Launching day-one on Xbox Game Pass, Sniper Elite 5 is likely to find itself in the hands of many subscribers who may be unfamiliar with the history of the franchise. From its setting to core facets of its gameplay, there are many aspects about the upcoming title that people should know about before it releases.
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The Plot and Setting of Sniper Elite 5
As expected, Sniper Elite 5 will see players take control of long-time protagonist Karl Fairburne, a highly specialized and lethal operator who thrives as a lone wolf. Set during World War 2, Sniper Elite 5 will offer the same calculated stealth-based gameplay that the franchise has become known for.
Sniper Elite 5 will take place in 1944’s France, offering a gritty contrast to the sunny Italian setting of Sniper Elite 4. Players will join forces with enclaves of the French resistance to help weaken the intimidating “Atlantikwall” fortifications of Brittany, aiding the Allied invasion of Europe. To further compound the high-stakes nature of the missions players will undergo, a mysterious and potentially catastrophic Nazi plot called “Operation Kraken” must also be uncovered. With the detailed maps of Sniper Elite 5’s missions reportedly being based on real-life locations, players will likely enjoy some of the most breathtaking landscapes the franchise has seen yet while conducting their assassinations.
The Unique Difficulty Scaling of Sniper Elite 5
One of the more unique aspects of the recent titles within the Sniper Elite franchise is their high level of replayability thanks to difficulty options in the campaigns. In total, Sniper Elite 4 had five difficulty levels, with each subsequent difficulty offering higher enemy AI intelligence, but also altering the core sniping mechanics.
On cadet difficulty, the easiest mode, there is no bullet ballistics or wind resistance that need to be taken into account when sniping from afar. The hardest mode is authentic plus, which offers no HUD or mini-map and requiring realistic long-range marksmanship techniques such as bullet drop estimation and range adjustment. With this system likely coming back with the upcoming Sniper Elite 5, dedicated players should be able to work their way through the difficulty tiers to refine their abilities.
Sniper Elite 5 on Xbox Game Pass and Multiplayer Modes
An important aspect of Sniper Elite 5 is that the game is set to release on the highly successful Xbox Game Pass service. With the increased playerbase that this is likely to foster on Xbox, multiplayer modes in Sniper Elite 5 could be more popular than ever.
Players can experience adversarial online matches over a variety of modes and ranges of combat with comprehensive 12-player multiplayer, or engage in co-op through Sniper Elite 5’s PvE survival mode. In addition to this, there is set to be a franchise-first “Invasion Mode” in Sniper Elite 5, akin to the invasions of FromSoftware titles. This mode will allows players who opt in to invade, or be invaded by, another player during the campaign. The invading player acts as a hidden Axis sniper, attempting to hunt down the host through a test of vigilance and wits.
Sniper Elite 5 releases for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on May 26, 2022.
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