After having the opportunity to go hands-on with Rebellion’s upcoming Sniper Elite: Resistance, the latest title in the franchise, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed what I got to play.
In Sniper Elite: Resistance, you play as Harry Hawker, a character who has previously made appearances in Sniper Elite 3, 4, and 5, but this time he finally takes the lead and gets to work. The story runs in parallel to the events of Sniper Elite 5 but is a standalone experience.
For those familiar with the franchise, you’ll be right at home in Sniper Elite: Resistance because it plays just as you might expect. This is even more true if you have played Sniper Elite 5 specifically as all the systems seem to be identical. From the three different skill trees giving you various active and passive abilities to aid in your quests, to the famous x-ray kill cam and more. It’s more Sniper Elite and that is a good thing!
Speaking of quests, they take place in sandbox-style levels and the one I had the chance to check out felt bigger due to the different verticality and pathways through the mission. As you explore you may come across side objectives, which involve you helping The Resistance. I spent much of my preview session focusing on one of these side objectives after I stumbled onto an abandoned resistance safe house. Alongside these side objectives, in each campaign level, you will find a propaganda poster which will unlock a Propaganda Mission where you become a Resistance Fighter. I tried my hardest to find this poster and access these missions which are completely new in Sniper Elite: Resistance but I could not.
After this, I decided to focus on the main objective and try to find the man I was supposed to kill. Just like in previous Sniper Elite games, you are free to tackle your objectives how you see fit. I made several attempts at different approaches, from full stealth to the more active approach of running and gunning. One thing I will say, your enemies seem more lethal this time round so I will certainly be focusing on stealth when the full game comes out. The best bit, you will be able to play the whole campaign in co-op if you want to, something I will probably do.
I am excited to play more Sniper Elite: Resistance when it releases on January 30th, 2025 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, Windows PC, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, and also available on GamePass Day One. A Deluxe Edition will be available and include additional Season Pass content when that launches later.