Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2, the tried
Sniper
CI Games has always been a prolific team, perhaps even too prolific. Born from the merger of several development studios, in the last decade this Polish software house has made itself known mainly for two series, Sniper Ghost Warrior and Lords of the Fallen, although it is the first that has really consolidated its notoriety (also because of Lords of the Fallen 2 has not been talked about for a while).True, perhaps it will not be a name capable of having the media coverage of other first-person shooters, yet the Ghost saga Warrior has always found its solid niche, so much so that it has sold more than 11 million copies overall and has deserved another chapter coming out this year, called Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2. And this sixth piece of the puzzle we were able to try in the company of the developers a few days ago, in a curious game session that saw us face the tutorial and the first map. How much better will it be than previous titles? Today we give you our first impressions.
Middle Eastern Snipers
The new setting of the game is the Middle East, and to be exact, a map made up of five different locations, with multiple targets to eliminate in each. We have had the opportunity to test only the first, however we can already tell you that they will be divided by difficulty and distance, with some eliminations that exceed the kilometer of shooting. Now, it is not particularly necessary to dwell on the plot: we have not particularly cared about it, and in the series it has always been mostly an excuse to justify the missions; here the main attraction has always been the peculiar structure of the game, a tactical shooter where positioning oneself properly and making the best use of one's resources is essential to survive and complete the various objectives.It is a rather consolidated formula, which in the new Contracts seems to want to eliminate some of the problems of the previous chapters. Many of the complaints, in fact, have always been linked to the management of artificial intelligence, which went from total incompetence to the almost mystical ability to always find the player after a failed shot. Well, during the demo we couldn't do very elaborate tests, yet the responsiveness to the sound of enemy soldiers and their ability to hunt you down seem to be handled more sensibly, with base camps easier to clean up if you use a silencer and decide to take advantage of the stealth approach, but opponents still able to surround you quickly and put you in serious difficulty in case of excesses of aggression.
The heart of the title, however, certainly does not revolve around silent eliminations armed with pistol or shooting with automatic weapons from which it is difficult to get out alive: the sniper rifle is the star, and in this chapter he is a somewhat pampered protagonist, thanks to an elaborate system of modifications that allows him to adapt to the various missions (silencers for minute firing distances that put you at risk, and many other goodies), and various types of bullets to perform more creative kills.
Killcam and surroundings
The gameplay remains more or less the same: to make life easier it is better to find elevated positions where to lie down, holding your breath improves accuracy, the viewfinder clearly indicates the wind direction and distance of the opponents - as long as these are marked with binoculars - and a perfect kill is usually indicated by a spectacular killcam that follows the entire trajectory of the bullet. Each map is built around this formula, with groups of enemies positioned to favor the use of other weapons during advancement, and the main targets instead inserted in specific areas to be studied from afar, with multiple interactive elements.Precisely in these factors lies the variety of experience, since not only is it possible to eliminate opponents in rather creative ways (from dropping heavy weights on their heads to starting explosive chain reactions, with many alternatives in the middle), but also simply wreaking havoc in base camps, with sometimes quite hilarious effects. In the new chapter, then, actions of this type are not executable just for the sake of doing it, but correspond to specific objectives that reward with skill points, then to be spent to improve their skills in battle. In addition, the protagonist has an inevitable drone at his disposal, which can be used to bypass certain circuits and open passages, but due to the limited battery it is rarely useful for primary objectives.
In short, overall Sniper Ghost Warriors Contracts 2 gave us the impression of wanting to re-propose a formula very close to its roots, but perfected in the most criticized elements and made more complex in the approaches. A chapter designed to be a concrete step forward without revolutions of any kind. However, it remains to be seen what the advanced missions will offer, and whether the classic series structure will tire or stay fresh until the campaign ends.
Sniper Ghost Warrior is arguably the most successful series in CI Games, and it is not surprising that the team did not want to distort it, focusing on improving the individual aspects in this new chapter. For fans of the saga the meat seems to be there. Various rather elaborate maps with multiple objectives, and numerous extra factors capable of offering a lot of replayability to each. It remains to be seen whether the quality of the campaign will be up to par, and whether or not the established structure of the saga will tire of the end.
