Sniper: Ghost Warrior

I love finding new gems in the gaming space, don't you? There are many different genres, of course, which makes things very, very interesting. Now, I've played many games over the years - including a couple of different first-person shooters. I even wrote an article listing 5 underappreciated video games a few years ago.

Sadly, I didn't know about Sniper: Ghost Warrior. If I had known, I'd have added it to that list.

What is Sniper: Ghost Warrior? Is it worth playing?

Well, that's what we're discussing today, let's get to it!

Technically the 2nd Game

Sniper: Ghost Warrior is a tactical first-person shooter and is technically the second in a series of six titles (there are 6 games as of 2021). The first game, Sniper: Art of Victory, came out in 2008 and was a WWII shooter that, surprise, surprise, followed a sniper. The game wasn't well-received, but developer CI Games decided to continue on and do another one.

The game was designed using the Chrome Engine, which was used in Techland's Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood. The AI was designed to be as realistic as possible, which made it easier to hide in the foliage.

Reviews were mixed. Critics and players alike loved the visuals, the satisfying shooting mechanics, and kill cams. On the other hand, criticism was levelled at the difficulty curve, inconsistent AI, and some of the more Call of Duty- style scenarios.

2 Campaigns: Hunting a Dictator in South America

The South American country of Isle Trueno loses its democratic government to a military coup d'état. The leader of the new regime, General Vasquez, is a nasty piece of work, and a Delta team is sent to assassinate him. The first attempt fails, and Vasquez gets away. Tyler subsequently has to go on the hunt to catch the guy and take him out.

The DLC Campaign is Shorter:

There's also a second campaign that picks up a short while after the general's successful assassination. Tyler and his spotter are sent after a man named Santana - Vasquez's successor. The campaign, titled Unfinished Business, is only 3 missions, but it's just as exciting as the game's main story.

What did I Like about Sniper: Ghost Warrior?

Right, what did I like about Sniper: Ghost Warrior? What works here?

• First off, the graphics are lovely! Even 16 years after its release, Sniper: Ghost Warrior still looks really, really good. I also really liked the music.
• The voice acting is fairly good, and I loved the use of military-esque lingo.
• Combat is mostly satisfying. I loved the sniper mechanics, and the kill cam just increases the satisfaction of a good kill.
• The cut scenes and stealth sequences are tense which I love.

Now, you'll notice I said combat was 'mostly satisfying' - let's discuss that next.

Where does Sniper: Ghost Warrior Stumble?

Sniper: Ghost Warrior does have a few flaws, and the easiest place to start is with the combat. So, what's the problem? I just said I liked the combat, so what's the problem? Two words: assault rifles.

• The sniper rifles and pistols are great, but the assault rifles are absolutely impossible to use effectively. The recoil on these weapons makes them impossible to control.
• The run-and-gun sections are way too similar to the Call of Duty series.
• There's no real flexibility with missions. There's a specific waypoint that marks the path you have to take. You can't examine terrain and find better sniping positions. If you wander off the given trail, the screen goes grey, and you get yelled at to get back on track.

So, Final Verdict?

So, what's my final verdict? Is this one worth exploring? Honestly, yeah, I'd say so. It's not perfect; there are a lot of similarities with Call of Duty, and the levels are very linear. With that said, it's a great time-waster.