SNIPER: GHOST WARRIOR 3
Like most modern games, Sniper has gone open-world
The third Sniper: Ghost Warrior game is a blatant testament to the sales success of its predecessors. Clearly benefitting from a greater investment than any other entry in the series, the big selling point this time around is the wide open world that’s there for the exploring before you make your nest and start popping enemy skulls.
While the PS3 prequels found an audience thanks to their utter dedication to the art of sniping, the shift in world design for Sniper’s leap to PS4 is a clear indication that CI Games is training its sights on a new suite of players. Also: it’s a clever way to stand this entry apart from Sniper Elite 4. Very sneaky…
It still wants to be taken seriously, however. As much as you may long to run into an area and open fire – which you can do, should you have the confidence – the best approach is usually a more considered one. Surveying an area with your drone and locating the enemy’s position, CCTV cameras, and other hazards will pay dividends, especially when you start your slow, tactical foray into unfamiliar territory.
It’s fair to say it lacks the thrills of a Call Of Duty, but then that’s not what it’s trying to be – despite the majority of screens to your right suggesting otherwise. Gauging distance and wind before pulling the trigger during key sniping sections is still a big part of the proceedings. Simply having someone’s head in your rifle’s sights doesn’t mean diddly squat here; you’ve got to use your brain.
GETAWAY RIDE
This is why the open-world approach feels like a huge plus for the series. As well as a safe house where you can accept and plan missions, you’ve now got a Jeep to roam around in. Although this can also be used as a vehicle of destruction should such carnage take your fancy, it moves Sniper into, dare we say it, Far Cry territory. An inspired addition, actually driving to your intended location offers greater depth than before and makes the overall experience more dynamic. A fast-travel system is in place too, but there’s sometimes value in relying on the car instead.
You see, memorising the terrain and exploiting certain vantage points will help no end, especially as the AI takes no prisoners. One particular mission we sample asks us to constantly be aware of our surroundings behind enemy lines. We wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s home to MGS V levels of stealth, but it’s not far off – here, a single misplaced step can turn a routine exercise into an all-out war.
GUNS OUT
This is where Sniper stutters a touch. When you’ve found your groove and are quietly executing people in the shadows there’s a real sense of satisfaction (mixed with the tiniest spot of dread). Make a mistake, though, and a ludicrous volume of resistance is sent in your direction – and the resulting faster-paced gunplay doesn’t hold together as solidly. Fiddly and nowhere near as polished as the sniping action, it’s frustrating to have to rely on this if you do screw up.
The lesson here? Don’t be rubbish. After all, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 is aimed at those who prefer to take their time and plan ahead, and who shouldn’t be getting into too many allout scraps in the first place. It’ll also be a playground for those who wish to experiment: locked doors, for example, can be opened with stolen keycards or just blown to smithereens… though the latter will summon some angry guards fairly sharpish.
Put a gun to our heads and we’d still bank on Sniper Elite 4 being the victor of 2017’s PS4 sniping war. Even so, the improvements here are encouraging.