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#4505143 - 01/27/20 02:41 PM Sniper Ghost Warrior 3  
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This title came out three years ago, and I spotted it on sale on Steam last week for $6 (still a few hours left in the sale I believe). Reviews were lukewarm on release, and technical issues plagued it. But after checking it out I thought it looked cool and certainly worth a punt at this price. It's more of an open world than most sniper games, which, having played it, I see as both a blessing and a missed opportunity.

You play a sniper in a conflict set in the nation of Georgia. The story isn't strong in my opinion, and the dialog is questionable at times, though the voice acting is OK. Graphics are good enough (Cry Engine game). Runs very smoothly and trouble free, and at least for me it seems that whatever technical issues existed at launch have been patched out.

Gameplay consists of completing story missions, and of exploring the gameworld, which is full of Points of Interest (POIs). These might be an enemy outpost, or a cave to loot and that sort of thing. Missions are fairly varied, with some bounty type work mixed in. It has appealed to me because I can set the pace, playing as I see fit, and launching story missions when I choose. I can spend an hour clearing POIs, then mix in a mission, then hunt a bounty target. Nothing's timed, and that means I can play at my own pace. I can take as much time as I want to scope out the target site, let an alert cool down, or to find (or change) my shooting position.

There is a large number of weapons and gadgets to employ. You can carry one primary weapon (sniper rifle), one secondary (assault rifle, shotgun, bow) and one sidearm (pistols/revolvers). In addition there are mines, grenades, combat knives, night vision, explosives, a drone and more. I've used the drone tactically, occasionally, but not that much really, and the other stuff like mines and grenades don't fit my approach. But they are there and so you have a lot of tools in the box.

The weapons are solid, with fake names for real-world guns. Most all of it needs to be unlocked through gameplay, but as time goes on you can upgrade optics, magazines, camo and more. There are several ammunition types as well (ball, AP, tagging, luring). You decide your kit-out at the safehouse, and then proceed on your mission. No way to re-arm without returning to the safehouse.

The sniping is great. I turned off 'bullet cam' right after the prologue. Wind, range and elevation all play a part, and I find this part of the game very satisfying. There is a certain art to it all. Strong winds put a lot of bend to a long shot, and getting it right is highly satisfying. Pick a target, dial in the scope dope, adjust for elevation, wind and range, exhale, squeeze. Get it wrong and you risk alerting the base, causing the enemy to seek cover or search. The AI is servicable. Alerted enemies will eventually return to normal state if they cannot locate you. In this way you can work through and clear them all. It just takes patience and good shooting.

Because I am not rushed, I tend to find a good overwatch position, then spend as long as it takes to tag all the targets. Patience is key. Noting patrol routes and sight lines. Deciding on an order to start taking them out, and doing it so they will fall out of sight of any allies. It's like a puzzle. But clearing a heavily guarded facility without anyone ever catching on is good fun. If you keep your distance though it's highly unlikely they will find you, and the AI is rather exploitable as a result.

I said the open world is a missed opportunity because even though you can travel around as you see fit, there are no random encounters. No AI patrols, and the game is worse for it. You can travel around the map with impunity as long as you don't stray too close to the enemy posts. It's shame, because spotting, skirting or eliminating roving enemy patrols would make the game so much better and more engaging. There's no chance of a patrol stumbling on your hide while you're casing the joint, and this lack of threat and tension is missed.

I've found the game to be quite a bit better than reviews might have suggested. The sniping requires skill and patience, the tools are varied and the game looks good and plays well. It won't win any awards for a gripping story or innovation, but at it's core it's a very solid sniper-shooter that rewards planning and patience and good shooting. Played at the higher difficulties, and with 'gamey' sort of indicators, cameras and aids turned off makes it a fine first person quasi-realistic tactical sniper game.

As of this posting, there are still 3 hours left on the Steam sale to grab it for six bucks.



No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
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#4505170 - 01/27/20 07:49 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Hi Mr. Bond, glad to see you back smile2

Did have a look at the series not to long ago, as Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts was on sale and it caught my attention. It´s a shame that reviews are done short of the titles release, which is the case for SGW3 and SGWC, meaning that if you read up on SGW3 most reviews will put you off (bugs, optimisation ect.), but in reallity (now), most of the issues if not all have been ironed out. In the case of SGWC, I would then wait beacuse it´s been recently released, but as for SGW3 goes, it seems it´s not so, or justified. Especially now with your review.

