Earlier this month, the team at Rebellion invited us to try out Sniper Elite: Resistance - and after the success of 2022's Sniper Elite 5, we just couldn't say no to some more stealthy sniping action. Moving to a more familiar World War 2 location in Nazi-occupied France, this upcoming Sniper Elite sequel feels like another sure shot for Xbox Game Pass just like its predecessor - and we're already looking forward to popping more virtual testicles early next year.
As has become the case with recent Sniper Elite titles, the mission we got to play in Resistance was absolutely massive. Set across a sprawling night-time landscape with potential objective routes as far as the eye can see, Rebellion is really getting into its stride when it comes to creating these big open sandbox levels. We had to replay sections of this one a good few times during our preview session (these were some tough Nazis), and we tackled the level from loads of different angles in the end - multiple paths and combat options are absolutely still present in Resistance.
If you're a little less familiar with Sniper Elite than we are at this stage, here's the rundown on what to expect. Developer Rebellion drops you into huge, Hitman-style open levels that are stitched together with an overarching storyline - and you'll usually have an end goal of taking out a big bad Nazi boss, destroying some hefty equipment of theirs, or simply getting out of sticky, behind-enemy-lines situations alive. However, along the way there are lots of side objectives and optional routes you can take, adding loads of variety and replayability to the experience.
In this preview level, we particularly liked the option of taking it slow, and finding some 'temporary' weapons lying around that can really help turn the tide in your favour. For instance, in Sniper Elite games you often have to cover up the sound of your rifle firing with background noises at particular locations, but in this preview mission, one of our runs resulted in us uncovering a silenced Kar-98K rifle that we could use at will. It had very limited ammo, but the fact that we could use this to dispatch an annoyingly well-placed guard patrol was extremely useful - and it rewarded our off-the-beaten-path exploration rather nicely.
Before that though, we must admit that we got caught being a little too aggressive, resulting in some close quarters fighting that eventually got us killed on a previous run. Sniper Elite: Resistance gives you the tools to get out of these trouser-messing situations alive — potentially with just a few bullet wounds — but the game never feels truly comfortable being played this way. Make no mistake, Sniper Elite's simulation wants to be played through the eyes of a sneaky, skulking sniper dude - and we recommend sticking to this playstyle as best you can.
When it comes to the actual feel of the weapons, once again, Rebellion has done a solid job. The team's era-appropriate bolt action rifles are always a blast to use, and the series' famous x-ray kill cam returns once again. We're passed a handful of games in this series now, and seeing Nazi skulls crush and enemy brain bits squelch as you power a rifle shot through their head from miles away just never gets old. If you're here for more of that, Sniper Elite: Resistance has you covered.
We were playing on a PC build of the game here, and although Rebellion's tech appears pretty similar to recent releases, the game does manage to look rather pretty - especially in this night-time scenario we were presented with. Nazi search lights beam up to the sky as clusters of soldiers search the landscape for your whereabouts, and it really does immerse you in the environment very well. The team probably won't win any graphics awards here, but Sniper Elite: Resistance does exactly what it needs to in order to sell its sprawling WW2 sniping scenarios - and we're hoping that translates to Xbox Series X and S as well.
All in all, Sniper Elite: Resistance is pretty much as you'd expect for the series at this point. Rebellion appears to be doubling down on the huge, multi-objective levels we've seen in the last few games - while returning to a more World War 2-feeling backdrop here in 1940s France, which we quite like to be honest. We're not expecting anything revolutionary with Sniper Elite: Resistance, but another rock solid shooter launching day one on Xbox Game Pass will be something to be cherished nonetheless.
Excited for this one coming to Xbox Game Pass in January? Talk all about your sneaky sniping plans down below.
Sniper Elite: Resistance Preview - Rebellion's Rock Solid Shooter Returns To Xbox Game Pass
We had a ballin' time
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