Rebellion Developments knows how to kill Nazis. The developers of the “Sniper Elite” series have been doing it for nearly 20 years as they’ve followed the exploits of German-born American OSS operative Karl Fairburne around the European theater of World War II.
Their past five games have taken him to North Africa, Italy, France and Germany. The latest entry, “Sniper Elite: Resistance,” takes place in German-occupied France before the D-Day invasion and stars a new main protagonist named Harry Hawker, a British special operations executive.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfZU8JnBtrYTHE GAMEPLAY LOOPDespite a fresh character offering the developers a chance to switch up the gameplay and inject new ideas to the franchise, this sequel follows the mold of the past two games. “Sniper Elite: Resistance” features expansive maps, crawling with Nazi soldiers. Players use binoculars to scout and tag them. If there are planes above or a loud generator nearby, they can snipe at faraway foes and conceal their presence by masking the sound of the gunfire.
They have the option to go in like Rambo on a 50-caliber machine gun, but it usually doesn’t end well. Nazis sound the alarm and players face a small army’s wrath. Players succeed in “Sniper Elite: Resistance” when they’re methodical and patient. It’s a formula that Rebellion has polished and fine-tuned. The game isn’t about defeating hordes of Nazis, but rather, it’s about dispatching them in the most painful but satisfying way possible.
SATISFYING WAYS TO ELIMINATE NAZISThey should stalk enemies and go in for knife kills by luring them into tall grass or around corners with a quick whistle. They’ll have to hide the body afterward. They can booby trap enemy bodies to blow up Nazis who check on fallen comrades. If players end up in a firefight, they can set up mines along their exit route.
The most common way to defeat enemies is via sniper rifle. It is called “Sniper Elite” after all, and the most effective way to use firearms is to eliminate enemies without their comrades noticing. Players have to time their shots so that other sounds hide their gunfire. They can also reduce the sound their arsenal makes by finding workbenches scattered throughout the enormous maps. That unlocks parts that Hawker uses to upgrade his weapons making them quieter, easier to handle or deadlier. For example, customizing a pistol can turn it into something akin to a midrange silenced sniper rifle, capable of reliably killing Nazis up to 50 meters away.
“Sniper Elite’s” showstopper is its X-ray cam that adds a visual flourish to kills. It pop ups every now and then when using knives or standard guns, but when players employ a sniper rifle to dispatch foes, a well-aimed shot produces a short cinematic that follows the bullet’s path into its target, showing in gruesome detail the damage to hearts, skulls, lungs, stomach and other body part. No place is sacred, and that makes it one of the more gratifying parts of the game. Players can eliminate Nazis and make sure they can’t have children.
A FEW FRESH WRINKLESOne of the newish elements is Hawker’s Focus skill. By pressing the R3 button, it heightens his awareness but raises his heart rate, affecting his aim. With Focus activated, players can sense Nazis through walls within a limited radius. It makes sneaking up on enemies easier and reduces the impact of being surprised from a foe players didn’t mark. Players can upgrade this ability along with others as part of the progression system. Players constantly earn experience points for kills and stealth actions.
“Sniper Elite: Resistance” tiptoes a bit into “Hitman” territory with side missions where players have to eliminate a target. They can snipe them from afar but real stealth experts will find devious ways to eliminate them like slipping poison in a mark’s drink or mixing a coal torpedo in a scientist’s wood pile. These elaborate kills are more difficult to do and require players to explore the area more to pull them off. Even then, it can be difficult to figure out the conditions to trigger the kill.
When it comes to online play and new modes, Rebellion carries over co-op play, invasions, survival and multiplayer. It also adds Propaganda Challenges, which are unlocked by finding special posters in seven of the nine missions. It’s a time attack mode, where players race against the clock to complete a challenge and are scored on the results. It’s not the most robust collection of extras, but it does enough to satisfy the game’s audience.
It’s an effort that doesn’t push the franchise forward despite the fresh face. With a new main character, the developers had the opportunity to move the series in a new direction or at least give Hawker different abilities, but it keeps the “Sniper Elite” series in its comfortable but mundane space.
‘Sniper Elite: Resistance
Two starsPlatform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One and PCRating: Mature