Sale is over but I can still get it for a similar price, and beacuse Iam in a FPS stage as of lately...

Beacuse of these recent sales, I have picked up Medal of Honor Warfighter (my fav FPS of the time), Medal of Honor, and Battlefield 4 again. Played all three in a week and had a blast AGAIN biggrin Spent almost all afternoon yesterday playing BF4 online, plenty of people still play these games online now days. Between the campaign and the time spent online (MP), I would say circa 17hrs. That´s about a $1 an hour, and still have more to go in MP.

What Iam trying to say is that, these "past" games are still good fun now days, and at there price on sale are well worth a try. So yes, might give this one a spin!

Thanks for your review DBond, and again, nice to see you back.

Red


Win10 Pro(x64), i7 8700k @ 4.7Ghz, 32GB ram DDR4, Sapphire Pulse AMD RX 6700 12GB, M.2 PCIe NVMe (x2) 480GB + 960GB, 447GB SSD´s, Samsung G6 32" , Logitech G13, G502, Warthog HOTAS, CH Pedals, Simagic Alpha Mini, and Formula Extreme FX, DC Simracing DC1 pedals, GT Omega ART cockpit, TrackIR 5.0.
AUDIO: Aiyima A07 Max, Topping E50 and L50 stack, Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 , and Shennheiser HD 560s. DAP: Hiby R3, Hiby Seeds, and iBasso IT01, Sharp MD-MT 80H Minidisc.
#4505175 - 01/27/20 08:23 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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I've done about 25 hours on it... thoroughly enjoyed it, and can't say I've found any game breaking bugs with it, despite what the forums might say!

#4505178 - 01/27/20 09:02 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Thanks Red, for your comments and the returning welcome. I wasn't gone for long and couldn't imagine anyone might notice.

Occasionally I purchase a game that's just been released. But only very rarely. RDR 2 is one example. But 95% of my purchases are games at least a year old. Partly this is to save money, and mainly it is to be able to play the most seasoned version of the title. I mean, six bucks for this is money well spent, and whatever early-buyers had to put up with (bugs, technical issues, etc) are largely eliminated. So this all leaves me with a much more favorable impression than if I had dropped fifty dollars and watched it lock up or crash a lot. After playing halfway through I bought the season pass for another two dollars so I'm in to it for eight.

I've gotten 40 hours out of it so far, and progress is right at 50%. I will complete the story, but there are far too many of the POIs (192!) to hold my attention and clear them all. Lots of 'collectibles' as well, but that sort of thing doesn't interest me, although I like finding the 'classic' sniper rifles.

Hey Troop, yeah it's not bad is it? What's your longest shot? I'm at 354m but struggling to find a target far enough away to hit the 500 for the achievement. It's a spawn/render issue I reckon, but it must be possible. If you know of or see a spot where such a shot can be attempted please let me know.

Mostly I've been rolling with the Knight's Armament M110 SASS, but I recently either unlocked or found the Brezatelya (I think this was the one where you need to use a drone and send it down a elevator shaft to restore power and can then descend yourself). This is the Vintorez subsonic sniper rifle that we saw in STALKER. I've been using this one since I found it. It's shown as 7.62 in the game, but I guess the devs didn't want to make too many cartridge calibers. I can forgive this omission. The integrated silencer requiring no upkeep is a nice QOL enhancement. It shoots fast so you can quickly correct a miss and kill before an alarm is raised and has a 20-round magazine so you carry 80 rounds total which is nice for some extended patrolling. It's a gun that doesn't really look the part, but I'm finding it really effective.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4505408 - 01/29/20 01:49 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Load times are on the long side, especially the initial map load. Reloading checkpoints if you're killed isn't so bad. But the initial load, or switching maps takes a while.

I got my longest headshot to 354m and longest shot to 425, but still searching for a 500 meter opportunity. It seems that it's the way the enemy troops spawn in. I wonder if there is a way to maximize this distance?

