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You don't change a winning team, right? At least this is how the saying goes. Although the winning team in the case of Sniper Elite games isn't the winning team at all. Why am I mentioning this, you might wonder? Well, I hope to give you a full answer to this question in the sentences to come.
Since the release of the first Sniper Elite game in 2005, the series has remained steadfastly committed to a single formula, with little to no deviation over the years. While playing Sniper Elite: Resistance, I couldn't help but wonder: do the developers at Rebellion Developments truly believe this approach is still a winning formula?
It’s not like we haven’t already stepped into the boots of a sniper, navigating linear levels and picking off Nazis with a sniper rifle countless times, all with the iconic x-ray slow-mo camera. Don’t get me wrong—I have nothing against sticking to a proven formula—but from a series this long-running, I expect at least some fresh ideas.
And by fresh ideas, I mean adding something new, something different, but no; everything you encountered in Sniper Elite V2, Sniper Elite 3, Sniper Elite 4, Sniper Elite 5, the level design, the menu design, the weapon wheel, and trust me, everything else is just the same in this newest instalment.
I must admit, now, at the start of this review, that I was quite disappointed by this approach. However, I want to make it clear that this will not impact the rating, as it doesn’t affect the overall quality of the game. That said, I felt it was important to express my dissatisfaction. Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, I can dive into a thorough analysis of the game.
The plot of Sniper Elite: Resistance, as in all other games from the series, takes place during WWII. The only difference is that, for the first time in the series, we have a different protagonist, Henry Hawker.
Henry isn't the new character in the series, for he was present in some multiplayer modes in previous games as the second playable character, but until now, we haven't had a chance to play with him as a campaign character.
The game's plot is straightforward: the French resistance discovers that the Nazis are concealing something within a top-secret facility in Vichy. They suspect it to be a secret weapon capable of turning the tide of the war in the Nazis' favour, something the Allied forces cannot afford to let happen, so they send the most capable man, with, as he says, certain abilities, to make sure that never comes to pass.
All other talk about the story would go into the dangerous water of spoiling the plot, so I intend not to do that. The most important thing is that the story holds a certain quality and is as good as any other story from previous Sniper Elite games. But let's be honest here, the series is not famous for its groundbreaking stories, so do not expect something special in Resistance either.
I'd argue that the majority of Sniper Elite players would tell you they play Sniper Elite for the enjoyment they deliver—specifically through the tactical sniping gameplay that defines the series. In this regard, Sniper Elite: Resistance does not disappoint. These games have a certain charm that keeps you hooked, making it hard to put the controller down. However, I must highlight this again: the biggest drawback remains the lack of any real innovation in the gameplay.
Completing missions still boils down to progressing through levels where you tackle both primary and secondary objectives. However, the maps in this game feel less linear than before, offering more room to find tactical positions and approach objectives in a way that suits your playstyle.
The game rewards you for your chosen playstyle; for instance, if you remain stealthy and pass through certain sections unnoticed, you’ll earn points tailored to that approach. Additionally, beyond the main objectives within missions, there are special challenges you can unlock to earn badges that convert into XP. For example, achieving ten kills with a sniper rifle earns one badge, while five kills with a silenced pistol unlock another. This system adds depth to the levels and significantly enhances replay value.
Speaking of XP, employing more creative methods to eliminate targets and completing secondary objectives will earn you additional XP. This XP can later be used to unlock new skills across three categories, serving as a sort of upgrade system to enhance your gameplay.
As mentioned earlier, the levels are more open, allowing for additional exploration. Throughout these areas, you can discover various documents that provide extra insight into the story for those interested. You’ll also come across items like safes and their corresponding keys, as well as equipment such as crowbars, chain cutters, and C4 explosives, which can be used to access safes, chests, and similar locked containers.
If you prefer, you can simply complete the required objectives and breeze through the level, or you can thoroughly explore every nook and cranny to uncover more details and discover numerous possibilities. So, if you enjoy playing as a sniper, this game delivers the ultimate experience—there’s no doubt about it.
Now that I’ve highlighted the positives, it’s time to address some persistent issues in the Sniper Elite series that have yet to be resolved, and unfortunately, this latest instalment is no exception. The main issue, of course, is the flawed AI, which has shown no real improvement. As someone who has played every game in the series except the fifth one, I genuinely hoped that Resistance would bring some improvements in this area.
Once the enemies discover you, hear your gunshots, or you compromise yourself in any other manner, the combat will commence. If you just relocate a couple of metres and hide in the grass or take a higher ground, they will start searching your last known position and will snoop around that specific spot, without even thinking of widening their search or doing something differently.
After some time, they will simply stop looking for you, and you'll be able to do everything all over again. Once, I took the high ground and disposed of all the enemies in a level staying near the bell, which masked my shots. The enemies were falling all around, and their comrades never even tried to look for the direction from which the death came for them.
