Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2

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Leisher
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Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2

Post by Leisher »

Basically the same as the original, but some key differences:

The levels are designed far better to force gunfights, so it ups the difficulty if you're playing stealth.

There are now true sniper levels and it easily makes this the best sniper game/simulator I've ever played. Yes, those levels are a bit silly in theory because you are on one high mountain that just happens to overlook key facilities depending on which direction you're facing (you do have to travel around from vantage point to vantage point and do some stealthing or fighting to get to each), but it works. The distances are the longest in the game and it can get tricky. Some missions are simply blasting one person and being done. Others are more involved and get far more difficult. Having your position run up on while also dealing with counter snipers can get tough. The most difficult, by far, was one that involved both an assassination and the freeing of a prisoner.

The story is good. Both games have you pulling jobs, although really one huge job, for an anonymous client in a fictitious political landscape. I will say the pay seems shockingly low considered what is asked of you and what you pull off... :D

There's a bonus level when you're done with the story here that seemed tacked on, but it's still good.

There is a lot to love in this series, but I have a lot of criticisms too.

-The drone and remote sniper turret should be dumped. The sniper turret is useless on the long range levels, and feels like something, that while cool, probably makes level design slightly more difficult as they must account for it. I just don't think what it brings to the levels is worth it. I'd rather they design levels with only the player in mind. Meanwhile, the drone is fine, but I'd remove the poison dart feature and the hacking ability. Also, seeing it should alert all guards in reality, so not something a real sniper would use like it can be used here. Just make it a long range camera. Something a sniper can toss up, fly high, and scout from that vantage point. However, knowing that enemies who notice it would sound the alarm.
-I never once encountered explosive rounds. Not once. I also never encountered the ones that shoot straight and don't dip to gravity. Never had a use for EMP ones either. A simple regular bullet into a camera was enough. Point being, either dump these from the game or give us real reasons to use them.
-Retool the purchasable upgrades. I purposely did not buy most of them. They give you too many advantages considering the next point...
-Enemy AI needs a lot of improvement. This is the most disappointing thing about the game. Sometimes it feels like you're at war with a whole batch of Helen Kellers. There were moments I was 40M from a soldier looking right at me and he didn't even flinch. This would be fine if I was hidden, but I'd be blatantly out of cover in the middle of the road or something. Now granted, that's far enough that he might not make out my face, but I'm not wearing their uniform, so... Additionally, I'd like to see the enemy become far more punishing once you are discovered. They already bum rush the position, use counter snipers, and mortars, but it's not enough. The site you're raiding never calls in backups. Also, picking off the rushing soldiers can be easy. I'd prefer if they used actual tactics like cover fire as they advance. Oh, and their ability to know exactly where I fired from once they're looking for me is ridiculous. I can be south of an encampment, get discovered, move all the way to NW of it, fire one shot, and they know immediately where I moved to. Sometimes I can shoot out a camera from complete cover and if a soldier is suspicious he'll walk right over to where I shot from. Reinforcements should arrive in huge numbers basically resetting an area. Maybe even include a helicopter from time to time that forces a more strategic retreat. Also, other sites on the map should have additional guards added if you get discovered elsewhere. A military would beef up security at all of its sites if a sniper was discovered at one nearby.
-They need more surprises too. There was a bounty side mission in the first game that once I grabbed the evidence from my kill a rival team showed up and gave me a really tough fight. That was awesome. Also, there's a mission in the first game where my target was behind bullet proof glass. Don't let me know that. Want to make that info discoverable in mission? Fine. However, sometimes intel sucks and gets an operator into trouble. Let something like that play out.

I think they've got a great base game at this point and now they need to focus on AI, stripping out fluff, and level design.

Overall, I promise you this series is fun and the best sniper game out there of the ones I've played. Although, I feel like I need to give the sniper elite (or whatever it's called) series a fresh look. I look forward to any new entry in this series.
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