Everyone’s favorite long-distance third-person shooter is back! Sniper Elite 5 delivers more action, more twists to the formula, and another opportunity to desecrate Hitler once again. Taking place in occupied France, the game features several stunning locations such as the Le Mont Saint Michel and several picturesque French towns (covered in Nazi guts, of course).

Although similar to previous entries in the franchise, Sniper Elite 5 offers new mechanics and surprises for returning fans and newcomers alike. So before players get parachuted down onto the war-torn fields of France, they might want to stick around and gather a bit of intel to avoid some common mistakes.

7 Underestimating Mission Time

sniper elite 5

Players need to know what they’re getting into, because missions in this game take hours. Although the game only comes with eight missions (with additional ones on the way), the maps are massive. Depending on the playstyle, players can easily take about two hours or more on just one mission alone. The game features multiple collectibles as well, which will add additional time for perfectionists out there.

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Chances are that players will not have that smooth stealth run on their first playthrough, which means more reloaded saves for stealthier gamers or firefights. Know that each level is long and allocate enough time to cleanse France of its Nazi filth.

6 Not Using The 1911

sniper elite 5 suppressed pistol

As mentioned above, the maps are big. As players will not get that perfect stealth score and may panic as guards begin to signal the alarm, players will need to rely on a fast-firing and suppressed backup gun to tidy up those loose ends and not alert the entire perimeter.

Enter the 1911 pistol, a gun that is sometimes even more reliable than a trusty sniper rifle. Underestimating this weapon's usefulness is a huge mistake. At the beginning of the game, players can choose to upgrade their 1911 pistol instead of their sniper rifle. Choose the 1911. Doing so will mean that early on, players can have access to a decked-out 1911 fitted with a scope and armor-piercing bullets (players have a second sniper). Plus, the kill animations with knives and pistols are just beautiful to watch.

5 Trying To Be Perfect

sniper elite 5 being quiet and avoiding nazis

Nobody gets things perfect on the first try. With big maps and tons of things to discover, players should run around the map and not fret about the times they are discovered by the enemy. Dotted around the map are workbenches, where players can upgrade their weapons based on the various things they’ve acquired.

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Adopting a carefree attitude and being okay with running into enemies is fine. In fact, this tactic improves map awareness and gives players a better idea of how to approach future stealth runs with the right intel and care.

4 Not Prioritizing Invasions

sniper elite 5 getting sniped by invader

Invasions are an interesting but initially confusing element of the game, which occur when an enemy player enters the host’s game as a sniper and must attempt to bring down the host. Similar to games like Death Loop and Elden Ring, it differs in Sniper Elite 5 in that enemy snipers look like regular Nazis, and don’t have a special hue or indicator to designate that they’re the invader.

When invasions do occur, players should focus on eliminating the enemy player rather than continuing with the main mission — doing both at once is extremely difficult. Eliminating the enemy invader gives hosts additional skins, upgrades, and XP. Invaders also need to hunt the player as they cannot camp, but they can interact with other Nazi soldiers to increase awareness. Moreover, every enemy killed and object destroyed provides intel for the enemy regarding the host's whereabouts. Thus, hosts should proceed with caution during a game.

3 Forgetting About Karl During Invasions

Sniper Elite 5 enemy sniper takes the shot

Host players should not panic if an invasion occurs — in fact, it can be turned off should players wish. Better yet, host players can invite a coop partner as a backup. If players do proceed with the invasion feature present, hosts should not forget to use Karl’s special abilities.

First, Karl can focus and detect enemies nearby. This is apparent in tighter spaces such as buildings or bunkers, and can be used to detect if an enemy is near. Moreover, the fact that enemy snipers can’t camp means that Karl has the advantage of staying still to gather intel and wits. An array of strategies such as creating delayed explosions or booby-trapping phones (or using them to track the enemy) can be employed to get the upper hand over enemies. Host players should know that each side can know when a phone is booby-trapped, so it might be advantageous not to do it to throw off the invader.

2 Neglecting Melee

sniper elite 5 melee melee takedown

Melee in Sniper Elite 5 is incredibly overpowered. Players can feel like One Punch Man just by delivering lengthy blows to knock out their enemies. As enemies in the game aren’t particularly bright, a constant stream of Nazis can be lured to specific locations and be punched out of commission.

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This works especially well around corners and rooms connected to stairways. Players can get behind one of those and just whistle to rack up a pretty high body count. It may not be the most glamorous way to take out enemies, but it's incredibly humorous and it gets the job done. Players shoulf note that general melee takedowns are faster than guns and have a surprisingly decent range. Plus, it can save players a decent amount of ammo.

1 Not Using Traps

sniper elite 5 enemies

As enemies can reach higher levels of alarm pretty quickly and beginners will most likely be detected by enemies, players should disorient the enemy AI to cover their tracks and (and even confuse the invader). Players can achieve this by taking out alarms along the way and eliminating Nazi officers to further disorientate the soldiers. However, players shouldn’t neglect to place down traps as they move along.

The best way to confuse the enemy and put players at an advantage is to place mines and booby traps. This can be done by attaching them to dead enemy soldiers and will simply further confuse the AI, allowing players to slip through or escape dangerous firefights. Remember, chaos is a ladder.

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