14 DAY TRIAL // 
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 1 was a pretty decent game that tried to put a more strategic spin on the first-person shooter experience by casting players in the role of a sniper that needs to go on all sorts of missions around the world.
Sadly, problems with the AI angered lots of players and developer City Interactive promised to do a better job with the sequel, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2.
With a brand new engine, in the form of the CryEngine 3 tech, plus the promise of smarter opponents and even more varied missions, the new title is looking pretty good.
Does it have what it takes to score a winning headshot or should the ghost warrior be exorcised? Let's find out.
Story
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 tries to continue the story from the first game, by putting players in the combat boots of Cole Anderson, who's now a Captain and, of course, a very proficient sniper sent to provide help to a joint team of soldiers and CIA agents who're trying to secure a biological weapon stolen by an arm dealer.
What follows is a largely forgettable plot that takes players from gorgeous tropical islands to harsh urban environments like Sarajevo or even the snowy mountains of Tibet. There are quite a few betrayals, not to mention jumps through time, but, sadly, the characters are extremely one-dimensional and the actual adventures are filled with clichés.
Gameplay
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 retains most of the features of its predecessor, putting players in the shoes of a sniper who needs to help assault teams on their missions. While the actual soldiers are on the ground and do quite a bit of shooting, you'll also have your fair share of adventures, from providing back up and suppression against enemies to navigating some tough environments both at day and during the evening, when the new night vision and thermal imaging goggles work wonders.
While at first the game insists on holding your hand by pairing you with a spotter, it soon allows for a bit more freedom when it comes to navigating tense situations and enemy-filled environments.
You begin by scoping out an area by using your binoculars and then proceed to map out the routes of the opponents. After that, you start picking them off, preferably where their bodies can't be seen by their comrades.
Sniping enemies from afar, preferably from above ground, Ghost Warrior 2 is a decent experience and, thanks to quite a few assists, can appeal both to shooter newbies and to experienced players that want to work out the trajectory of the bullet by themselves.
Sadly, when exiting your sniping post and trying to navigate the environment, Ghost Warrior 2 begins to disappoint.
The major downside relates to the enemies and their intelligence. While most of them are quite dumb and will happily freeze in cover without trying to shoot at you, others are hyper observant and will spot you even through obstacles like rocks or foliage, no matter if you're sitting crouched or prone.
Your AI companions are also a bit dumb, as when they need to sprint along certain paths they stop for a few seconds and then begin running once more, even if you're right behind them.
Level design is pretty decent, but you're still mostly navigating a linear path that takes your from one combat situation to another, so the illusion of open space is just a trick to make the world you're exploring feel bigger than it actually is.
Guns feel pretty good but, honestly, there aren't any major differences between the different sniper rifles you'll wield, ranging from traditional bolt-action guns to much bigger ones that use more powerful bullets.
When caught in tricky situations, you can also use your side arm and unsuspecting enemies can also be taken out by using stealth kills, in which the character pulls out a deadly knife.
There are quite a few glitches in the campaign relating to the position of the player, as you'll sometimes fall through the floor, and we also encountered a couple of crashes during random moments of the campaign.
Multiplayer
There's a multiplayer mode in Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2, but it's minimalistic to say the least as it includes just a single game mode, Team Deathmatch, and two different maps.
There's no progression system, as you just choose a character skin, a rifle, and start shooting, although you can still encounter issues, as the match is hosted by other players so you'll often suffer through high latency and lag.
Throw in the various graphics issues and other glitches and the multiplayer mode in Ghost Warrior 2 is downright terrible.
Visuals and Sound
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 uses the CryEngine 3 technology that’s already been employed by its creator, Crytek, on the stunning Crysis series. While the game looks decent, it's a far cry from what's possible with the tech. The environments look good from a distance but, when you get closer, textures look blurry and the actual foliage are of a low quality.
The visual effects are also decent, but there's nothing to write home about. The bullet camera, which is triggered in certain situations, is relatively impressive; yet, it can get tiring after a while.
In terms of sound, the game is decent as well, but you'll barely notice the soundtrack. In addition, the voice acting is lackluster and is filled with various military slang that's been used to death by other shooters.
Conclusion
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 is a relatively decent shooter that should offer at least some degree of excitement to fans of the genre who like to take their time and snipe their enemies from afar.
Sadly, when the game tasks players with exploring the environment or to stealthily get past other enemies, things quickly fall apart due to the glitchy AI and the problematic stealth mechanics. Throw in the visuals that only stand out in certain moments, not to mention the lackluster multiplayer, and Ghost Warrior 2 won't exactly impress many people.