I checked out Contracts that Red mentioned. It looks really good. Like they combined Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 with Hitman. I put it on the wishlist and I'll pick it up at some point in the near future. It's a $30 game. I've also been kicking around Sniper Elite 4 while I'm on this sniper kick. I won't buy it at full price, so maybe when it's on sale. I wish it was a first person game though. I bought Sniper Elite 2 back in 2014 and played it for half an hour. I can't recall though why it didn't click with me.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4505428 - 01/29/20 03:33 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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What I don´t like about it is the recoil (if any). Don´t have the game yet, as the recoil dose put me off a bit. I do understand it´s not a realistic simulation as maybe Arma 3 with ACE as a sniper, so it´s a matter of getting over that.

Here´s one of my favorite women marksman trying a 300m shot with a 22.cal...



Red


Win10 Pro(x64), i7 8700k @ 4.7Ghz, 32GB ram DDR4, Sapphire Pulse AMD RX 6700 12GB, M.2 PCIe NVMe (x2) 480GB + 960GB, 447GB SSD´s, Samsung G6 32" , Logitech G13, G502, Warthog HOTAS, CH Pedals, Simagic Alpha Mini, and Formula Extreme FX, DC Simracing DC1 pedals, GT Omega ART cockpit, TrackIR 5.0.
AUDIO: Aiyima A07 Max, Topping E50 and L50 stack, Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 , and Shennheiser HD 560s. DAP: Hiby R3, Hiby Seeds, and iBasso IT01, Sharp MD-MT 80H Minidisc.
#4505448 - 01/29/20 05:46 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Originally Posted by DBond


I checked out Contracts that Red mentioned. It looks really good. Like they combined Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 with Hitman. I put it on the wishlist and I'll pick it up at some point in the near future. It's a $30 game. I've also been kicking around Sniper Elite 4 while I'm on this sniper kick. I won't buy it at full price, so maybe when it's on sale. I wish it was a first person game though. I bought Sniper Elite 2 back in 2014 and played it for half an hour. I can't recall though why it didn't click with me.


I played all the sniper elite games to death, loved 3 and 4... I'm doing the new revamped version of 2 on and off when I can fit it in.
As to Contracts, like most of these games, I wait until they have been out awhile and get them in the sale.
I recently got Shadow of the Tomb Raider definitive edition with all bells and whistles at a knock down price, so I have to fit that in as well, lol!

#4505461 - 01/29/20 07:16 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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What the issue with recoil?


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4505482 - 01/29/20 11:43 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Originally Posted by DBond
What the issue with recoil?


From the YT videos, I don´t see any recoil. It´s like shooting that 22cal in the video I posted.


Win10 Pro(x64), i7 8700k @ 4.7Ghz, 32GB ram DDR4, Sapphire Pulse AMD RX 6700 12GB, M.2 PCIe NVMe (x2) 480GB + 960GB, 447GB SSD´s, Samsung G6 32" , Logitech G13, G502, Warthog HOTAS, CH Pedals, Simagic Alpha Mini, and Formula Extreme FX, DC Simracing DC1 pedals, GT Omega ART cockpit, TrackIR 5.0.
AUDIO: Aiyima A07 Max, Topping E50 and L50 stack, Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 , and Shennheiser HD 560s. DAP: Hiby R3, Hiby Seeds, and iBasso IT01, Sharp MD-MT 80H Minidisc.
#4505536 - 01/30/20 02:34 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Seems fine to me. Little recoil when sniping prone or in a supported stance. More if crouched or standing. Plenty with automatic weapons. I own and shoot firearms regularly and for me recoil in this game is well done.

The most powerful weapon I own is a Browning bolt-action chambered for .270 Winchester. Bench shooting it sends the recoil straight back in to my shoulder and I don't lose sight picture through the scope on the target. Little muzzle climb. If I were standing it would be different. But from a supported position the effect of the recoil is minimal even with such a powerful cartridge. Minimal effect on sight picture, but it sure does wear out my shoulder! smile


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4505560 - 01/30/20 04:52 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Thanks DBond,

It´s hard to tell from the YT videos I have seen, as either there directly in scope view, and/or right after they shot it´s the kill cam. Motion seemed minimal. Saw more motion in the recent Contracts videos, maybe they tweaked that part a bit.

I can do without the kill cam though.



See what I mean...



