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Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2

Players are reunited with ace-shot Cole Anderson as he battles deep behind enemy lines, picking off any number of terrorist antagonists.

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Unlike most military shooters the focus is on sticking to the shadows, remaining undetected and executing kill shots from long distance.

There are some nice ideas at play in Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2. A more careful and methodical approach to an FPS game isn't bad in theory. Unfortunately in practice it fails to captivate much interest beyond the first hour or so of gameplay, which is a problem when entering a game into the crowded and competitive first person shooter genre.

Tasked with preventing the exchange of stolen bio-weaponry, Cole Anderson must clear a path to his objectives, and more often than not, end up providing cover for an assault team so they can successfully take control of an enemy stronghold.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2
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The opening mission in the Philippines plays out quite well. The mechanics are introduced through some interesting gameplay, and clearing areas is initially quite enjoyable despite a lack of freedom in how to approach objectives. Patience is rewarded, while diving headlong into battle is likely to result in being riddled with bullets by the merciless AI, making stealth a necessity. The locations, while linear and buggy, provide plenty of opportunity for sneaking around to find the perfect sniper point.

Unfortunately nothing ever really evolves from the promising intro and Sniper 2 rapidly descends downhill. Throughout the game Anderson is constantly taking orders. He's told when to move and when to stop, when and where to shoot, what equipment to use and when to use it. The result is a game that removes choice from the player. Sniper 2 should encourage smart strategic and tactical thinking, but instead leads the player through a linear campaign firmly by the hand.

Combat is mostly bunkering down and picking off enemies as they meander around the area you need to clear. The best approach is to find a perch that offers a good view and scope out the area with binoculars before any bullets start to fly. Most of the time Anderson is told where to aim, but shouldn't necessarily trust the crosshairs. Wind speed, gravity and bullet-drop all play a factor in shooting so it's important to pay attention to subtle indications to land successful shots. On the hardest difficulty heartbeat and breathing can make all the difference. In this sense Sniper 2 is slightly more innovative than similar shooters.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2
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Unfortunately the combat quickly becomes repetitive. You traverse from set piece to set piece and end up using the same techniques over and over. Inconsistent enemy AI doesn't help: sometimes they completely fail to notice you gunning down a teammate stood a few feet away. At other times they demonstrate astonishing spotting skills, identifying even the stealthiest sniper from the other side of the map. When spotted, enemies run towards Anderson like a pack of dogs, forcing a desperate scrap for survival.

There's potential for some exhilarating simulation mechanics but Sniper 2 never reaches these heights. Outdated rag doll physics and stiff character animations ruin the game's sense of immersion. It can be a nightmare trying to determine who to shoot at as enemies blend into the background. Even the best shots become unsatisfying due to poor enemy reactions.

Clearing an area from distance is concluded with a slow motion kill cam that can be enjoyable, but also highlights the rubbish physics, slow AI reactions and some of the game's many glitches.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2

Playing ‘spot the glitch' becomes its own mini-game. There are quite a few of them peppered throughout the campaign, including poor collision detection, stuttering frame rates and inanimate objects getting stuck to the viewfinder. Most can be navigated so it's rarely game breaking but all of them are noticeable. At one point a plank of wood glued itself to the viewfinder, and a reload was required so progress could be continued.

That Sniper 2 shares its engine with the stunning Crysis 3 makes it incredible how dated it looks. There's some good shimmer and ripple water effects, but the foliage you have to stick to in order to remain undetected is blocky and unmoved by the player trampling through it.
The areas you work through are very linear and tarnished by poor resolutions - washed out colours and textures pop in and out right next to the player character. Explosions and blood effects consistently disappoint, both look like the results of a kid playing with the spray feature in MS Paint.

Thankfully Sniper: Ghost Warriors 2's first person animations are largely well crafted. They provide a decent depiction of movement, crouching, going prone and reloading. The weapons are well realised as well, each is finely detailed with slight variations on scopes and trigger sensitivity. These details add up to little significance though, marred as they are by the by the repetitive gameplay and disappointing environments.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2

Occasional glimpses of what the game could have been provide enjoyable moments. One highlight is sneaking out of an abandoned school where Anderson was being held prisoner. Unfortunately it's back to the same old boring hiding in bushes and sneaking up on enemies who always conveniently have their backs turned far too quickly.

The soundtrack does what it can to create some excitement, but it rarely stands out and can be ridiculously over the top as it thumps through the speakers while you wait for one guy to poke his head out from behind cover. The guns themselves rarely give any audio enjoyment; silenced throughout, it's mostly a quick ‘pew' reminiscent of the N64's Goldeneye silenced PP9.

What narrative there is wallows in clichéd, poorly delivered dialogue. The deep and aggressive grunting of soldiers rarely delivers any depth. You suspect it's all parody, but you're never sure if that's true. Cut scenes belong in games from a decade ago, colours seep into each other and characters are surrounded by a white aura. Mouths open wide and flap around when anybody speaks.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2

Sometimes even the most mediocre campaign can be redeemed by a great multiplayer. This isn't the case in Sniper 2. There's only one way to play, a team deathmatch, and only two maps to play on. It plays as expected, with opposing snipers competing for the best locations in front of simple backdrops. All matches are hosted on player servers which can lead to lag and means players are dependant on good connections and reliable hosts.

It's not all bad. Playing against other people definitely ups the excitement when compared to taking on the predictable AI. There are a few thrills to be had from picking off unsuspecting opponents, and tension builds as you never quite know if somebody has sights on your location. There aren't any unlocks or a progression system, so forget about any rewards beyond the pleasure of playing. The campaign could have been an enjoyable co-op experience, but for whatever reason the developer decided not to take that option.

The launch price of £25/£30, doesn't suggest quality and doesn't deliver it either. Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 plays like a long-range Call of Duty title without any of the intensity, attention to detail or breath-taking moments. It doesn't do anything truly terrible, but is uninspired and unremarkable throughout.

It feels dated most of the time and only stands out briefly in certain moments. For fans of stealth and sniping there might be some enjoyment to be had, but Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 isn't going to impress many people.

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05 Gamereactor UK
5 / 10
+
+ Interesting approach + variety of locations
-
- Poor physics effects - numerous glitches - repetitive gameplay -under utilised engine
overall score
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