Set your scopes on Sniper Elite: Resistance, the latest entry in Rebellion’s long-standing military stealth-slash-shooter series. Sure, the lack of innovation in this upcoming title might make it seem as though Resistance is mere DLC repackaged as a full-size game, and whilst events here take place adjacent to Sniper Elite 5 Resistance’s campaign length will eclipse its predecessor. There’s a handful of new things which we’ll go over in this article too. So, without further ado, here’re 15 gameplay things you need to know before you pull the trigger on Sniper Elite: Resistance.
It’s more of the same
We don’t mean this disparagingly. If you enjoyed Sniper Elite 4 or 5 and thought ‘hey, I’d love some more of this’ then Sniper Elite: Resistance is right up your alley. After all, the Sniper Elite series is famed for its blend of unparalleled sniping mechanics, stealth, and tactical third-person gameplay. There’s not an awful lot else like it. And with the developer stating they believe there’re still valuable stories to tell in Western Europe’s domain of World War II, then Sniper Elite: Resistance is shaping up to be a worthy entry in the series.
Maps
The game’s setting is in 1944, with the sprawling streets of Nazi patrolled Paris the most prominent environ shared thus far. The map here – indicative of the maps traversable throughout the game – is a sprawling, labyrinthine network of cobble streets and dusky alleyways, perfect foray for sneaking and parkour. Cities are dense with Gestapo patrols, unpredictable motorcycle riders, and enemy snipers perched within their eagle’s nests. A raft of fortified structures, from buildings to bridges, harbour multiple routes, approaches, and choke points to force numerous creative playstyles.
Player agency
Sniper Elite as a series is typified by player agency, brilliant sandboxes fostering open-ended mission structure. As you’d expect, Sniper Elite: Resistance is no different. Here, there are multiple ways to complete your missions, from choosing numerous infiltration and extraction points, to taking on optional objectives and side missions.
Missions
Missions in Sniper Elite: Resistance comprise a main objective – take out a Nazi commander, for instance – plus numerous optional side objectives such as infiltrating an informant’s dwelling, locating allied hangouts, destroying German weapon caches, and so on. Collectibles dot throughout the cityscape too, including items which yield important intel. As this is a sandbox, you’re free to undertake as many or as little of these side objectives as you like, in whatever order you please.
Kill list targets
Alongside each mission’s major objective there’ll be an optional target on your kill list. Kill lists have been a thing in Sniper Elite for a while, and they’re composed of rogues who have wronged the allies in some shape or form, and we expect Sniper Elite: Resistance will function the same. Each kill list target can be killed via traditional means – knifing, gunning down, and of course, sniping – but in prior titles there’ve been kill list challenges tasking you with knocking off your target in increasingly outlandish ways.
Propaganda missions
If all this sounds overly familiar thus far – we did say Sniper Elite: Resistance is more of the same – then prepare to hear about something new. Sniper Elite: Resistance has a novel gameplay mode in the form of propaganda missions, which is brand-new side content activated after locating propaganda posters dotted throughout each mission’s level. Here, you’ll undertake objectives in the role of a French resistance fighter across the same location but in a different time period. There’ll be stealth and sniping challenges, with the idea being to replay these missions to chase high scores.
New protagonist
Another first for the series, your player character for Sniper Elite: Resistance is British soldier Harry Hawker whom players of Sniper Elite’s 3 through 5 will recognise as gruff series mainstay Karl Fairburne’s co-op partner. In Sniper Elite: Resistance the similarly gruff Hawker occupies a story which takes place alongside Fairburne’s from Sniper Elite 5. Both games are similar in length, and thus according to developer Rebellion ensures both games exist as companions of each other.
Advanced sniping mechanics return
Sorry to beat this over the head, but Sniper Elite’s advanced sniping mechanics will be returning in full force for this latest entry. It’s a game centred on observation, of course, so alongside surveying the landscape and watching for enemy patrol patterns you’ll need to focus your crosshairs on elemental factors like wind speed and direction. For undetectable takedowns, your gunfire will need to be masked in environmental sounds – the whirring of a passing lorry engine or the crackle of a local loudspeaker, for instance.
X-ray kill cams still a thing
Because of course they are, the star of Sniper Elite’s show has always been the bullets. Every slug blasted out of the barrel of your rifle refocuses the camera, a slomo visage of visceral blood and mulch as your projectile penetrates your target, ripping flesh, eviscerating organs, and shattering bone in a glorious display of x-ray ultraviolence. This staple of the series has been expanded for Sniper Elite: Resistance whereby sniper rifles now share the gory event with every gun in the game. Handguns, carbines, and machine guns, for example, will now all trigger the same x-ray’d viewpoint of your enemy’s innards.
Large arsenal of authentic weaponry
Sniper Elite: Resistance will provide a smorgasbord of authentic World War II weaponry to wield in the hands of new protagonist Harry Hawker and owing to his British allegiance many of the guns in his arsenal will stray away from the established American made weapons Karl Fairburne carried into battle. For example, two versions of the British-made Lee Enfield bolt action sniper rifle will be at Hawker’s disposal alongside British submachine gun the Sten Mk. II. German MP40’s and Karabiner 98k’s can be adopted too together with infamous American-made sniper rifle the M1903 Springfield. There’s a ton more, with the entire arsenal likely not yet revealed.
Weapons are customisable
As you traipse through Sniper Elite: Resistance’s levels you may encounter hidden workbenches (there are three in each level). Each workbench unlocks a range of upgraded attachments for your firepower including scopes, stocks, muzzles, and suppressors. Each upgrade supports a style of play, with different weapon elements occupying four key stats of power, rate of fire, control, and mobility. For example, choosing attachments which maximise rate of fire will foster a more gung-ho approach to mission completion whilst a powerful scope and suppressor to boost power and control will support the game’s marquee stealth.
Multiplayer modes
Developer Rebellion have confirmed that familiar multiplayer game modes will be returning for Sniper Elite: Resistance, including deathmatch, no-cross, and survival, the latter of which taking place in sixteen player arenas.
Axis invasion returns
A distinct multiplayer mode from Sniper Elite 5 will be returning in Sniper Elite: Resistance. Axis invasion infiltrates your mission with an invading player who can stall your progress via stealth, sniping, or other more extravagant means. Of course, the same is true for you; you’re free to invade another player’s game to stop them completing their objectives too.
Accessibility features
As is becoming increasingly commonplace in video games Sniper Elite: Resistance will feature a raft of accessibility features. In fact, Rebellion reckons the series’ latest instalment will feature the most in-depth accessibility options to date. Difficulty customisation, tutorials, subtitles, and on-screen text aside, there’ll be colour blindness modes, customisable audio levels – with individual sliders for hit feedback, dialogue, and enemy awareness cues. Aim assist, control remapping, and accessible gamepad options round out the game’s features.
PC requirements (and it’ll be PS5 Pro enhanced)
Yep, saying it again, Sniper Elite: Resistance will include a PS5 Pro version. However, what exactly those enhancements will be is unclear for now. For PC requirements you’ll need a minimum Intel CPU Core i5-9400f or equivalent processor, Nvidia 2060 6GB or equivalent GPU, 16GB RAM, DirectX version 12, and 90GB of storage space. Recommended requirements haven’t been revealed yet. And just because we haven’t said it yet, the game comes out January 30th.