Win10 Pro(x64), i7 8700k @ 4.7Ghz, 32GB ram DDR4, Sapphire Pulse AMD RX 6700 12GB, M.2 PCIe NVMe (x2) 480GB + 960GB, 447GB SSD´s, Samsung G6 32" , Logitech G13, G502, Warthog HOTAS, CH Pedals, Simagic Alpha Mini, and Formula Extreme FX, DC Simracing DC1 pedals, GT Omega ART cockpit, TrackIR 5.0.
AUDIO: Aiyima A07 Max, Topping E50 and L50 stack, Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 , and Shennheiser HD 560s. DAP: Hiby R3, Hiby Seeds, and iBasso IT01, Sharp MD-MT 80H Minidisc.
#4505562 - 01/30/20 05:03 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Too much bullet cam in those vids haha. I turned that sh!t off straight away.

Second video does have some no-bullet-cam shots near the end. This player is prone and has deployed the bipod. The rifle bucks back with no muzzle climb, which I gotta say is what I see when I fire similar weapons in a similar manner.

But I can accept it if you have a different take. That's cool.





No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4505637 - 01/31/20 10:47 AM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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It´s been +35 years since I did my service (Spanish Legion) so I can´t remember how recoil was to be honest biggrin I do remember how bad a mortar launcher can be on your ears though!

All the recoil I see is in games now days.

Any how I pulled the trigger, never better said LOL! Bought the season pass edition.

Here´s a vid that shows a 500m kill. Be patient, he has a hard time remembering where the spot was biggrin



Red






Win10 Pro(x64), i7 8700k @ 4.7Ghz, 32GB ram DDR4, Sapphire Pulse AMD RX 6700 12GB, M.2 PCIe NVMe (x2) 480GB + 960GB, 447GB SSD´s, Samsung G6 32" , Logitech G13, G502, Warthog HOTAS, CH Pedals, Simagic Alpha Mini, and Formula Extreme FX, DC Simracing DC1 pedals, GT Omega ART cockpit, TrackIR 5.0.
AUDIO: Aiyima A07 Max, Topping E50 and L50 stack, Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 , and Shennheiser HD 560s. DAP: Hiby R3, Hiby Seeds, and iBasso IT01, Sharp MD-MT 80H Minidisc.
#4505654 - 01/31/20 01:27 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Liking it so far, I started the campaign in hardcore mode and just finished the second act.

Game looks real nice, and the fact that it´s open world is great too. As you stated, that gives you the freedom to play at your own pace, and wonder off in any direction you like, or use the fast-travel. Always nice to have options like this. Don´t have much weapons to choose from right now, but that´s normal at start I guess, still have to check out some POI, havent done that yet. From what I see on the map, there´s plenty of gameplay hours to be had. I think there´s another map after that one too so can´t complain at all.

Red


Win10 Pro(x64), i7 8700k @ 4.7Ghz, 32GB ram DDR4, Sapphire Pulse AMD RX 6700 12GB, M.2 PCIe NVMe (x2) 480GB + 960GB, 447GB SSD´s, Samsung G6 32" , Logitech G13, G502, Warthog HOTAS, CH Pedals, Simagic Alpha Mini, and Formula Extreme FX, DC Simracing DC1 pedals, GT Omega ART cockpit, TrackIR 5.0.
AUDIO: Aiyima A07 Max, Topping E50 and L50 stack, Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 , and Shennheiser HD 560s. DAP: Hiby R3, Hiby Seeds, and iBasso IT01, Sharp MD-MT 80H Minidisc.
#4505667 - 01/31/20 02:53 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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There are four maps in all I think. The open world was good for me because at the start I could just explore around and get used to the mechanics and practice my shooting, learn how the AI reacts, all the while finding money, crafting mats and gaining XP. I played for a few hours before tackling the first story mission.

You made a great choice playing it on the highest difficulty I think. This adds so much to the challenge and reward in my view. I'm most of the way through Act 3, and still don't have every weapon, maybe I've found or unlocked 85% or so. The starting sniper rifle is fine and certainly gets the job done. I've really taken to the Vintorez and carry it full time now. You cannot obtain this weapon until Act 2, and even then you need to look for it, it's not a mission reward.

The POIs are useful, you can find weapons sometimes, or free some prisoners. I've cleared around 90 of them thus far (out of 191), but at this stage I'm moving forward with the story and side ops, although if my path takes me near a POI I will check it out. The wanted list target jobs are good ones too and I like those. And you're right, there is a lot of content, I could see 100 hours out of it by the time I am done, and that's even skipping a lot of the stuff like all of the POIs and collectibles.

