American soldier typically "world policeman", marine and sniper Jon North regularly intervenes in foreign countries. Today, it is in the northeast of Georgia that he goes, in order to calm the inclinations of a group of local separatists. But Jon also seeks to find his brother Robert, kidnapped between Russia and Ukraine two years earlier and whose trace seems to have been found in Georgia. This scenario could have been the subject of a standard cutting in simple successive missions but, this year, Sniper Ghost Warrior decided to think big and try the adventure of the open world. In fact, there are all the classics of the genre: unique loadout at the start of the game, vehicles to borrow, fast travel points, collectibles, war criminals to kill, main missions, side missions, improvised missions on the go ( it's usually about rescuing civilians being held prisoner), or even free gameplay when deciding to attack enemy encampments just for fun.
We will notice here and there a few imperfections in terms of finish [...] but the technical assessment continues to improve over the patches and the base remains very solid all the same.
Everything is part of a graphic and sound universe typical of Eastern Europe. The music, starting with that of the main menu, is deliciously folkloric, while the sets and the artistic direction at times recall the STALKER series. The walks and ballads are therefore always pleasant. Carried by the CryEngine, the graphics are in a good average, rarely extraordinary but never unpleasant. We will notice here and there some imperfections in terms of finish (animations that follow one another in a little too abrupt way, climbing and descending of ladders not as flexible as we would like, video cutscenes less beautiful than the game sequences…) but the technical record continues to improve over the patches and the base remains very solid. Without being AAA, the open world of Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 therefore manages to do the job very well.
"YA GOTTA BULLET IN YA HEAD"
The game even has a few unexpected features, such as the recognition mode, which allows you to highlight the elements of the decor to which you can cling, to analyze footprints, and to defuse traps. Just like those of Ghost Recon Wildlands, the hero of Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 can deploy a drone, which effectively replaces binoculars to observe places from a distance and mark enemies (but here, without a buddy to then do the job for us) . The pure stealth approach is rewarded with the ability to interrogate a guard instead of directly killing them when surprised from behind. Depending on the case, he will then give us information on the enemy forces present in the area, on the mission objectives or even the location of hidden objects. It is also possible to hack the video surveillance system so that the cameras do not betray your presence. In addition, our hero has a hideout equipped with a laptop, which allows him to choose the next missions, a cache of weapons to select his arsenal, and especially a workbench, thanks to which he can manufacture different types of ammunition (conventional bullets, marking bullets, decoy bullets, arrows, etc.) and pieces of equipment (fragmentation grenades, smoke bombs, mines, medical kits, etc.). There is even a role-playing bed, where you can recover from your injuries and set a wake-up time.
Sniper Ghost Warrior failed to develop a truly striking killcam. Seeing the camera follow the bullet's trajectory in slow motion until it pierces the enemy's skull is still very pleasant, but it's still a little too classic compared to the "X-rays and biology" effect of the competitor.
Moreover, a small character progression system is present. Gaining experience gives access to skill points that can be spent in three different branches with explicit titles: Sniper, Ghost and Warrior. Because obviously, the game does not forget its fundamentals and reserves an important place for distance shooting. We find everything that makes the salt of the genre: indication of the force of the wind, need to compensate for the effect of gravity, control of breathing and adjustment of the elevation of the bezel according to the distance at which target. You can even stabilize your position by placing the rifle on a bipod or on certain flat surfaces (low walls, rails, felled trees, etc.). Make use of silencers as much as possible and you'll have a great time clearing enemy bases from a distance before storming them. But unlike the enemy brother Sniper Elite, Sniper Ghost Warrior has failed to develop a truly striking "killcam". Seeing the camera follow the bullet's trajectory in slow motion until it pierces the enemy's skull is still very pleasant, but it's still a little too classic compared to the "X-rays and biology" effect of the competitor. However, Sniper Ghost Warrior 3's real flaws lie in its editorial policy. Not only do you have to open your wallet twice if you want to be entitled to all the solo content (the season pass notably gives access to two additional campaigns) but you also discover that the multiplayer mode is simply absent from the game for the moment. . A shortcoming never mentioned by the developers before the release of the game, and which will only be corrected in the third quarter. Until then, fans of online games have no reason to invest in this Sniper Ghost Warrior. On the other hand, lovers of solo and sniper rifle shooting will find something to enjoy there.
