Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2
Reviewed By Luke "Lukaz" Withoos
Some might think that a Sniper is a specialty position saved for the best of the best within a battallian of soldiers. Fans of the Call of Duty, Battlefield or Counter-Strike series would tell you that the role of a sniper in a first person shooter is one saved for gamers with a tad more skill than the average gamer. Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 takes that theory and bashes it over the head with the stock of a sniper rifle and says "Even you can do it."
As I started the game I was immediately captured by the sheer beauty of the CryEngine 3; used in the Crysis 3 and FarCry 3 titles. Thus, I decided to run my eyes down the scope to see what this game truly holds.
Initially, I felt this title may be quite one dimensional, I soon found out that this isn't entirely the case; A stealth soldier has a very demanding role in a combat situation. Led by a spotter, various targets are indicated to the gamer and the gamer must, you guessed it, shoot the targets. It's not as easy as it sounds, I assure you.
I must admit, I'm pretty familiar with first person shooter titles, so a game solely focused on one aspect, "Sniping" led me to think this was going to be a piece of cake. To my surprise, the result was quite the opposite. There are a myriad of tactics to master to elimate the enemy, the most important of which being; Holding ones breath to increase aim reliability and following the spotters instructions to the letter. Failure to do so will result in either alarms being raised or fire fights with zero chance of survival.
Gamers are thrown into the fray right from the get-go. With no introduction to the story, gamers begin in a combat situation; dressed in full camouflage and covered in foliage you emerge from a swamp as your spotter takes down an enemy off a small pier. Climbing out of the swampy water with nothing but your trusty sniper rifle, the player immediately runs to a view point to take their first shot.
The basic gist of the story involves players taking control of Private Security Consultant Captain Cole Anderson. He is on a mission with his colleague Agent Diaz to destroy a Russian Radar post and investigate whisperings of a WMD. The story follows a similar storyline to any shooter you may have played before and brings nothing new to the table.
Obviously, the need for stealth is essential in this game and this delivers the greatest challenge. Being spotted is only half of the issue; the other half is ensuring that you hit your targets first time, every time. Should you miss a target, as in real life, the target would become aware of the bullet that flew past their ear and immediately start searching for you and or setting off alarms. Bad News Indeed! These targets become increasingly harder to hit; particularly when enemies are so far away that you can't see them without a scope.
The voice acting of the spotter is worthy of note. If his voice were irritating, he would be contender for most annoying NPC of 2013 simply because of his constant role in guiding your shots; but his soothing and suitable voice definitely rules him out for this prestigious title.
I found Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 to be one of the most surprising games I have played so far this year. The mechanics of the game are quite sound and the atmosphere is strong due to the beauty of the Cry Engine 3.
This is a pleasant surprise in a plethora of stealth titles currently making their way into the market. Recommended for anyone who has a penchant for stealth and first person shooters that require thinking rather than just full-force shooting. Well done, City Interactive.
Game: Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2
System: PC
Developer/Co-Developer: City Interactive
Publisher: City Interactive