If anything can be highlighted as a huge letdown in Sniper Elite: Resistance, it's the game's poor AI, without any doubt. Because of such limited AI, the stealth mechanics become simplified as well, so if you know how to take advantage of braindead nazis, the game can become a walk in the park, and before you ask, no, raising the difficulty level doesn't help either because even on the highest difficulties, the enemies are still as dump as blocks.
The weapons, as a very important part of every Sniper Elite game, are fantastic; no complaints here. The shooting mechanics are flawless, and every weapon feels very real, especially sniper rifles. If you find yourself inside an open conflict due to your actions, do not expect the game to shift into Call of Duty, allowing you to kill anything that moves because this is not how Sniper Elite: Resistance works.
Aiming down the sight with any weapon will transform the gameplay from third person into first person, which will harden the aiming and shooting in general, and regardless of the difficulty level, you won't live long enough to tell any tales of your heroic deeds. In this way, the game is trying to tell you that this is a sniper game, so be the sniper and forget about the Rambo playstyle.
You'll always carry three weapons in your inventory: a sniper rifle, an automatic assault rifle, usually Thompson, and a silenced sidearm. All weapons can be upgraded on special benches hidden throughout the levels. To upgrade weapons, you'll have to do certain objectives, so in this way, the game forces you to explore the playing opportunities even further.
Apart from your weapons, you'll be able to use dropped weapons too, but unlike in the previous instalments where you can replace your original weapons, in Sniper Elite: Resistance, picked-up weapons will last for as long as you have ammo in their clips, or when you decide to switch to your weapon; this action will drop a picked-up weapon.
In addition to the real single-player experience, the campaign can be played in co-op as well, though I cannot say anything about it or the multiplayer, apart from the facts that are known to me from the official game page because I couldn't connect to a single match, perhaps due to a pre-release limited online activity.
Once the game is released, the multiplayer modes will be available, giving players the chance to fully enjoy them. However, since I wasn’t able to experience them myself, I’ll refrain from discussing this aspect any further.
The new mode I can talk about, however, is a new Propaganda Mode, Sniper Elite: Resistance introduced. In this mode, you'll collect the propaganda posters scattered all over the game's levels, and once you collect enough of them, you'll be able to compete with the other players. Those competitions are mostly time challenges, meaning you’ll need to do something better and faster than the other players. Sadly, like in any other online mode, I couldn’t compete with anyone, but unlike the rest of the online modes, I could at least recognise the concept.
Now, let's talk about another aspect of the game that left me disappointed: the visuals. I can’t say the game looks bad since some of the open sequences are quite impressive, especially the lighting. However, as the game progresses and starts to open up, the limitations become more apparent.
Everything looks decent when you're outdoors, with sharp colours and modern lighting effects doing their part. However, once you venture indoors—such as when examining the walls or exploring the wine cellar in one of the early levels—you start to notice how graphically outdated the game feels, lacking the attention to detail you'd expect.
The most disappointing aspect of the graphics isn’t even the outdated textures or lack of detail—it’s the character models. They certainly don't come anywhere near next-gen standards. While it’s true the game was also designed for older consoles, that shouldn’t be used as an excuse. If you're releasing a game in 2025, it should not feature such poor textures or outdated facial modelling techniques. It’s simply unacceptable.
In contrast to the lacklustre graphics, the sound design stands out. When it comes to audio, Sniper Elite: Resistance performs quite well. The weapon sounds, the whizzing of bullets, and the sound effects during the slow-mo cam—where body parts and organs are torn apart as the bullet passes through—are particularly impressive. While this isn’t anything new, the quality of the sound is undeniable.
The voice acting for the main character is also quite impressive. While I’m not too familiar with Klemens Koehring, the actor who voiced Harry, his accent and tough attitude fit seamlessly with the game’s atmosphere. His voice reminded me a lot of Jason Statham’s, but even deeper, with a laid-back tone that Harry throws in occasionally. Spending time with him throughout the game never gets dull.
Conclusion
I'll wrap up the way I began: Sniper Elite: Resistance is yet another entry in the Sniper Elite series with no real innovation. It’s pretty much the same as the previous titles. However, if that doesn’t bother you, beneath it all lies a highly enjoyable game, with gameplay mechanics that offer great depth and plenty of fun.
However, the outdated graphics, with poor textures and character models that appear to have been designed for some ancient gaming systems and not for the next-gen consoles and PCs, will likely bother many players—I know it certainly bothered me.
The Good
Tactical sniping gameplay with great depth- Levels offer more open exploration and tactical flexibility
- Rewarding playstyle system with XP and badges
- Solid weapon mechanics and realism
- Strong sound design, especially weapon sounds and slow-mo cam effects
The Bad
Lack of innovation in gameplay- Outdated graphics with poor textures and character models
- Flawed AI with little improvement
