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Sniper Ghost Warrior 3

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3

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Keep an eye on the direction of the wind. Make sure that the sight is calibrated. Track the target. Inhale. Pull the trigger. Yet another enemy is eliminated, the road to the mission's objective is now open to some civilian workers. Once there, a valve needs to be turned so that a fuel tank can be drained. C4 is placed on the pool that has formed on the ground, and it's time to evacuate and get to a safe vantage point on a hill. From there the bombs are detonated and explosions colour the sky dark red, smoke slowly works its way upwards. Mission accomplished, and no one on-site knew what really happened.

Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 is the latest game from studio and publisher CI Games, and we got the chance to visit them in Warsaw for a demonstration and a hands-on with the game. CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski briefly told us about the studio's vision and how this is the first project they have done with a AAA budget, also being the first game in the series that has open-world elements implemented. Tomasz Pruski, Senior Level Designer, started by showing us a mission on one of the game's maps.

The map we got to take a look at is called Mining Town, and for the demonstration we got four selectable missions. The game takes place in Georgia and the small run-down society we visited had dilapidated cottages, concrete apartment complexes as well as forests and mountains. We started in a cave that served as a temporary base and Pruski begun by showing us how the game's crafting works. It is possible, for example, to create different types of ammunition, grenades and medkits. Resources to make this possible are spread across the game world and are found by rummaging through enemy installations; you will naturally be rewarded for exploring.

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In the base you can purchase or modify weapons, sleep to progress time, and check your computer to read up on what missions there are in the area and what your goals are. In this version we got to take part in four missions and Pruski chose one, then opening up the map and revealing a variety of things to keep track of. For demonstration purposes, the map was already completely exposed but this will not be the case in the final game. In addition to the markings for our mission there are enemy camps highlighted and you must decide if you want to tackle them or completely ignore them. There are also places on the map marked out as question marks as well as fast travel posts that you can utilise as you see fit.

Sniper Ghost Warrior 3
Sniper Ghost Warrior 3Sniper Ghost Warrior 3Sniper Ghost Warrior 3

We jumped into such a post close to the area where our mission would play out. We had access to a car and to show that it was not only a prop Pruski jumped in and drove towards the objective. Just before we arrived at what looks like a train depot we left the car behind and crept into the tall grass. Further afield there was an armed soldier, and it was time to pick up the sniper rifle...

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After about fifteen minutes the presentation was finished and it was time for us to get to grips with the game ourselves. We were quickly divided in two different rooms and equipped with an Xbox One Controller and a pair of headphones. The map we got to play on is the same that was shown during the presentation and even the specific mission we witnessed is there, among three others.

We started by making sure that all our weapons were equipped with silencers and that we had the right type of ammunition with us, including bullets that could penetrate the heavier armour that some enemy soldiers wear. We got out of our hideout by climbing on some cliff ledges and knew right away that Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 is slightly more mobile than a number of other games in the genre. Once up, we took out the map to see which direction we should go in and what angle we should attack from. The mission we had chosen entailed us having to switch the direction of some big antennas so they are pointing a direction that suited our clients' needs better. We quickly realised that it was midday and the sun was blazing, so we thought it may be better to carry out this mission with the night as protection. We climbed back into the base and let the time pass and then we were ready.

In Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 you play as Jon, an American soldier on a mission in Georgia. CI Games has not told us much about the story, but we know that Jon is in place to carry out some kind of mission (and also for personal reasons). Georgia works well as a backdrop for this type of game, at least from what we have seen so far. Sparse forests and hard rocks mixed with grey cottages and apartments, civilians can be seen driving around and there's even the occasional wolf.

Sniper Ghost Warrior 3
Sniper Ghost Warrior 3Sniper Ghost Warrior 3

What Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 provides in terms of gameplay is not all that innovative. There is a mixture of elements from the Far Cry series and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, but it is not without a few of its own quirks. For example, the marking of enemies works the same way as in previous titles but instead of having to have a clear view to be able to mark an enemy you can use the game's drone to do so, and at the same time get an overview and hopefully spot a good point of entry. It is important, however, to keep your distance and be aware of your surroundings when the drone is airborne - you don't want anyone to see it and you certainly don't want to fly it into a tree.

Every time a quest is started you get an idea of the kind of tactics that are best suited. Sniper, Ghost, or Warrior. Sniper is pretty self-explanatory (take down enemies at as long distances as possible), and Ghost is of course to be as deadly as you are quiet. Warrior is the game mode where you put side silencers and the drone and go in and cause a ruckus, Rambo style. After each completed task you are rewarded with points that can be inserted under each experience tree depending on how you play, one such upgrade can be given to your drone, for example. Jon also has access to a manoeuvre that can be compared with Geralt's Witcher vision, in that you can see marked enemies through walls, all kinds of things you can pick up, and even ledges that you can climb on.

The biggest and perhaps most important part of Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 is obviously the sniping. Here you have to take into account a lot of different factors, especially if you're going to pull off shots from really long distances. You have to constantly keep track of the range to your target, wind strength and humidity. At the top of the screen you will see an indication of how the bullet will travel to give you an idea of how you should aim. The last step is to take a deep breath and hope that your calculations are correct. It was incredibly exciting to lie down with your target 500 meters away while keeping track of what's going on around you and what will affect your shot.

The foundations on which Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 are built are solid right now. There are a lot of interesting ideas, and the game's environments are beautiful and exciting to explore. The sniping and stealth is fun and the Warrior aspect feels, in advance, really challenging. If CI Games can polish and tie it together with a meaty story, this could be an enjoyable game when it lands next year. In any case there is a burning passion among the guys and gals at the studio and their level of ambition is high. Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 is releasing on January 27, 2017, on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

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Sniper Ghost Warrior 3Score

Sniper Ghost Warrior 3

REVIEW. Written by Leevi Rantala

"While it's solid enough, it could definitely do with some more original ideas and a few neat touches."



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