Sniper Elite: Resistance Preview – A Familiar Feeling

Sniper Elite: Resistance Preview – A Familiar Feeling

As a seasoned Sniper Elite player with over a decade of experience under my belt, I must admit that Sniper Elite: Resistance felt like a warm and familiar hug from an old friend. The game’s setting, gameplay mechanics, and even the voice acting of our new protagonist, Harry Hawker (who sounds eerily like Jason Statham on a particularly caffeinated day), all hark back to the good old days of Sniper Elite 4 and 5.


Experiencing Sniper Elite: Resistance offers a sense of familiarity for series veterans. This game shares a timeline with Sniper Elite 5, and once more, it places you in France, tasked with thwarting Nazi strategies that might alter the tide of World War II’s direction.

Lately, I’ve invested more than an hour into Sniper Elite: Resistance, progressing as far as its third mission. This brief journey gave me a glimpse of the engaging content that the developers at Rebellion have prepared for gamers.

To set the record straight, let me tell you this: If you’ve had experience with Sniper Elite 4 or 5, then you’re already familiar with Sniper Elite: Resistance. It shares the same gameplay mechanics and engine as its 2022 counterpart. The only difference is that instead of playing as Karl Fairburne, this time around you’ll be controlling Harry Hawker, who bears a striking resemblance to Jason Statham in his acting style.

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As a gamer immersed in Resistance, the game’s overall ambiance and vibe strongly resonates with Sniper Elite 5. Despite only exploring one region of this game, it’s evident that the developers have crafted an environment distinct enough to stand alone. The strategic cover options and cunning distractions they’ve incorporated are reminiscent of what makes the Sniper Elite series so captivating for players like me. Kudos to the level designers for their thoughtful work!

In this game, you have the freedom to progress at your preferred speed, which significantly enhances the fun factor for many players. Regardless if you’re a fast-paced player or someone who prefers a leisurely approach, you can tailor your experience accordingly. The game environment and your objectives provide flexibility, allowing you to replay missions multiple times without repetition for several playthroughs.

In the Sniper Elite series, the kill cam continues to be just as rewarding. Nothing compares to landing that precise shot where you witness your bullet tearing through a Nazi’s face. As gruesome as it may seem, it’s still thrilling to watch the chaos ensue when soldiers around them scatter and panic upon seeing their comrade’s head explode nearby.

Sniper Elite: Resistance Preview – A Familiar Feeling

In the preliminary version of the game, we found ourselves unable to adjust the level of challenge, which meant our gaming experience was somewhat restricted. Fortunately, the artificial intelligence wasn’t excessively harsh, but it certainly kept us on our toes.

In the scenario, it’s pleasant that when the AI was looking for me after hearing a sound, it didn’t act clueless, so to say. Many games I’ve played would have the AI ignore you completely if you were hiding, even if they were standing right on top of you. In this instance, there were a few moments where the AI would accidentally stumble upon me and notice my hideout while I was motionless, resulting in me either having to engage in combat or risk dying.

It’s important to note that AI aren’t always consistently flawless. Occasionally, they might freeze up for a moment too long, remaining stationary for such an extended period that it becomes awkward, making it necessary to readjust your actions in a way that feels unnatural given the context or intended purpose.

In some cases, individuals can become overly rigid in their predetermined actions. For instance, consider a Gestapo foot soldier who must consistently follow this routine: sit on a bench, rise, turn to face the bench, and then walk around the building, only to repeat the sequence. During these moments that are repetitive enough to disrupt immersion, it can feel somewhat awkward.

In another situation, it seemed undoubtedly that my shot would’ve struck the enemy right in the face, yet he got hit, rose to his feet, and merely strolled away while another bullet bounced off his helmet as he continued walking. It’s possible that my aim wasn’t as precise as I thought it was then, but something about the outcome seemed unusual compared to what I expected would transpire.

As a passionate gamer, I found myself thrilled about delving deeper into the story and figuring out new ways to combat the Nazis in France. Yet, during my gaming experience, a thought lingered – will this offering be substantial enough for a complete game that dedicated fans like me would want to invest in?

In this updated version, Rebellion offers a complete campaign, a returning Invasion Mode, and fresh Propaganda Missions as a means to keep players interested. However, it’s important to note that if you’ve played any of the previous two Sniper Elite games, you’ll find many similarities, particularly with the continuous setting compared to the last game, but featuring new locations. Given that Resistance is releasing less than three years after Sniper Elite 5 (with a five-year gap between 4 and 5), there’s a potential risk of franchise burnout if the rest of the game’s narrative doesn’t offer enough novelty to keep players engaged.

Sniper Elite: Resistance launches January 30 for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.

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2024-11-25 17:18