Sniper Elite: Resistance

Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC

Occupied France, 1944: British ace sniper Harry Hawker has been dispatched to aid the French Resistance. Outmanned and outgunned, his stealth skills and near-superhuman aim will be put to the test on a mission to take out a top secret Nazi super-weapon that could turn the tide of World War II.

Sounding a bit familiar? That's probably because Sniper Elite: Resistance barely moves the needle from 2022's Sniper Elite 5. Barring the switch in the campaign's protagonist – with Hawker stepping in for previous leading man Karl Fairburne – this could very well be an expansion for the previous game. Indeed, with this outing's eight-level campaign running roughly parallel to the events of its predecessor and with a plot drawing on similar ideas, it's hard not to think of it as a remix at best.

That's not to say Resistance is bad, though – Rebellion Developments' Nazi-slaying simulator remains a contender for best in class thanks to its brilliant sniping mechanics. You can practically feel its physics model accounting for wind drag and shear, bullet drop, and recoil with every long-distance shot, drawing a lethal line from Hawker's rifle to the skull (or guts, or testicles, or limbs…) of enemy soldiers – the gory destruction of any of which is brought to grisly life by the Sniper Elite series' signature slo-mo x-ray kill cam.

Feels like more of the same.

Similarly, its massive maps, scattered with key objectives and optional collectibles to track down – and sometimes bonus targets, Nazi commanders extra-deserving of a bullet to the eye-socket – continue to impress, offering multiple ways to complete their missions. Whether sneaking through cover, sabotaging key equipment and avoiding detection like a battlefield ghost, or taking out enemies with well-timed shots masked by the ringing of a church bell or an exploding truck you've used as a distraction, Resistance offers plenty of ways to navigate its detailed worlds.

Unfortunately, it struggles when you're forced to step away from stealth or sniping. Hawker's silenced pistol can, at least, factor into stealthier approaches, allowing for up-close kills that, unlike the typical roar of a sniper shot, remain undetected so long as you're canny enough to lure enemies away from their allies with a distraction first – a thrown bottle, perhaps – and remember to hide, or boobytrap, the body afterwards. If you're unlucky enough to be discovered though, Nazis swarm your position and turn the game into a more typical shooter scenario. Here, Resistance's gunplay feels oddly underpowered, the spray of SMG bullets seeming about as effective as a water pistol. Thankfully, the save system is generous, as it's usually a better idea to reload than try to shoot your way out of sticky situations.

Away from the story, Resistance's only stand-out new offering is Propaganda Mode, a collection of bonus missions that revisit campaign maps with timed sniping, combat, or stealth challenges to complete. Otherwise, the return of Invasion, where other players can enter your game as a rival sniper hunting you down, and 16-player competitive online multiplayer, further the sense that this is more of the same dish that Sniper Elite 5 served up.

Disappointingly, not even the visuals offer much evolution from its predecessor. While the environments Hawker will be skulking through are brilliantly designed, they're more architecturally astounding than anything. Detail seems to be focused on buildings and streets (perhaps to better showcase the actually-impressive zoom of Hawker's binoculars, effortlessly magnifying up to 20x to help tag distant enemies' positions) but there's abundant texture pop-in and human characters look a generation behind – possibly a result of the game still supporting PS4 and Xbox One releases?

While a reminder that Nazis are the bad guys is depressingly welcome in 2025, as a game Resistance feels like more of the same from a franchise that's at risk of resting on its laurels. If we're to ever see a true ‘Sniper Elite 6’, it needs to be far more ambitious and innovative than this.