my own "Sniper: Ghost Warrior" Review

GoldenRivet · 07-28-10, 01:32 AM

Sniper: Ghost Warrior is a game recently released by city interactive in which you play the role of an elite sniper named Sgt. Tyler Wells. In the opening of the game, you are assisting a Lieutenant in the training of a couple of new recruits who have been posted to your presumably Central American Base of Operations. Its a clever way to train the player how to play the game as you follow the instructions of the Lieutenant for the sake of demonstrating things to these two rookies. You learn CQB, grenades, short, medium and long range sniper shots at stationary and moving targets as well as concealment technique.

Shortly after your demonstration to the rookies, you're ready to accept an assignment. The briefing is, well, brief... but from the basic information in the briefing and the introduction cut scene which is virtually identical to the we determine that a rogue General is amassing a slave labor group from jungle villages for use in a plot to use them for mining a mineral required for the development of a "dirty bomb" of sorts, the funding for his little private army which is well equipped and massive comes from drug production. Your mission is to assassinate the general.

A secret agent has scheduled a meeting with the general in a location where you will be able to hopefully get a clear shot at him. and after several minutes of crawling, running, and sneaking through dense jungle you finally arrive at the perch from which you will take the lethal shot.

As the general comes into view through the open window you receive orders to take the shot. Squeezing the trigger, you enter into perhaps one of the best features of the game...

As the small projectile leaves the barrel in super slow motion and travels some 200 - 300 yards through the air an explosion suddenly takes place, throwing the general out of the path of your lethal round.

As he is rushed into a nearby truck which speeds away, all hell breaks loose and your mission has fallen apart. A series of events follows in the story line in which your primary objective is locating the general for another attempt on his life, all the while numerous secondary missions pop up, from infiltrating camps and bases, taking out high profile VIPs, setting up homing devices on hidden / camouflaged cocaine plantations for bombing runs and generally raising all kinds of hell with this rogue General's forces, throwing them off balance and affecting their operations at every turn.

Sniper is not your typical FPS game. We are used to Call of Duty where action is almost constant and the approach to the target quite linear and objectives are well spelled out for you... win the war by killing every enemy in sight. Unlike many FPS games, Sniper will require more finesse and patience to play through. You will frequently use the dense jungle underbrush to your advantage as you sneak - sometimes for over a mile - crawling on your belly in your ghillie suit cleverly blending in with the lush terrain as patrols walk past you to within a meter or so of your nose. Sometimes there might be 30 soldiers in a camp... but your orders might be to sneak past them, using stealth and not giving away the fact that you are operating in the area with bigger fish on your mind.

One false move, the plan is blown, the alarms go off, and a great number of enemy soldiers will descend upon your position with heavy weapons.

So where does the game shine? here are three pros

1. Looks: The Jungle appears lush and alive with flora and fauna abundant. Birds that land, take flight when you approach, cattle, crocodiles etc that all react to your presence. The environment is very detailed.

2. Ballistics: Bullet flight paths are affected by wind, your stance, your heart rate (level of excitement), gravity and it is very challenging in hard mode to line up even a medium range shot on a walking man. Fortunately there are tools to help you correct for these. And in easy mode... a small red dot shows you where the bullet will impact as opposed to having the ability to turn these effects off. its a nice concept considering many games which use sniper rifles are just point and click - which any experienced shooter can tell you... just because the cross hairs are on the target, doesnt mean thats where the bullet will go.

3. Bullet Camera: the games is one of the coolest features of the game, and usually activates itself at random... particularly in well placed shots, normally to the head though not always. Watching the bullet travel through the air in super slow motion - sometimes at distances of up to 300 meters - is quite satisfying.

So where does the game suck? here are three cons

1. The engine: Though the game engine produces some really fantastic scenery, believable jungle landscapes etc... it suffers from one major problem. I frequently found myself binding up on small obstacles. "why cant i move?" was usually the question, and the fact that i was approaching a rock of a mere 5 inches in height at an odd angle and it was treated as an obstacle was usually the answer to that question. At one point i had to jump onto a road to cross it because of the slight 3 or 4 inch curb. This is a problem considering that a lot of the game requires sneaking and crawling and crouching past rocks and trees etc. fortunately though as big a problem as this is... its not really a game killer.

