Developer Rebellion has managed to up the ante with the online modes and options present for Sniper Elite 5. The latest iteration of its long-running and popular shooter features a new PVP mode that takes inspiration from the Dark Souls series. For comparison, the classic FPS Perfect Dark also featured a similar manner titled Counter Ops. The campaign invasions add a new element of danger to the campaign, which is how this new mode works in Sniper Elite.
Setting up a campaign invasion
Once at the main menu, simply select the Axis invasion tab, and you will be presented with the screen pictured above. This will act as a hub for customizing your Axis invader outfit and weapon loadout.
The invader has a complete skill tree that is maxed out and already equipped with a great sampling of unique skills. Ranks will unlock based on your invasion performance, and these unlocks can be used in the campaign as the main characters. Once you equip your loadout, select Invasion Search to find a game to invade.
Cat and mouse
You can see a small phone icon in the screenshot pictured above on the mini-map. This phone is a feature that only works during an invasion. Each campaign mission contains several phones scattered throughout. These phones can work in two ways. They can give you an approximate snapshot of the invading player’s location as a campaign player. You are free to use the phone multiple times, but repeated use will backfire, and the invader will triangulate your position.
As an invader, once five minutes have passed, you may use the phone and receive an approximate location of the campaign player. You may also rig these phones with a booby trap or lay a mine down to catch an unsuspecting player off guard. Any objectives a player performs while an invader is present awards a lot of bonus XP. As the invader, only kills performed by you can raise your rank quickly; kills by the enemy AI will net you much less experience.
For any players worried about these invasions, campaign players can disable them from the main menu or during mission selection.
