Sniper Elite: Resistance

While the returning sniping and stealth mechanics keep Sniper Elite: Resistance on target across some good open levels, the lack of innovation means it is not a surefire hit for everyone.

Rebellion knows how to make quality games, even though they didn't even try to bring something new in the latest Sniper Elite: Resistance, rather they wanted to quickly offer a smaller supplement for fans of the series.

Sniper Elite: Resistance may win you over with its solid level design, but beyond extending the experience of Sniper Elite 5, it struggles to offer any compelling reasons for recommendation. The game ends quicker than expected and doesn't leave much of a lasting impression—aside from some potential laughs in the invasion mode.

Oh, Sniper Elite, what are you doing to me? I would love to like you a lot more, but so much more is possible!

Sniper Elite: Resistance is the meat and potatoes of Nazi-killing games, and that's okay. It doesn't, however, do anything at all to shake up the gameplay from Sniper Elite 5, apart from introducing us to yet another generic protagonist. If you're going to stick with the same old template for the main character's design, then just give us Karl back again.

Sniper Elite: Resistance offers an experience that its series has largely cornered the market on. And it provides that experience very well. But it is disappointing to see just how little it has iterated on the foundation laid by Sniper Elite 5.

Sniper Elite: Resistance sticks to its guns and plays it safe, reiterating everything that makes the series great without introducing anything new.

For a series that releases an opus every two years, Sniper Elite: Resistance's new chapter offers a rather unobtrusive evolution of its formula, sticking to the basics of what Sniper Elite 5 was all about. Nevertheless, it's a thoroughly honest game that will delight fans of the series and newcomers alike.

Resistance isn’t a bad game by any stretch. With dense missions, gorgeous environments, a clever new mode in Propaganda, and a likeable new protagonist, it’s a solid entry in a fantastic series. But it doesn’t do anything new: this is the same shooting and sneaking as it has been for almost a decade now, and Hawker alone doesn’t bring enough to help Resistance stand out as anything more than just more Sniper Elite.

You know what you're getting with Sniper Elite: Resistance; a spin-off covert mission that matches the scale and scope of Sniper Elite 5, but doesn't really go beyond it. It's more Sniper Elite, and there's still plenty of enjoyment in that.

Sniper Elite: Resistance disappoints with a derivative, lackluster campaign devoid of innovation, despite the solid sniping gameplay still holding up and the overall longevity. The dated graphics are also a drawback, while the new Propaganda Challenge mode will appeal to more skilled players.

Sniper Elite: Resistance reiterates the formula of the series without introducing concrete new features and presenting itself basically as a “more of the same” that also renounces developing the narrative elements of a historical scenario that would certainly have deserved some attempt at deepening.

Sniper Elite Resistance is stagnating. On the one hand, there is still good stealth gameplay with a varied level design. On the other hand, the 6th installment offers no real improvements, and the formula is slowly wearing thin.

It‘s a solid expansion pack that somehow got inflated to full-game dimensions. Resistance is anything but essential, and it brings the series‘ qualities and (age-related) faults into sharp focus.

Sniper Elite: Resistance is a modest retread for the Sniper Elite series, rather than an exaggerated goose step forward. A near total lack of innovation makes Resistance seem like little more than a Sniper Elite 5 remix, rehashing everything from the skill tree to the traps and enemy types, and serving up some sniping sandboxes that are for the most part a bit too similar to locations that have featured in the series’ prior entries. Its bonus propaganda missions are fun but fleeting, and its X-ray kill-cam still blasts balls and brains to bits but no longer blows my mind. Those only just getting on board with the series will undoubtedly find a bit more to like, but I’d argue that on balance, Sniper Elite 5’s superior story sandboxes and otherwise similar feature set makes it a much better buy even three years on from its release. Sniper Elite: Resistance is a solid stealth-based shooter, but it fails to set its sights high enough in order to pull off a truly spectacular execution.

Sniper Elite: Resistance delivers the expected stealth-action combo the series is known for, wrapping it in a forgettable narrative about stopping the Nazi war machine from totally winning the war yet again. But even as it's a functional title, with levels that offer a decent amount of freedom and X-Ray kills that remain satisfying to watch, this follow-up ends up feeling like a tired, unnecessary rehash of its predecessor…Its forgettable new protagonist and supporting cast don't do much to help things along, while the all-new Propaganda missions feel like a middling distraction at best. If Sniper Elite 5 left you pining for more of the same, you'll likely squeeze 15+ hours of varying degrees of enjoyment out of Resistance's modes. Anyone hoping for any significant sense of evolution should wait until the next one.

Sniper Elite: Resistance feels more like a DLC for Sniper Elite 5 than a standalone game, with a lackluster story, boring protagonist, and repetitive missions. While the core gameplay remains solid, the game suffers from a lack of variety and innovation, while the challenge is diminished by the lack of enemies. Despite some highlights like the X-Ray Kill-Cam and the addition of propaganda missions, the game’s value is better suited for Game Pass rather than a full purchase.