and defiance. You’ll have a few minutes to defeat a set number of Nazis while only having access to a limited set of weapons. You want to maximize your score by being fast, performing skilled and efficient kills, and avoiding injury. There are seven of these maps and this mode is rather fun, making it a solid new addition to the series.
Adding to its multiplayer suite, in which I got to play a few rounds with some random players are the arrangements of modes found in Sniper Elite 5. No Cross was a rather fun time, but with just three of us, it made for a lop-sided affair as you attempt to snipe the other players in a mode where you cannot reach the other team’s side. Free for all was great, with supply drops occasionally dropping that not only granted you new gear, but also revealed your opponent’s location.
Survival; however, is what kept me playing Sniper Elite 5 for months and it is just as impressive as last time. As you occupy a base camp and keep it protected, you’ll have to deal with waves of dozens of Nazi soldiers. You’ll gather supplies between rounds and contend with the threats that appear all around you. You’ll move from one base to next between rounds, and hope to last out for all twelve rounds. It’s a riot, and easily the best part of the whole package.
Sniper Elite Resistance is a bit of a mixed bag, but it often does right more than it does wrong. The campaign is fine enough when you are playing with another player, but its story is lacking and its character models are incredibly subpar, especially compared to Sniper Elite 5. However, the multiplayer is what saves this entire package and is damn fun, making me eager to jump in once servers are properly populated. While it is more of the same, and that is both damning and expected, it is at least more of the same of a game that was incredibly fun. And hey, you get to smack a bunch of Nazis around.
Developer - Rebellion Developments/Wushu Studios.
Publisher - Rebellion Developments/Fireshine Games. Released - January 30th, 2025. Available On - Xbox One/Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC. Rated - (M) - Blood and Gore, Intense Violence. Platform Reviewed - Xbox Series X/S. Review Access - A review code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
Jeff is the original founder of Analog Stick Gaming. His favorite games include The Witcher III, the Mass Effect Trilogy, Hi-Fi Rush, Stellar Blade, Hellbade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and the Legend of Heroes series, especially Trails of Cold Steel III & IV.