The recent launch of Sniper Elite: Resistance has offered an engaging extra boost of content for fans of the franchise, with the release of the game being quite impressive when considering another Rebellion title, Atomfall, is set to launch very soon on March 27. Resistance does not have the length and originality of a major Sniper Elite release, but it will hopefully act as a fun tide-over for players in anticipation for the franchise’s next mainline project.
While Sniper Elite: Resistance possesses a lot of the same mechanics and even the same major setting as 2022’s Sniper Elite 5, there are some ways in which the title builds from its predecessor, largely in how the ambitious Axis Invasion mechanic has been implemented. The improvements that have been made to Axis Invasion in Sniper Elite: Resistance puts the mode in a fantastic position, with its inclusion in Resistance hopefully confirming it as a mainstay feature for the franchise going forward.
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Invasion Mode Could Become a Big Draw For Future Sniper Elite Games
The Invasion Mode mechanic was first introduced to the franchise in Sniper Elite 5, offering a tense and addictive PvP mechanic to the game’s campaign. With Invasion Mode turned on, players can open up their single-player campaign to be invaded by another player who takes the role of the Jaeger Sniper, with both players then having to cautiously track down and eliminate their opponent before the mission ends.
Racking up kills as either a defending host or an attacking player comes with a wide range of cosmetic rewards and weapon unlocks. This offers a great gameplay loop to the mechanic, on top of the way it results in a seemingly endless variety of unique interactions within the game’s campaign missions. Invasion Mode stood as one of the most interesting fresh features for Sniper Elite 5, so it’s no wonder that the mechanic has evolved and been carried over to the recently released Sniper Elite: Resistance.
Resistance has drawn some criticism for its shorter length compared to mainline Sniper Elite titles, and the inclusion of Invasion Mode seems to have served as a great way to increase the longevity and replayability of the title even more so than Sniper Elite 5. Some key improvements have also been made to Invasion Mode in Resistance. Players can now invite their friends to an Invasion match for direct PvP gameplay that was not possible outside of random matchmaking in Sniper Elite 5.
It should take players around six hours to complete Sniper Elite: Resistance‘s story, compared to the roughly ten hours it takes to complete Sniper Elite 5.
Despite Its Appeal, There is Still Plenty of Room For Invasion Mode to Grow
The core mechanics of Invasion Mode now seem fairly solid and replicable in any future Sniper Elite game, with the absence of the feature in any future entry to the series likely drawing a lot of criticism from fans. Of course, there are still plenty of ways that Invasion Mode can be improved in the future, with Rebellion potentially including things like missions purpose built for Invasion, where both players have their own range of objectives to complete within the same space.
The sheer potential and pre-existing positive attention around Invasion Mode has provided a real breath of fresh air for the franchise that Resistance has only carried forward. While the Sniper Elite franchise has featured multiplayer modes and co-op campaign gameplay for some time now, the meticulous and tense gameplay of 1v1 invasions is a match made in heaven for the IP. With Resistance polishing the feature even further, it seems clear that Invasion Mode is thankfully here to stay for Sniper Elite going forward.
Third-Person Shooter
Action
Adventure
- Released
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January 30, 2025
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
- Publisher(s)
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Rebellion Entertainment