2. The story line: The story line was well thought out... and there really is not a problem with the story line. Character development is lacking and there is a series of missions - much like the call of duty series - where you will play as another member of the team or a member of another unit for a mission or two... problem is, its not really clearly explained that you are now playing as a soldier on another squad, so that sort of interrupts the story line until you figure it out. The briefings in the story do little to develop the overall story, and after all the hard work of tracking down this general, the final mission comes down to one shot, one kill... the end. I suppose the one shot one kill theme makes for a fitting end to a sniper game... but it tends to leave the player thinking... that was it? after almost 7 hours of rush through game play... the final mission takes about 5 minutes to beat with the only real challenge being one of setting up for a sniper shot through a window from about half a mile away.

3. Multi-player: City interactive totally screwed up the MP component of this game. I remember a similar game called "Delta Force" in which there was a multi-player component of 5 or 6 cooperative missions which you could play through with your friends... it was fantastic. No such luck with Sniper. You get deathmatch... which consists of up to 12 guys in Ghillie suites running around the jungle sniping each other. its a campers paradise, and if you join a game mid way through, you are going to get your rear end handed to you and probably never know where any of these shots are coming from. Second game type is Team Deathmatch, which is the same as deathmatch only with teams obsviously and the third and final game type is called VIP. In the VIP game you get a team with a designated VIP, the objective of the other team is to kill him. My experience with multiplayer in Sniper is limited. Lets face it, in multiplayer FPS gaming there are few things that will spoil the fun worse than a 13 year old sniper camping out in some corner of the map... and thats exactly what 100% of this games multiplayer component is all about.

its fun to play, the sniper kills are very satisfying especially with the bullet camera, the environment looks fantastic (nearly as good as crysis) it has a LOT of play time - 7 hours for me getting through it quickly on some parts where i was meant to take my time.

but the three cons - mostly the poorly thought out multiplayer concept - reduces the final score to 7 out of 10

If you like sniping games, or games that require finesse and sneakiness... and can get past the lack of a good multiplayer component; Sniper: Ghost Warrior is for you, especially at the $29.99 price i paid for it on steam.

TarJak · 07-28-10, 01:48 AM

Sounds a bit like the Splinter Cell series with sniping as the main thread. Might give it a look in demo if there is one floating around.

onelifecrisis · 07-28-10, 04:56 AM

Nice review GR. Did you see this thread? I'd be interested to know your thoughts on this post in particular.

Dowly · 07-28-10, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onelifecrisis

I'd be interested to know your thoughts on this post in particular.

Yes, me too. Either they have patched the game extensively or you just got lucky/didn't notice these issues. I feel I need to clarify the first point in my list, that is under alarm conditions, you can sneak past guards when no one knows you are there, but once alarm is sounded everyone knows you are there, no matter how well you think you are hidden.

Platapus · 07-28-10, 08:34 AM

Thanks for the write up. I really like sniper sneaky type games and have absolutely no interest in multiplayer games.

I liked "sniper art of victory" a lot, and will probably give this sniper game a try.

mikeydredd · 07-28-10, 08:44 AM

Thanks for the in depth review. Strangely enough I was lurking at Amazon last night and saw this for the first time, and was undecided whether to get it.

I still can't decide, and if I do get it I can't decide whether to get it for XBox or PC.

It does look good though.

Bit worried by the fact it only took 7 hours to complete.

Decisions, decisions.......

Dredd

Dowly · 07-28-10, 09:00 AM

Better wait until GR gives his input about my list. Either he played it on different platform or he just got lucky or didn't pay attention to the flaws in enemy AI.

nikimcbee · 07-28-10, 09:11 AM

The real question is; can you chase each other around in circles while shooting like crazy and bunnyhop to avoid being hit?

That is how wars are actually fought.

Platapus · 07-28-10, 09:12 AM

Quote:

much like the call of duty series - where you will play as another member of the team or a member of another unit for a mission or two...

I don't mind this too much, although I prefer to play solo type games. I can enjoy playing as a member of a team with AI members, as long as I can set the pace of the game.

What I really hate are games where I either have to escort an AI or be a member of an AI team and I have to rush through areas of the game. I am a slow cautious FPS player. I like to conduct disciplined recon and take my time.

In Ghost Warrior, when you are teamed up with an AI, does the AI member react to you, or do you have to react to the AI member?

Dowly · 07-28-10, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platapus

In Ghost Warrior, when you are teamed up with an AI, does the AI member react to you, or do you have to react to the AI member?

The few first missions I played had the AI as team leader, so you had to react to him.

Jimbuna · 07-28-10, 10:26 AM

The only game I've got that has a bullet camera is Sniper Elite.

I really enjoyed playing that game so I'll probably have a look at this as well.

Dowly · 07-28-10, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbuna

I really enjoyed playing that game so I'll probably have a look at this as well.

