Sniper Elite: Resistance (2025) – A Solid Sniper Sequel…but is it Enough?

Déjà Vu in the Crosshairs: Sniper Elite: Resistance Plays It Safe Behind Enemy Lines

Release date: January 30, 2025 – PC, PS4/5, Xbox One / Series X|S
Developer / Publisher: Rebellion Developments

🎯 One Sniper, a Thousand Possibilities

Sniper Elite: Resistance trades Karl Fairburne for his erstwhile co‑op sidekick Harry Hawker—who finally gets the spotlight in this parallel‑campaign told alongside the events of Sniper Elite 5. Set deep within Vichy‑controlled France in 1944, you’re tasked with undermining a Nazi nerve‑agent superweapon codenamed Kleine Blume via sabotage, assassinations, and Resistance support ops.

The game returns you to that beloved sandbox stealth base: big open‑ended spaces, multiple infiltration paths, side‑objectives to steal documents or sabotage defenses, and hidden collectibles that unlock time‑attack challenges in the amusingly named “Propaganda Mode.” If Sniper Elite 5 was a seductive siren luring you into WWII sniping, Resistance is more like its well‑behaved cousin who keeps telling the same jokes—but you still laugh.

🧨 Familiar Formula, Faint Glow

If you’re hoping this sixth installment in the series (the first was in 2005; Resistance is the latest release) reinvents everything, prepare for disappointment. Resistance reuses nearly every system—from skill trees and menus to UI and infiltration routines—straight from Sniper Elite 5.

TechRadar and capsulecomputers both note it often feels like an expansion pack rather than a full sequel.

That said, “being more of the same” isn’t always bad. The level‑design still nails it: French dockyards, muddy forests, Vichy‑era factories, a cliff‑hanging mountain facility—all rendered with satisfying verticality, multiple tactical paths, and enough hidden corners to keep tactical types exploring.

Still, for many reviewers, the number‑one gripe is story coherence—or lack thereof. The narrative feels string‑together: nine missions, two in the same locale, one shorter than a minute, and no fully developed villain to cheer or boo at. As Polygon sniped in its critique, “it fails to innovate significantly… lacks depth… the missions feel repetitive."

💥 What Works

✔ Signature Sniping & X‑Ray Carnage

Every satisfying clang of a distant skull shattered by your bullet is intact. X‑Ray kill cams remain gruesomely visceral, and target ragdoll drip‑feed gore in slow‑mo is just as fun (if not more) the second—or third—time around.

✔ Replayability & Sandbox Freedom

Each mission is packed with layers—side challenges, sabotage ops, hidden collectibles unlocking Propaganda Mode, and different approaches ranging from silent stealth to full bloodbath tactics. According to Checkpoint Gaming, the “Kill List” missions are among the most delightful and free‑form sections to experiment with. Hardcore Gamer praised the sandbox creativity too.

✔ Multiplayer & Modes

Return of Invasion mode—where another sniper can drop into your campaign to hunt you down, adding cat‑and‑mouse tension. PvP supports 16 players with team deathmatch, restricted “no cross” sniper‑only lobbies, and co‑op survival / horde modes. And the quirky Propaganda Mode adds a timed, arcade spin on Resistance efforts—delightfully palate‑cleansing amid grim WWII stealth.

✔ Co‑op Campaign

You can tackle the campaign solo or with a friend, and as many Steam players point out, playing with a buddy elevates the experience—rhythm, timing, cover‑fire all fall into place better than trudging solo through bland dialogue.

🐛 What Trips You Up

✖ Lack of Innovation

Above all, Resistance is held back by minimal novelty. It’s a remix of Sequel_V5, with a fresh coat of French dirt and a new name tag. No major gameplay revamp, new AI behaviours, or story depth to distinguish it. Polygon called it “stale,” The Times, “too similar."

✖ Technical Roughness

Expect clipped ladders, invisible geometry in some spaces, and clunky auto‑snap takedowns that sometimes feel archaic. The melee takedown animations can break immersion when characters suddenly magnet‑pull to a determined pose.

✖ Character & Narrative

Harry Hawker is more rugged pub‑goer than covert operative—he’s fine, but he never anchors you emotionally. There's no Abelard Möller villain to foil, and the plot feels more like a sequence of tasks than a connected Resistance story arc.

✖ AI Limitations

Enemy behaviour can wobble: guards ignore suspicious corpses, patrol routines feel predictable, and once you've played enough courtahaunt‑hide‑snipe, the thrill can dull. Reddit‑based impressions echo: “weak AI,” “a reskin rather than a full entry."

🌟 New Content & Value Additions

Rebellion has soft‑launched new content since release: the Vercors Vendetta Mission and Weapons Pack adds a new mission alongside weapons for about $12‑$16, while free drops like Fairburne’s Armory Weapons and Skins Pack and two new multiplayer maps sweeten the deal.

The game also launched day‑one on PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass, giving pass subscribers immediate access—a move praised in the media for upping its perceived value amid concerns that “$50 for a glorified expansion” is steep.

✍ Reviewer Verdicts & Scores

A quick summary of critical reactions:

• TechRadar: Enjoys it but calls it expansion‑like: “still hits the highs… new Propaganda Challenge mode offers arcade‑style distraction”
• Checkpoint Gaming: 7.5/10; praises level design and replayability, laments rough edges
• Polygon: Critical—“fails to innovate… repetitive missions… AI inconsistent”
• The Sixth Axis: Solid campaign variety but technical annoyances bring it down

Across Reddit voices:

“Solid sniping action and rewarding gameplay but falls short with outdated graphics, weak AI, and little innovation”
“Feels like a reskin rather than a proper new entry…” (Reddit)

🧠 Who Should Play It?

Play If You:

• Loved the sandbox stealth structure of Sniper Elite 5 and just want more of it.
• Prefer long‑distance sniping spectacles, X‑Ray kills, and careful mission planning.
• Enjoy multiplayer intrigue—Invasion mode and co‑op campaigns are strong selling points.
• Are on Game Pass (PC or Xbox) and want war‑time stealth for zero extra cost.

Skip If You:

• Were hoping for a bold leap forward in story, villainy, or engine upgrades.
• Expect fresh mechanics or AI evolution—this is formula practice, not innovation.
• Want a protagonist with presence—Hawker is fine, but overshadowed by bigger personalities.

🧮 Final Scorecard

This is a game that knows what it is—and isn't. Resistance delivers high‑quality sniping, well‑crafted sandboxes, and multiplayer extras, but it doesn’t push the franchise forward. If you’re chasing the thrill of quiet assassinations from a distant cliff, you'll have fun. If you're expecting a bold evolution in Rebellion’s WWII saga, you may feel disappointed.

🎯 Summary & Closing Thoughts

On paper, Sniper Elite: Resistance is the feel‑no‑pain sequel you didn’t know you needed. But only if you already loved Sniper Elite 5. It’s essentially Sniper 5.5—more missions, more maps, more bullets, more sandbox destructibility—but it never reinvents the formula. It’s efficient craftsmanship, not creative fireworks.

Still, there’s value where value’s due: levels remain richly designed, sniping remains a precise, physics‑driven ballet with bones, wind, and breathing all feeding into that slow‑mo satisfying crunch. Multiplayer modes add longevity, and the Propaganda Mode gives a refreshing offbeat vibe. All told, if you’re a fan and pick it up on Game Pass or sale, you’ll be smiling behind that scope. If you're a Sniper Elite cynic—or looking for something that pushes genre boundaries—you might feel like France has already been liberated five games ago.

In the immortal words of Parisian resistance posters: “Plus de la même ? Oui, s’il vous plaît.”