I said earlier I use the drone occasionally, but now that I've upgraded it with the best battery and the camo/noise reduction I am using it a lot more. It's quite handy to get the tactical picture before committing to the attack. Sometimes though I will essentially circumnavigate (on foot) the target area to locate all of the enemies and find all possible shooting locations and avenues of approach or escape. I'll often take 10 minutes or more of just observation before firing the first round downrange.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4505792 - 02/01/20 03:15 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Four maps, wow! Considering I got lost a couple of times in the second act trying to find a side op, that´s alot of play! Lucky for the season pass edition and that all-terrain (dirt buggy) vehicle. Yes I think choosing the hardcore start was wise. It´s happen to me before, I´ll start on normal or easy thinking I could always start again when I finish in another mode but never do so, so yes glad I did. I could always play in challange mode once finished.

I think it´s a very good SP game, It´has the right ingredients for my taste. Like finding loot and how to get to it (Tomb Raider), weapons and gadgets customization (FPS/survival), location POI and side missions (The Division), open world (GTA), stealth (Splinter Cell/Hitman), and of course shooting smile2

Yeah, most likely will buy Contracts at some point.

Red


Win10 Pro(x64), i7 8700k @ 4.7Ghz, 32GB ram DDR4, Sapphire Pulse AMD RX 6700 12GB, M.2 PCIe NVMe (x2) 480GB + 960GB, 447GB SSD´s, Samsung G6 32" , Logitech G13, G502, Warthog HOTAS, CH Pedals, Simagic Alpha Mini, and Formula Extreme FX, DC Simracing DC1 pedals, GT Omega ART cockpit, TrackIR 5.0.
AUDIO: Aiyima A07 Max, Topping E50 and L50 stack, Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 , and Shennheiser HD 560s. DAP: Hiby R3, Hiby Seeds, and iBasso IT01, Sharp MD-MT 80H Minidisc.
#4505795 - 02/01/20 03:38 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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The easiest mode has that red box that lights up when you're properly aligned, with wind and elevation factored in, so that one's out straight away. No satisfaction in playing that way.

I like your points in comparison with other games. Again, I don't think this title is groundbreaking, but it combines enough elements, and does is competently enough that the sum is pretty good. For me all it really needs is a random enemy patrol element to be a really good game. Still, I'm having a good time with it. Sniping and stealth sort of games have always been my thing. I am drawn to any sort of game where you're solo, sneaking and behind the lines. Helo sims, sub sims, sneakers like Thief, and any sort of sniping or black ops.

Red you mentioned GTA, do you play it still? Do you play GTAO?


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4505798 - 02/01/20 04:09 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Originally Posted by DBond
The easiest mode has that red box that lights up when you're properly aligned, with wind and elevation factored in, so that one's out straight away. No satisfaction in playing that way.

I like your points in comparison with other games. Again, I don't think this title is groundbreaking, but it combines enough elements, and does is competently enough that the sum is pretty good. For me all it really needs is a random enemy patrol element to be a really good game. Still, I'm having a good time with it. Sniping and stealth sort of games have always been my thing. I am drawn to any sort of game where you're solo, sneaking and behind the lines. Helo sims, sub sims, sneakers like Thief, and any sort of sniping or black ops.

Red you mentioned GTA, do you play it still? Do you play GTAO?



With regards to GTA (GTAO Online?), no I havent. IIRC I think I played Vice on the first PS, or was it the first GTA, can´t remember. I have been thinking of buying GTA-V these past months. Trying to figure out which game I uninstall to make space for GTA-V. Don´t really know the difference between GTAO and GTA-V though. Thought you could play both of them online?

I agree on both, the sume makes it a neat game to play, and yes random patrols would be cool. Although I think that when your driving around the map, some POI pop up in your way that didn´t show in map before, can´t tell for sure cuz I need to play it more, might be wrong.


