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Recently, I was invited to participate in a hands-on preview of Sniper Elite: Resistance. In it, I was able to play one of the game’s first levels and use pretty much all the familiar weapons and items fans of the series are used to right now. At first, I thought I’d be playing Sniper Elite 5 with a new coat of paint. In truth, it certainly feels as such on the outside. However, after almost an hour and a half with it, I can say that it takes some of the things we saw in Karl’s most recent mission and puts them into an even grander package. Check it out in video form here.
Same Foundation, Better Presentation
As someone who recently jumped into the world of Sniper Elite, I must say that the fifth numbered entry is my favorite. Yes, the story might not be that groundbreaking, but the gameplay is as addictive as it gets. It mixes some of the best stealth mechanics in recent years with terrific shooting mechanics and some of the best levels we’ve seen, which give way to endless replayability. In that sense, my preview of Sniper Elite: Resistance confirmed that the formula remains mostly untouched. You have the same UI, most of the same weapons, gameplay mechanics, etc. Still, the overall presentation is what makes it different.
This time, Harry Hawker takes the stage. Sniper Elite: Resistance runs parallel to Sniper Elite 5, so the locations, enemies, and some situations will be familiar. However, Hawker is trying to stop a Nazi secret weapon called the Wunderwaffe. This means he’ll be off on his own adventure. In the level I played, Hawker had to infiltrate the Hotel Terminus. This place has received a lot of mysterious cargo and an increased Gestapo presence. So, the gist is infiltrating the area, locating intel, and inspecting the cargo. With the briefing out of the way, it was time to spawn. I started on the outskirts of the town, and, boy, it was impressive.
I’ll talk about the level design in more detail later, but let me tell you that the first impression was great. If you’ve played Sniper Elite before, especially Sniper Elite 5, you know how important it is to feel amazed by a level’s starting moment. Seeing a building in the distance that you know you’ll eventually infiltrate is a key aspect of the series, and Resistance has precisely that. The big difference is that the visuals seemed much better this time around. Even if this wasn’t the final build, the level was dense, packed with details, and perfectly designed to provide the sniping playground we all love.
A Concrete Jungle
One thing that surprised me from my hands-on preview of Sniper Elite: Resistance was the intricate level design. Thinking back at how Sniper Elite 5 did its levels, I loved the verticality of some of them. Hotel Terminus, and the region where it’s located, is one of the greatest urban mazes I’ve ever played.
The game dropped me at a hill overlooking the town. Just like in any other mission, I found a vantage point and started marking enemies. I saw a route full of tall grass that would let me approach the first houses in the area. So, I made my way through the greenery, took a few enemies out with the new brutal melee kill animations, and entered this brick-walled jungle.
I quickly noticed I’d have to cross a bridge if I wanted to approach the hotel. However, it was full of guards, so I had to come up with a plan. I decided to eliminate the enemies in a building, which fortunately had a silenced sniper rifle with four bullets. It was time to proceed. I hid the bodies inside the building, found a good balcony that let me see the whole bridge, and started scoping my potential targets. Little by little, I took out four guards that were hindering my approach. As soon as I eliminated them, I zip-lined to the bridge in true secret agent fashion. Notice that I’m only talking about the first section of the map. It took me at least 30 minutes to traverse, and I didn’t find all the collectibles or weapons — it was huge.
After I landed on the bridge, I crossed it by taking out the infantry and throwing their bodies into the sea. Then, I arrived at a plaza of sorts and noticed motorcycles and trucks were driving around. Crossing like this would be complicated. So, throwing stealth out of the window, I put a mine down exactly where one of the trucks was driving. Fortunately, the explosion paid off, and the guards were lured toward the location. This allowed me to sneak through one of the plaza’s sides, now free of enemies. Little did I know I was about to get into the most challenging part of the mission.
As Above, So Below
So far, I’ve described most of the level’s open areas with a few explorable buildings. However, once I reached the vicinity of the hotel, it got even better. The second part of the level featured a few open areas, such as a garden, where finding cover was harder. Also, one of my favorite locations in the series: Hotel Terminus.
Since I had half an hour left on the Sniper Elite: Resistance preview, I decided to rush toward the main objective. Well, one of them, at least, because there were two others I couldn’t get to. Here, I had to reach the hotel’s penthouse to gather intel. As soon as I entered, I was shocked to see the vertical design and how flawlessly the developers created a maze inside a maze.
Traversing the hotel was one of the most exciting moments I’ve experienced in the series. Every floor was packed with enemies, and with the corridors being too narrow, I couldn’t even risk shooting a guard, even with a silenced weapon. So, I had in every corner, learned the enemies’ patrol routes, and sneaked my way to the top floor. Luckily, I had found a key to open the penthouse, so infiltrating the room was quite easy. However, getting there was the challenge. I made the mistake of shooting one enemy at the top, thinking no one would listen, but they did, and I had to floor it. So, I grabbed the intel, shot someone with my sniper rifle to draw attention to the penthouse, and zip-lined out of there.
A Recognizable Loadout
While I’ve been gushing about the level design, which was the highlight of my preview, Sniper Elite: Resistance brings most of what we saw in Sniper Elite 5. The UI is exactly the same, or it felt as such, at least for me. The gunplay is as smooth as ever, and the kill-cam is as iconic as it is epic to pull off. In that sense, anyone who played Karl’s latest mission will feel at home here. For others, it might be a turn-off, but it certainly wasn’t in my case. I loved exploring an even more intricate level with gameplay I’m already familiar with.
One thing I realized, though, is that there are a few new moves exclusive to Hawker. Since I didn’t do a lot of shooting, most of my killing was from a melee distance. I noticed Hawker had different kill animations when stabbing enemies. It might not change the gameplay much, but it’s nice to have something different for our new protagonist. Furthermore, the new enemies certainly added more difficulty to the mix. Most Gestapo foes were officers, which made approaching the level more challenging. Also, seeing more vehicles patrolling the streets and alarms at almost every corner made me think twice as to how I’d proceed, which I greatly enjoyed.
In that way, yes, it feels more of the same, but the presentation of everything made it feel quite different. The way enemies were located provided an even greater challenge despite being in its normal difficulty. The addition of more verticality to the level design combined with open areas was a treat. I even dare say this was one of the biggest maps in the series, or it felt as such due to the way it was planned. I still remember how I spotted a tower with a sniper enemy miles away from the starting area, and to my surprise, that’s where I finished my preview. And yes, it took me an hour and a half to reach the other side, and that’s without doing all the optional objectives.
Your Next Sniping Mission
As the preview of Sniper Elite: Resistance wrapped up, I remember screaming, “Not yet!” I hope the developers didn’t hear me, by the way. In short: I was hooked. I still had a target to kill, two objectives to tackle, and side missions I left behind because I rushed it. It took me an hour and a half to complete a few things, so I imagine someone will take at least three hours to see it all. And that’s just a rough estimate. Resistance is certainly huge, and I can’t wait to see what else awaits us once the game fully launches.
Also, I can understand some people’s skepticism. “It is more of the same.” “Give us a new setting.” But after playing it, it’s worth getting Sniper Elite: Resistance on day one. The levels have never felt this huge, and the stakes feel even higher with new enemies roaming the map. And while the game’s release is still a few months away, it is, so far, my most anticipated game of 2025. Fortunately, it will launch in the first month of the year, so we won’t have to wait long. Whether you’re a rookie or a veteran sniper, Resistance is the next mission that shouldn’t leave your sights.