Oh yeh... great fun... everyone laying still for 15 minutes in our MP match.

HunterICX · 07-28-10, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dowly

Oh yeh... great fun... everyone laying still for 15 minutes in our MP match.

but that one shot was a kill, good for a startle or two

HunterICX

Sledgehammer427 · 07-28-10, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbuna

The only game I've got that has a bullet camera is Sniper Elite.

I really enjoyed playing that game so I'll probably have a look at this as well.

you and me both Jim

Excellent write-up GR

SteamWake · 07-28-10, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

"why cant i move?" was usually the question, and the fact that i was approaching a rock of a mere 5 inches in height at an odd angle and it was treated as an obstacle was usually the answer to that question. At one point i had to jump onto a road to cross it because of the slight 3 or 4 inch curb.

You know this has been an issue since DOOM you would think they would have figured it out by now.

There was a video about a guy moving about in real life in FPS mode whom is stymied by a curb... pretty funny wish I could find it.

07-28-10, 01:32 AM	#1
GoldenRivet Subsim Aviator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 8,726 Downloads: 146 Uploads: 0	my own "Sniper: Ghost Warrior" Review Sniper: Ghost Warrior is a game recently released by city interactive in which you play the role of an elite sniper named Sgt. Tyler Wells. In the opening of the game, you are assisting a Lieutenant in the training of a couple of new recruits who have been posted to your presumably Central American Base of Operations. Its a clever way to train the player how to play the game as you follow the instructions of the Lieutenant for the sake of demonstrating things to these two rookies. You learn CQB, grenades, short, medium and long range sniper shots at stationary and moving targets as well as concealment technique. Shortly after your demonstration to the rookies, you're ready to accept an assignment. The briefing is, well, brief... but from the basic information in the briefing and the introduction cut scene which is virtually identical to the we determine that a rogue General is amassing a slave labor group from jungle villages for use in a plot to use them for mining a mineral required for the development of a "dirty bomb" of sorts, the funding for his little private army which is well equipped and massive comes from drug production. Your mission is to assassinate the general. A secret agent has scheduled a meeting with the general in a location where you will be able to hopefully get a clear shot at him. and after several minutes of crawling, running, and sneaking through dense jungle you finally arrive at the perch from which you will take the lethal shot. As the general comes into view through the open window you receive orders to take the shot. Squeezing the trigger, you enter into perhaps one of the best features of the game... As the small projectile leaves the barrel in super slow motion and travels some 200 - 300 yards through the air an explosion suddenly takes place, throwing the general out of the path of your lethal round. As he is rushed into a nearby truck which speeds away, all hell breaks loose and your mission has fallen apart. A series of events follows in the story line in which your primary objective is locating the general for another attempt on his life, all the while numerous secondary missions pop up, from infiltrating camps and bases, taking out high profile VIPs, setting up homing devices on hidden / camouflaged cocaine plantations for bombing runs and generally raising all kinds of hell with this rogue General's forces, throwing them off balance and affecting their operations at every turn. Sniper is not your typical FPS game. We are used to Call of Duty where action is almost constant and the approach to the target quite linear and objectives are well spelled out for you... win the war by killing every enemy in sight. Unlike many FPS games, Sniper will require more finesse and patience to play through. You will frequently use the dense jungle underbrush to your advantage as you sneak - sometimes for over a mile - crawling on your belly in your ghillie suit cleverly blending in with the lush terrain as patrols walk past you to within a meter or so of your nose. Sometimes there might be 30 soldiers in a camp... but your orders might be to sneak past them, using stealth and not giving away the fact that you are operating in the area with bigger fish on your mind. One false move, the plan is blown, the alarms go off, and a great number of enemy soldiers will descend upon your position with heavy weapons. So where does the game shine? here are three pros 1. Looks: The Jungle appears lush and alive with flora and fauna abundant. Birds that land, take flight when you approach, cattle, crocodiles etc that all react to your presence. The environment is very detailed. 2. Ballistics: Bullet flight paths are affected by wind, your stance, your heart rate (level of excitement), gravity and it is very challenging in hard mode to line up even a medium range shot on a walking man. Fortunately there are tools to help you correct for these. And in easy mode... a small red dot shows you where the bullet will impact as opposed to having the ability to turn these effects off. its a nice concept considering many games which use sniper rifles are just point and click - which any experienced shooter can tell you... just because the cross hairs are on the target, doesnt mean thats where the bullet will go. 3. Bullet Camera: the games is one of the coolest features of the game, and usually activates itself at random... particularly in well placed shots, normally to the head though not always. Watching the bullet travel through the air in super slow motion - sometimes at distances of up to 300 meters - is quite satisfying. So where does the game suck? here are three cons 1. The engine: Though the game engine produces some really fantastic scenery, believable jungle landscapes etc... it suffers from one major problem. I frequently found myself binding up on small obstacles. "why cant i move?" was usually the question, and the fact that i was approaching a rock of a mere 5 inches in height at an odd angle and it was treated as an obstacle was usually the answer to that question. At one point i had to jump onto a road to cross it because of the slight 3 or 4 inch curb. This is a problem considering that a lot of the game requires sneaking and crawling and crouching past rocks and trees etc. fortunately though as big a problem as this is... its not really a game killer. 2. The story line: The story line was well thought out... and there really is not a problem with the story line. Character development is lacking and there is a series of missions - much like the call of duty series - where you will play as another member of the team or a member of another unit for a mission or two... problem is, its not really clearly explained that you are now playing as a soldier on another squad, so that sort of interrupts the story line until you figure it out. The briefings in the story do little to develop the overall story, and after all the hard work of tracking down this general, the final mission comes down to one shot, one kill... the end. I suppose the one shot one kill theme makes for a fitting end to a sniper game... but it tends to leave the player thinking... that was it? after almost 7 hours of rush through game play... the final mission takes about 5 minutes to beat with the only real challenge being one of setting up for a sniper shot through a window from about half a mile away. 3. Multi-player: City interactive totally screwed up the MP component of this game. I remember a similar game called "Delta Force" in which there was a multi-player component of 5 or 6 cooperative missions which you could play through with your friends... it was fantastic. No such luck with Sniper. You get deathmatch... which consists of up to 12 guys in Ghillie suites running around the jungle sniping each other. its a campers paradise, and if you join a game mid way through, you are going to get your rear end handed to you and probably never know where any of these shots are coming from. Second game type is Team Deathmatch, which is the same as deathmatch only with teams obsviously and the third and final game type is called VIP. In the VIP game you get a team with a designated VIP, the objective of the other team is to kill him. My experience with multiplayer in Sniper is limited. Lets face it, in multiplayer FPS gaming there are few things that will spoil the fun worse than a 13 year old sniper camping out in some corner of the map... and thats exactly what 100% of this games multiplayer component is all about. its fun to play, the sniper kills are very satisfying especially with the bullet camera, the environment looks fantastic (nearly as good as crysis) it has a LOT of play time - 7 hours for me getting through it quickly on some parts where i was meant to take my time. but the three cons - mostly the poorly thought out multiplayer concept - reduces the final score to 7 out of 10 If you like sniping games, or games that require finesse and sneakiness... and can get past the lack of a good multiplayer component; Sniper: Ghost Warrior is for you, especially at the $29.99 price i paid for it on steam. __________________

