Tips For Invasion Mode In Sniper Elite: Resistance

The Sniper Elite series has always been a heavy-hitter when it comes to Nazi sniping action. Sniper Elite: Resistance brings a new protagonist to the series in the form of sharpshooter Harry Hawker, but keeps many of the old exciting principles that have made the series a fan favorite. X-Ray kills, an over-the-top campaign, and even the deadly Axis Invasion Mode make a return.

Whether you are Harry himself, or the invading counter-sniper, there are some tips and tricks to make sure you’re the only surviving sharpshooter of the match. From some simple pre-planning, the tools at your disposal, and even the tactics you use against your enemy can all make you a devastating opponent in invasion mode.

9

Use The Black Phones

Sniper Calling

Something you may have noticed from your campaign missions are the various black phones on the walls in different locations throughout the map. These are invasion phones that will give you the approximate location of your enemy.

They are usually found in indoor areas, military locations where it would make sense for an intel phone line to be. Use these at the beginning of the invasion to get a rough idea of the spawn point of your enemy, or whenever you’ve completely lost track of your competitor. This goes for both the invader and the invaded.

8

Scout Ahead

Eagle-Eye

Knowing the map you’re on is the key to both getting through a mission alive, and on the other end of the match, killing Harry before he can complete his goals. Scouting the surrounding area, and ultimately the map as a whole, is the first step for any invasion mission.

This will not only help you get a lay of the land, but it will also help you pick out any odd occurrences or changes to what is going on around you. Missing soldiers and loud noises are key things to notice as the invader, and the invaded character should pay attention to any enemies that are behaving oddly or are out of place.

7

Don’t Rush

The Turtle And The Harry

This is a game that ultimately rewards calm, calculated moves and this goes double for the invasion mode. For the person playing the campaign, whenever the notice that you’ve been invaded comes on screen, you should instantly redouble your efforts to play slowly and calmly.

It can be easy to get worried and start rushing around to complete your goals before you get caught, but a clear head will pay off in the long run. This also goes for the invader. It’s best to get accustomed to the flow of the surrounding map, figuring out what the main character has to complete still, and starting to get an idea for how to disrupt them or cut them off completely.

This is also great advice when you get a brief glance at your enemy. It can be easy to rush ahead and go in guns blazing, but being the calmer of the two of you can easily lead to victory.

6

Use The Environment

The World’s Your Oyster

As the Sniper Elite games have grown, the maps have become more and more detailed, both in scenery, and in ways to interact with them. Using that to your advantage in Resistance can help you not only get the drop on your enemy, but also end the match far more easily than just trying to counter-snipe them.

There are a couple of ways to do this. The most obvious are the sound masks, explosive devices, and droppable gargoyles and cargo containers that can help take out targets without getting a shot on them directly. It can be helpful to map these out and wait for the enemy sniper to walk by one, or even set a trap by interacting with one and waiting for your enemy to investigate.

The invading sniper can also use the Nazi AI to your advantage. They can heighten the senses of nearby groups of soldiers, making them notice the resistance sniper faster and being altogether more aggressive. Regardless, they should pay attention to any interruptions in the game’s AI.

5

Plan Your Shots

The Waiting Game

While this goes for both sides of the invasion mode, it’s easier done for the invader. There are mission-specific things that Harry must do to succeed. Knowing what those are and heading the enemy player off is the best way to take them out with relative ease.

If you’re invading a player, you should have an idea of what they must do in the mission from your own playthrough of the campaign. Moving quickly to find a hiding spot where you can observe this mission-specific objective will let you settle in and be on the lookout for any hint of your enemy approaching.

Pre-seeding these areas with traps will also help. Either killing your enemy second-hand or slowing them down while they take care of the traps.

High-up locations are the obvious ones here, and there’s nothing wrong with a sniper’s perch on high. But it doesn’t hurt to get creative and lie in wait somewhere on street level or in close-confines where the enemy sniper may not expect you.

4

Use Your Corners

Lying In Wait

It may seem cheap at times, but using the camera angles to your advantage can save you a lot of heartbreak when things get intense. You can usually adjust your camera to peak around corners without throwing your character around them.

Empty streets, long halls, staircases, and any other corner can be the perfect place for an enemy sniper to be lying in wait for you. Use corner cover and get a good angle on what’s coming up before diving headlong into a new area. It just takes one glance from the enemy sniper to know what part of the map you’re on, and from there it can easily become a game of cat and mouse.

3

Get In Their Head

I Think, Therefore I Am

It’s not all about fast shots and wind speed. Knowing what your enemy is thinking is a must-do for games of invasion. This gets easier as you play the game and have a few successful, or even unsuccessful, missions under your belt, but gut instinct counts for a lot.

Places that you would hide, lay traps, or even shortcuts you would use if you were on the other side of the match are all probably key areas to watch out for. Making these harder to access, or at least keeping an eye on them, can lead to some pretty satisfying results. All it takes is one lucky glance and the chase is on.

2

Blend In

Cool, Calm, And Casual

You should, by the end of your normal campaign, have access to a handful of different skins and helmets for your axis invader. This may seem like something to adjust only for fun, but taking the time to cleverly customize your character can help you blend in with the surrounding map.

There should be at least one option that resembles a normal axis soldier for each mission. It doesn’t have to be exact, but getting close can help you blend in if seen from a distance. That, and taking it further by acting like a normal game AI, can help you blend in to your surroundings while in plain sight.

1

Don’t Let Up

Keep Up The Pressure

Not all invasion matches are over in a single shot. Winging the enemy sniper, or just catching a glimpse of one another can lead to a stressful few minutes directly following.

Make sure when this happens to keep up the pressure. It can be easy for the invaded player to break away and think they can continue on with their mission unaccosted. Both parties should reposition whenever they have been spotted. Chasing directly after the enemy isn’t always a bad idea, but it should be used wisely. By keeping the pressure on an injured or startled enemy, it can be easier to catch them off-guard or in the middle of a critical moment like reloading or healing.