Hands-On Preview: Sniper Elite: Resistance Enhances the Saboteur Sandbox Experience

As the Sniper Elite series has plunged further into its WWII backdrop, it’s adopted a more immersive sandbox approach reminiscent of Hitman. Players become a covert operative with the thrilling task of sabotaging the Nazi regime from the inside. Nevertheless, what continues to set the series apart is the intense adrenaline rush that comes with stealthily maneuvering behind enemy lines to deliver a pivotal shot at an unsuspecting Nazi villain—and witnessing the gruesome aftermath through the iconic X-ray kill cam.

In Sniper Elite: Resistance, developer Rebellion retains Sniper Elite 5’s open-world style, letting players infiltrate enemy zones and obliterate Nazis in a gloriously gory fashion. This installment puts the spotlight on a secondary protagonist, giving them their well-deserved moment to shine. Just ahead of its January release, I spent more than an hour on a mission where I was tasked with destroying a German super train and sneaking through a hotel in search of crucial intel—all of which highlighted the finest aspects of what Sniper Elite has to offer.

Running parallel to the events of Sniper Elite 5, Resistance focuses on the daring exploits of British commando Harry Hawker. Fans of the series will recognize Harry as one of the secondary playable characters in the series’ co-op campaigns alongside Karl Fairburne. Resistance offers a chance to explore what Harry was up to while Karl operated solo in the fifth installment. The core narrative revolves around Harry’s efforts to undermine the empire’s grip and empower the French resistance, all while exuding a strong Jason Statham vibe.

Sniper Elite 5 was punctuated by a steady rollout of DLC missions, with Karl Fairburne infiltrating secret weapon facilities across France. However, the developers saw the potential for a fresh campaign within the occupied territory to tell a different facet of the story, prompting the decision to develop a brand-new game.

“We saw a lot more to explore in the French theater during the war, ending up creating a complete campaign from our original intentions,” explained Shaw. “It benefited players more to have one significant release rather than a multitude of small updates like in Sniper Elite 5.”

Just like Sniper Elite 5, Resistance is a stealth-action game where you navigate intricately detailed levels teeming with Nazi guards, outposts, and other strategic encampments filled with resources and essential intel. In addition to your trusty sniper rifle, which boasts various ammo types for silenced shots or increased damage, you have binoculars to scout and tag targets. Harry also comes armed with secondary weapons and gadgets to mislead enemies and demolish structures.

Resistance embraces that Hitman-esque strategy, where taking out key targets can be accomplished with direct confrontations or through some creative problem-solving. There’s a familiar excitement in deftly reducing enemy numbers with stealth takedowns or distracting guards with bottles to slip through heavily patrolled zones. While maintaining stealth is often the wisest approach, Harry is no pushover and can defend himself when chaos erupts—although keeping a low profile is always preferable, as Harry can be swiftly overwhelmed by a barrage of bullets. In general, the enemy AI is alert and keeps you on the edge, though there were occasional oddities, like turning a blind eye to clear signs of sabotage or struggling with pathfinding in certain spots.

Players appreciated this open-ended experience in Sniper Elite 5, and the developers deliberately leaned further into this aspect. Shaw mentioned that the levels in Sniper Elite: Resistance were crafted to facilitate various playstyles.

“What Sniper Elite excels at is offering players numerous tools and methods to handle any situation as they see fit,” said Shaw. “We internally envision it as allowing players to first survey the scene, study points of interest and enemies, and then devise their preferred route and method for tackling objectives. We aim to ensure players can get to vantage points for sniping or remain fully stealthy—catering to as many playstyles as possible.”

What struck me most about this particular mission was the intricacy and layered design of the level. It boasted impressive verticality and multiple routes to achieve my objective of infiltrating the city’s main hotel-cum-Nazi-command-center. In one attempt, I tried a stealthy crossing via a fortified bridge, which quickly went awry after getting caught. Another attempt led me to the opposite direction, discovering a train yard where one of the side quests involved destroying a train. Along this route, I managed to take down individual targets and high-profile enemies to earn additional experience.

The highlight of the mission was navigating the hotel, which offered several entrances and secret pathways into locked rooms by climbing the exterior. This section was my favorite, especially the thrill of escaping via a zipline directly into the streets below.

Judging by what I played, Sniper Elite: Resistance largely adheres to the formula of Sniper Elite 5, maintaining that familiar loop and set of objectives that fans love. Though it doesn’t aim to revolutionize, it doubles down on the open-ended stealth-action core of Sniper Elite 5. An intriguing new feature I didn’t have the chance to explore was propaganda missions. These hidden elements within each stage open up micro-missions, letting players step into the shoes of other resistance members, showcasing their stories and specific objectives.

With a campaign that’s similar in length to Sniper Elite 5, Resistance positions itself as both a fitting companion to its predecessor and an enticing entry point for newcomers to the series. Even now, Sniper Elite: Resistance captures the satisfying essence of playing an assassin in an open world where you overpower fascists and liberate towns from Nazi oppression—and it’s always a delight to watch those kill cams in action.