While we loved the challenge of Sniper Elite 5 when it launched earlier in 2022, we quickly felt a need for new content to keep improving our skills. Rebellion was mandatory with a small DLC pack called Wolf Mountain, where our goal was, as always in these types of packs, to kill Adolf Hitler. Or maybe one of his lookalikes, who knows?
Anyway, the first real piece of DLC is here now, in the form of the punchy Landing Force Mission and Weapon Pack. It may come as a shock to hear that it includes a new mission and two new weapons. Let’s sneak in to see what those dastardly Nazis are up to again…
Gamers of a certain vintage will no doubt be aware of the inspiration for this new mission, a movie called The Guns of Navarone. In the story of the Landing Force mission, the Nazis have taken an entire island; one that was once home to a luxury resort before deciding that what the decor really needed was a huge pair of cannons. These huge cannons can effectively close off the coast of France and prevent anything bigger than a herring from passing by, and so, with the planned invasion of Europe, those cannons must disappear. And who are they going to call? Well, it’s not Ghostbusters, that’s for sure. We need to infiltrate the island, stop the weapons, then make our way to a lighthouse and extinguish it, signaling that the coast is literally clear. What could go wrong?
The new location looks just as good as the rest of the mission areas in Sniper Elite 5, and has a good mix of long sightlines for easy sniping and close quarters personal combat in tight interior spaces. The big difference this time around is that the mission takes place at night, so it’s quite possible to accidentally run into enemy patrols; as usual, the fastest on the trigger will be the winner. Sneaking around with the gun at the ready, silenced of course, quickly becomes second nature. You’ll need to, as the enemies aren’t shy about sending reinforcements at all – disabling alarms is usually a good first step.
It all comes out and sounds good too; actually just as good as before. All in all, there’s not much to complain about the mission presentation, but there are a few odd glitches I’ll talk about later, but nothing I haven’t seen in a Sniper Elite game before.
But what about these new weapons? Well, there are two to choose from depending on your playstyle: a silent but deadly sniper rifle, the DL Carbine, which has a built-in silencer and uses subsonic ammunition, making it one of the quietest weapons out there. Not many people know that the loudest part of a weapon report is the sonic boom as the bullet exits the barrel, so slowing the bullets down will help a lot with a sneaky, peeping play style.
The other new weapon is the opposite: the PPSH submachine gun. With the ability to chew through bullets faster than I can chew through a McDonalds, this isn’t a subtle weapon, and if you do use it, the first thing you need to find is the hidden workbench in this mission, as it unlocks a 71. round drum magazine. Since this pistol can deliver about 1100 rounds per minute, it will help to have deep pockets for all the ammunition you will need.
Now, as usual in these missions, with a little light exploration you will discover additional objectives, and if you want to give the mission three stars, you must not only find them, but also complete them. This way, replaying is encouraged as you are unlikely to find all collectibles at once. The scene is well suited for some careful exploration and searching.
Problems with the Landing Force Mission and Weapon Pack? There is really only one, but it relates to the disappearance of the Nazis. To complete a gold medal collection for the pistols, you need to get Ghost kills with every firearm. The easiest way to achieve this is to knock the enemies unconscious in an area and then execute them gangland style with a bullet in the dome. Hey, war is hell! However, I’ve noticed that the people I knock out sink into the floor might leave a foot sticking out, making it impossible to get rid of them. Don’t get me wrong, it’s far from a bummer, but it’s annoying nonetheless.
Any other flaws? Well, this addition gives us a new achievement for completing the mission, which is always welcome, but what I’d really like to see is the level cap increased. I’ve been at level 40 with a max skill tree for a while and would like to progress again. Read this as a purely selfish comment.
Aside from that, the Landing Force Mission and Weapon Pack offers more of that Sniper Elite 5 goodness, and that’s always a good thing in anyone’s book.
You can find the Sniper Elite 5 Landing Force Mission and Weapon Pack on the Xbox store
While we loved the challenge of Sniper Elite 5 when it launched earlier in 2022, we soon felt a need for new content to keep improving our skills. Rebellion was mandatory with a small DLC pack called Wolf Mountain, where our goal was, as always in these types of packs, to kill Adolf Hitler. Or maybe one of his lookalikes, who knows? Anyway, the first real piece of DLC is here now, in the form of the punchy Landing Force Mission and Weapon Pack. It may come as a shock to learn that it is a…
Sniper Elite 5: Landing Force Mission and Weapon Pack Review
Sniper Elite 5: Landing Force Mission and Weapon Pack Review
2022-08-02
Paul Renshaw
Advantages:
- Good story mission, with a large area to play in
- Two new weapons to try out
- Looking as good as ever
cons:
- Disappearing Nazis rob you of Ghost kills
- Really needs a raise to the level cap
Information:
- Thank you very much for the free copy of the game go to – Rebellion
- Formats – Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, PS4, PS5
- Version Reviewed – Xbox Series X
- Release Date – July 26, 2022
- Introductory price from – £11.99
TXH score
4/5
Advantages:
- Good story mission, with a large area to play in
- Two new weapons to try out
- Looking as good as ever
cons:
- Disappearing Nazis rob you of Ghost kills
- Really needs a raise to the level cap
Information:
- Thank you very much for the free copy of the game go to – Rebellion
- Formats – Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, PS4, PS5
- Version Reviewed – Xbox Series X
- Release Date – July 26, 2022
- Introductory price from – £11.99
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