Sniper Elite Resistance Preview: We played the new stealth shooter

I creep cautiously along the wall above the station. It is deepest night. I am alone and between me and my destination, a huge luxury hotel, there are an estimated 100 German soldiers and Gestapo agents. So I take a look through my rifle scope to find the perfect route through the Fourvière district of Lyon. With Sniper Elite Resistance, the popular stealth shooter series is celebrating a comeback in January 2025. We had the opportunity to play the game in advance in a remote session. Read our impressions in our preview.

Sniper Elite Resistance at a glance

Just don’t get caught

My mission in Sniper Elite Resistance begins on a mountain above the French metropolis of Lyon. I slowly let my gaze wander over the surroundings. The enemy presence is overwhelming.

A few German soldiers are patrolling the road directly in front of me. A military truck delivers supplies to the troops and a motorcycle with a sidecar patrols the road directly below me.

My goal is to eliminate a person named Claude la Ronde – I don’t know who that is – the mission I was able to play during the event doesn’t provide any context so far. Monsieur la Ronde is somewhere on the other side of the river, a few kilometers northeast of me.

So I set off on my way. Sniper Elite Resistance, the latest offshoot in the series, is a kind of spin-off to the fifth installment and is set in France in 1943. We slip into the shoes of US sniper Harry Hawker, who supports the French resistance.

It quickly becomes clear that Resistance remains true to the roots of the series. Sneaking is still the top priority, as Hawker only takes a few shots before he dies.

Careful scouting of the extensive areas, memorizing enemy movements and positions and a cautious, tactical approach are essential, because we see no land in direct combat – even if Hawker can rely on a pistol or MP in addition to his sniper rifle. But it’s no use if our shots alert all the enemies in the area.

Plan your path

We slowly work our way from the hill towards the river. There is tall grass everywhere in the area where we can hide. Enemies can be separated from their group by throwing a glass bottle and luring them with a short whistle so that they can then be captured as silently as possible with a knife. Or just stun them, for which we are rewarded with bonus points at the end.

However, the “Special Train Sabotage” mission in Sniper Elite Resistance quickly becomes much more challenging. The expansive grassy landscape gives way to narrow, winding alleyways teeming with German soldiers. One wrong step, one careless move, can mean our end.

Yes, Resistance is pretty tough to play and punishes mistakes (or a lack of planning) mercilessly. But that’s exactly what makes this third-person shooter so appealing, where a careful and considered approach is a basic prerequisite for success.

Fortunately, we have a whole range of tools at our disposal. However, some of these need to be unlocked or found during the mission. For example, we can distract guards by sabotaging a power generator.

Or we can equip our arsenal of weapons with ammunition that is barely audible. Of course, the supply of blue beans is extremely limited, as we don’t want it to be too easy.

The good thing is: Sniper Elite Resistance offers you a number of ways to successfully complete a mission. Whether sneaking with a knife, from a distance with a sniper rifle or completely silently through distraction and hiding – all paths can lead to the goal. Theoretically at least.

The maps also feature a number of hidden alleyways, alternative routes and much more. This invites you to experiment. We were certainly amazed when, on our third attempt, we discovered a much quieter railroad bridge at the edge of the map, away from the heavily guarded bridge.

Lots to do

It can take one to two hours of gameplay before we reach our target or at least get a clear shot. Fortunately, the missions in Sniper Elite Resistance offer a number of optional side tasks.

For example, we can sneak into a luxury hotel on the other side of the river, which serves as the Gestapo’s operations center. Here we find secret documents that unlock another side mission. Of course, we are also happy to pocket the silenced sniper rifle that rewards us for our efforts in capturing the hotel.

We don’t have to do any of this to complete the mission. But if you try your hand at the side tasks and complete them successfully, it makes your progress in the rest of the game much easier.

This is incredibly motivating, just like the exciting and successful sneak gameplay and the precise controls. However, in our remote play session, the constant latency of the connection pushed up the level of difficulty unnecessarily. A quick-save function was also missing in the preview version, but should be available in the final game so that we don’t have to start all over again after a death.

The combat in Sniper Elite Resistance is as brutal and precise as ever. The title continues to depict particularly powerful hits in a merciless X-ray animation, in which we can see exactly which path the bullets take through the body of the enemy.

Of course, the distance needs to be considered and adjusted when sniping, while we hold our breath with a press of the analog stick to aim precisely. Series veterans will be familiar with this from the predecessors, as Resistance also changes very little in terms of the core gameplay.

But the game doesn’t have to, because the series has a large fanbase behind it that wants exactly what the new series installment promises: more of the same with a few fresh ideas and new missions.

Sniper Elite Resistance Preview: Conclusion

Sniper Elite Resistance is fun. That much is clear after the play session. Even though the latest installment in the series by no means reinvents the wheel, the third-person shooter provides plenty of excitement with its tactical gameplay, extensive maps and varied missions.

The stealth gameplay and the many different ways of proceeding and planning are the game’s greatest strengths. Those who keep their eyes and ears open will also be rewarded within the areas.

From a technical point of view, you shouldn’t expect a milestone and gameplay innovations are also very limited, but fans of exciting sneak games can look forward to one of the first gaming highlights in 2025.

Rating: Good to very good