Sniper Elite. It’s a series that’s pretty consistent throughout its run, iterating every once in a while but sticking with a formula that works beautifully. That formula is part-stealth, part-sniping, all Nazi-killing. It’s suited the series well throughout time, and the latest iterations have been bright spots.
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Sniper Elite 5 and Sniper Elite: Resistance both did stick to more or less the same formula, with both of them seeming to be made with just about the same parts. That’s not a bad thing; they’ve hit a formula that works. But it does make the lines between the two games blur quite a bit when comparing them.
7
Game Modes
Sniper Elite: Resistance
Sniper Elite 5 and Sniper Elite: Resistance have almost exactly the same modes, even down to how much is in each mode. Both have a campaign (which can be played Co-Op), both have a PvP Axis Invasion mode (which is quite brilliant, at its best), both have Survival, and both have PvP multiplayer.
In those modes, they are each the others’ equal. Resistance does have one small step up, however, and that’s the Propaganda mission mode. That mode is a welcome addition, and Resistance wins out in this regard due to it.
6
Sniping
Sniper Elite: Resistance
Like most of these, this is another near-tie. Both of these games have virtually identical sniping mechanics, and on paper, they are the same. Both of them work the same in regard to bullet drop, wind, focus, and all the things in between.
But having sent many Nazis into the world beyond in both games, the sniping (and gunplay in general) seems to work slightly more consistent in Resistance, as compared to Sniper Elite 5. We’re surprised at what a bullet does less often, helmets inexplicably fly off Nazi-heads less often, and all-in-all, it feels like you’re more in control of your weapon in Resistance.
5
Bullet-Time Killcams
Tie
The bullet-time killcams make for an immediate smile, and they have to be included because they’re the most recognizable part of the Sniper Elite series. There are few feelings better than lining up a difficult shot, pulling the trigger, and immediately knowing that, because you’re getting treated to bullet-time, you’ve hit your mark.
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You get to enjoy your bullet popping through a Nazi’s important parts in slow-motion, life is good, and it’s equally good in both games. The bullet-time is identically wonderful in both of them. There does not seem to be any discernable difference, and it makes sense: they’ve built a great system, and there’s not much left to iterate on with it.
4
Story And Character
Sniper Elite 5
This is mostly a flavor difference, and let’s be honest, people aren’t often playing Sniper Elite to experience a life-changing story. That’s not to say the story is bad, but the story and the characters act as an engine to move you from one place full of soon-to-be-not-alive Nazis to the next.
Sniper Elite 5 wins out in this regard very slightly, if only because a little bit more time seemed to be put into the story in that game, compared to Resistance. That being said, the protagonist of Harry Hawker is a wonderful time to play as. He seems to relish the carnage in a way that Karl didn’t quite seem to, and his chuckling throughout is enjoyable.
Playing as Harry Hawker sometimes feels a bit like being in control of a Looney Toons character who never made it to the screen because of his proclivity for violence.
3
Visuals
Tie
These games were produced for the same hardware generation, with a few years difference in between them. They don’t quite have the facial detail or believability of some other games of the era, but there’s a lot going on in Sniper Elite, and slowing down the performance to better render the face of someone soon-to-be dead would be a waste of processing power.
The art direction of both games is quite similar as well, though they do take you to different locations. Those with a preference between the visuals of the two games are likely going to find it comes due to a preference in locale and art direction, and not in graphical fidelity.
2
Level Design
Tie
The level design in both of these games is fantastic, but it’s also here that they differ the most. Largely, the levels in both games seem to be going for something slightly different. In Sniper Elite 5, the levels are a bit more sprawling. They’re quite open in a lot of areas, though this isn’t a consistent rule. You’ll need to reposition quite a bit in engagements where enemies know where you are.
In Sniper Elite: Resistance, the levels are still large, but they’re a bit more even throughout. Not all, but many of the levels here seem to be built around having a consistent element throughout them, which goes on to define the map. On those maps, there are quite a few areas you can get into with a sniper rifle and fire with near impunity.
1
Winner
Tied!
Both of these Sniper Elite games prove that hunting down Nazis is still good. It’s great, in fact. Sniper Elite 5 pushed the series forward a bit with clever implementation of existing Sniper Elite mechanics and great level design, making for a sandbox full of fresh and inventive violence.
And Sniper Elite: Resistance continued that trend, using many of the same toys built by its predecessor and playing with them in a slightly different way. Some may find they enjoy one of these games more than the other, but finding a true advantage in one is entirely going to be down to taste.
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