Sniper : Ghost Warrior 2

 Two years after the Initial Game , Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 comes in with a polished Graphics Engine , supposed to be a much more tactical and advanced Gun Mechanic Game. The first part was supposed to be a modern version of the age old Sniper Elite Game which takes place in the Olden Era of War . But unfortunately Ghost Warrior 1 could never compete with a legend like that . Namco was so sure that with this game they would reach the pinnacle of Sniper experience they had hoped to achieve with the Initial one . Huh , well lets see how they faired .

Plot ::

The entire pot revolves around Captain Cole Anderson and his pursuit to get a WMD ( weapons of Mass Destruction )which goes AWOL back into custody before it gets used by Evil hands . The Entire game is like a narration which is told from The player character's mind , As the levels zoom back to the past and to the present .

Graphics  ::

from Chrome Engine 4 ( used to create Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood ) to Cry Engine 3 is whooping improvement . And its sure does show in the game . The one thing that outshines like hell is the beauty of the Blue waters and the greenery of the Foliage with the sunlight streaming in an out of it . So when a game runs in CE3 you can surely expect all kinds of glitches and AA issues . Well this game has got many . You need a decent card even to run the game in its basic settings . Such is the power of Cry Engine 3 . Even a good Rig will suffer in FPS when it comes into intense action sections.

But still the game is amazing to look and experience .

Gameplay ::

Unfortunately unlike Crysis 3 this is not a Sandbox style game but rather employs the age old Linear style of gameplay that kind of pissed off many players. I mean come on seriously, Like in 2013 if a game is released which is so linear that even a step which you take which is not according to what game developers have designed will result in Imminent Death . For Eg : One level where I experienced this first hand was in the Cave Level .When your spotter tells you that some one is coming up in the path and asks you to quickly hide in the water , if you jump into the water that is on the right side of the bridge you are going to end up dead . On the other hand , you are supposed to jump on the left side which is of the same height and width , you will emerge alive . I mean that kind of programming is just plain silly huh .

But Although the linearity may irritate some players , some players may like the serious Linear gameplay . You have to follow the instructions given by your spotter to the spot if you are to cross a level unharmed . Leave it to your spotter to identify potential threats and hidden snipers . Because seriously without him , you wont even know where to look at all. That doesn't mean that you will always have him around . There comes levels where you are left on our own to fend for yourself as you follow the instincts which has been drilled into you by your spotter.

Night Vision

Gun Mechanics ::

In every Sniper Game , this is the Crucial part which matters . Well i cant say that I was excited when I was sniping or got a chance to put a bullet into the Head of a long Distance target . But i have to say Sniping was satisfactory as a whole . How ? you ask, Well maybe it has to do with Silencer attached to your gun at the front . Every shot is just a sizzle and Phut !! and not the traditional Canonic Boom that snipers are good at making . Well that makes this game more interesting .

In-Game Video

Especially when your spotter calls out Targets and you have to take them out before they get alerted by the already downed bodies of their comrades. Once a Guard gets alerted of your presence , a result of Sloppy Shot , They will rain down at you from all sides . The ones that are exactly in front of you will play some kind of weird hide and seek game with you while some are tricky to some extent that they try to sneak upon your position as you engage the others.  This may have been more exciting if not for the mini map. Because unlike FC3 Where you have to spot the enemies via Binoculars if you need them highlighted the mini map , this game actually shows the position of all your enemies as soon as you enter into a hostile area. Some what spoiling the fun of a unknown enemy sneaking up on you and knifing from your six.

But that doesn't mean there are some tough corners . Sometimes you have to make use of your Handgun if order to fight around close Quarters . Bcos aiming your rifle at close quarters is just plain ridiculous . And of course tats not how its done in Military . Lets face it . tats the Reason we play these kind of Military Stereo types .

Knife Kills 

The Bullet Cam does make an appearance now and the but nah somehow it lacks the excitement of the old Sniper Elite ignited in us . Its dull and Boring that you may just switch it off for a good Sniping experience.

Bullet Cam Initiated 

Pulling off headshots or One Shot kills becomes extremely hard as difficulty level ramps up . The harder the mode is , the harder it gets  to get a good shot in . The reason , Well let me tell you . All of Sniper Fans would know that the bullet does not travel in a straight line to its end of trajectory . When the initial propulsion dies down the bullet slows down and bends towards the Earth surface because of Gravity Pull . This is what they term as " BULLET DROP ". Well this comes a major factor when you need to take down enemies who are at a distance of more than 500m . Tats when there is a radical difference because of Bullet Drop and reduced velocity  .

Thermal Vision - Helpful in taking out enemies behind cover

You have to keep in  mind the direction of wind too if you want to pull off a successful shot . Because  the bullet Turns in the air too . Don't worry you will get that in the top of your viewfinder , so no need to panic :D . So in order to make it easy for the beginners or for players who are playing Sniper for the first time and doesn't know how to factor in all these , will be helped with a small Red circle that kind of acts as a Reticle Assist showing before hand as to where the bullet will drop because of the wind and distance . So all you have to do is to hold your breadth and Squeeze the Trigger by keeping the Small red Circle on the head of your target . Sounds easy ? Well it is easy in the Easy mode. In the medium mode , the Game engine gives you some time before the small red circle makes an appearance everytime you highlight an enemy in your scope . If you are really good you would have taken the shot even before the small circle makes an appearance .

Make a Note of your wind speed and Direction too before you fire .

In the hardest mode , the red circle never appears :) . Its all you and your Gun .

Pro's ::

1. Amazing Sniping Experience with real time bullet drop and wind conditions .
2. Cry Engine 3 makes the environment and textures look damn good . It can be a bit of strain on your GPU too . So watch it .
3. Real time Military Jargon that keeps a Military Junkies ( like me ;) ) High always :D .

Con's :: 

1. Story is little confusing and not clearly narrated .
2. In-Game videos sucks . While the actual gameplay looks damn good :D Well what a change over from the past games huh ;)
3. BGM could have been made a little more attractive.

Overall ::  A must Play for Military Junkies . Especially Snipers. If you are not a fan , then don't try this.

Rating : 8.5 / 10 ( Good )

Regards 
Ram