Review | Sniper Elite 5: Conqueror Mission, Weapon and Skin Pack DLC

We are already at the end of Season Pass One for Sniper Elite 5 and the final DLC is here.  Available as part of the Season Pass (which is currently on sale) and for purchase independently, this package contains a brand new mission, a shotgun plus attachments and some Oak Leaf paint weapon skins.  It’s time to return to the anti-Nazi battleground in the Xbox Era review of Sniper Elite 5: Conqueror.

This time around Karl Fairburne has been tasked with infiltrating the French town of Falaise and assassinating a General lurking deep inside the castle keep.  To make matters more interesting Nazi forces have dug in around the castle and are making a valiant last stand supported by armoured vehicles and a particularly vicious set of snipers.  In the usual Sniper Elite style, many other tasks are waiting to be discovered as Karl explores his surroundings.

Looking very smart

Released at the same time as the free for all players ‘Airborne Elite Weapon and Skin Pack’, I was able to enter this mission dressed in a British Parachute Regiment uniform complete with the famous beret and rocking the Lee No.4 bolt-action rifle which fires powerful 303 rounds.  The Welrod Union Jack skin I chose to leave at home as it could be construed by some people as a bit right-wing these days and is rather gaudy for taking out into the field.

I took my time on this mission and had a great time with it.  As well as being presented with a variety of different challenges, Conqueror also sees the return of the dreaded Jäger Infantry who need to be taken more seriously than the standard enemy soldiers and are always fun to come up against.  Enemy density was at a good level on the map and led to several sweaty moments when I found myself pinned down and under assault from all sides.

A Boomstick!

The Lee No.4 rifle proved itself to be a capable piece of kit throughout the mission but the real game changer was the new triple-barrelled Luftwaffe survival shotgun included in the pack.  The ‘Drilling’ (with Oak Leaf paint obviously) is an absolute beast of a weapon.  I usually like to have a submachine gun handy for close-quarters engagements but not anymore.  This bad boy is a lethal piece of weaponry.  Not only does it virtually cut people in half when used up close it can also be used effectively at distance for lethal cranium-bursting antics.  It may even replace the PPSH Soviet Submachine gun as my secondary weapon of choice going forwards, it is that impressive.

The DLC performed well on my XBOX Series X and I came across no glitches or issues of any kind during my playthrough.  I can honestly say that this is the best of the three DLC missions so far and that Season Pass One in its entirety has delivered and made one of the best games of the year even more impressive.  I have spent sixty-four hours playing the game so far and still have lots of enthusiasm for it.

Challenging

It is also worth mentioning the new Survival Map ‘Tide of War’ which has just been released and is also free for all players.  Set in the town of Colline-Sur-Mer from the final stages of the first mission in the campaign, this proves to be a challenging and very rewarding addition to the roster.  Fighting off wave after wave of enemies (including Jäger infantry) across sandy areas, open fields and winding seafront streets gave me a hell of an adrenaline rush and I suspect it will to anyone else who teams up to play it.

In conclusion, Conqueror is a fitting end to the season for Sniper Elite 5.  Delivering not only a great mission experience but also a game-changing new weapon, this DLC is a must for fans of the game.  The free  Survival Map and Airborne Elite pack released at the same time are also of high quality and enhance the experience so they are well worth checking out. 

Sniper Elite fans, enjoy your gift.

Reviewed on	Xbox Series X
Available on	Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PS4|PS5
Release Date	November 29th, 2022
Developer	Flix Interactive
Publisher	Rebellion
Rated	PEGI 16