07-28-10, 08:34 AM	#5
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,360 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	Thanks for the write up. I really like sniper sneaky type games and have absolutely no interest in multiplayer games. I liked "sniper art of victory" a lot, and will probably give this sniper game a try. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

07-28-10, 09:11 AM	#8
nikimcbee Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Patroling the Slot. Posts: 17,952 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	The real question is; can you chase each other around in circles while shooting like crazy and bunnyhop to avoid being hit? That is how wars are actually fought. __________________

07-28-10, 10:26 AM	#11
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,473 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	The only game I've got that has a bullet camera is Sniper Elite. I really enjoyed playing that game so I'll probably have a look at this as well. __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

07-28-10, 01:48 AM	#2
TarJak Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 17,052 Downloads: 150 Uploads: 8	Sounds a bit like the Splinter Cell series with sniping as the main thread. Might give it a look in demo if there is one floating around.

07-28-10, 04:56 AM	#3
onelifecrisis Maverick Modder Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: England Posts: 3,895 Downloads: 65 Uploads: 3	Nice review GR. Did you see this thread? I'd be interested to know your thoughts on this post in particular.

07-28-10, 08:44 AM	#6
mikeydredd Bosun Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 65 Downloads: 36 Uploads: 0	Thanks for the in depth review. Strangely enough I was lurking at Amazon last night and saw this for the first time, and was undecided whether to get it. I still can't decide, and if I do get it I can't decide whether to get it for XBox or PC. It does look good though. Bit worried by the fact it only took 7 hours to complete. Decisions, decisions....... Dredd

07-28-10, 09:00 AM	#7
Dowly Lucky Jack Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 25,052 Downloads: 32 Uploads: 0	Better wait until GR gives his input about my list. Either he played it on different platform or he just got lucky or didn't pay attention to the flaws in enemy AI.