Win10 Pro(x64), i7 8700k @ 4.7Ghz, 32GB ram DDR4, Sapphire Pulse AMD RX 6700 12GB, M.2 PCIe NVMe (x2) 480GB + 960GB, 447GB SSD´s, Samsung G6 32" , Logitech G13, G502, Warthog HOTAS, CH Pedals, Simagic Alpha Mini, and Formula Extreme FX, DC Simracing DC1 pedals, GT Omega ART cockpit, TrackIR 5.0.
AUDIO: Aiyima A07 Max, Topping E50 and L50 stack, Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 , and Shennheiser HD 560s. DAP: Hiby R3, Hiby Seeds, and iBasso IT01, Sharp MD-MT 80H Minidisc.
#4505799 - 02/01/20 04:24 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Yeah, GTAO is Online and is included in GTA 5. Just curious. I play it, but few others around here do and I've been trying for a year to get together a crew to run the online heists, so I perked up when you mentioned GTA. GTA V is on sale on Steam right not for US$15

I think you're right about the POIs, they are revealed by proximity, at which point they are permanent until cleared.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4506277 - 02/05/20 06:36 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Enjoyed the Telescope Radar mission thumbsup

The Cryengine works great on this title.


Win10 Pro(x64), i7 8700k @ 4.7Ghz, 32GB ram DDR4, Sapphire Pulse AMD RX 6700 12GB, M.2 PCIe NVMe (x2) 480GB + 960GB, 447GB SSD´s, Samsung G6 32" , Logitech G13, G502, Warthog HOTAS, CH Pedals, Simagic Alpha Mini, and Formula Extreme FX, DC Simracing DC1 pedals, GT Omega ART cockpit, TrackIR 5.0.
AUDIO: Aiyima A07 Max, Topping E50 and L50 stack, Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 , and Shennheiser HD 560s. DAP: Hiby R3, Hiby Seeds, and iBasso IT01, Sharp MD-MT 80H Minidisc.
#4506281 - 02/05/20 06:55 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Is that the one where you had to reposition the satellite dishes or which one was it?

I'm almost finished with this one. Act 4 with two story missions to go, all side ops and Most Wanted done and dusted.

If, like me, you want the achievement for a 500m shot, just wait until act 4 and you'll get it in a mission (side op)

I've had fun with this game.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4506293 - 02/05/20 07:51 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Yes, it´s the one were you have to reposition the satellite dishes.


Win10 Pro(x64), i7 8700k @ 4.7Ghz, 32GB ram DDR4, Sapphire Pulse AMD RX 6700 12GB, M.2 PCIe NVMe (x2) 480GB + 960GB, 447GB SSD´s, Samsung G6 32" , Logitech G13, G502, Warthog HOTAS, CH Pedals, Simagic Alpha Mini, and Formula Extreme FX, DC Simracing DC1 pedals, GT Omega ART cockpit, TrackIR 5.0.
AUDIO: Aiyima A07 Max, Topping E50 and L50 stack, Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 , and Shennheiser HD 560s. DAP: Hiby R3, Hiby Seeds, and iBasso IT01, Sharp MD-MT 80H Minidisc.
#4506433 - 02/06/20 04:05 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Yes, I liked that one too. Most missions I found engaging enough. One of the Act 4 missions was tough, I died twice. In all though 14 deaths and 800 kills smile That's a lot of sniping.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4506438 - 02/06/20 05:14 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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No, I have to say I died more then once in each mission. I guess it has to do with the hard mode, or Iam just rushing at times. I also find it engaging and fun, definitely a good gaming experience on my end too thumbsup

And there´s always the Challange mode...



Red


Win10 Pro(x64), i7 8700k @ 4.7Ghz, 32GB ram DDR4, Sapphire Pulse AMD RX 6700 12GB, M.2 PCIe NVMe (x2) 480GB + 960GB, 447GB SSD´s, Samsung G6 32" , Logitech G13, G502, Warthog HOTAS, CH Pedals, Simagic Alpha Mini, and Formula Extreme FX, DC Simracing DC1 pedals, GT Omega ART cockpit, TrackIR 5.0.
AUDIO: Aiyima A07 Max, Topping E50 and L50 stack, Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 , and Shennheiser HD 560s. DAP: Hiby R3, Hiby Seeds, and iBasso IT01, Sharp MD-MT 80H Minidisc.
#4506674 - 02/08/20 03:22 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Picked up SGW Contracts...
Fanatical Sniper Ghost Warrior

Havent played it yet, downloading now.

Red


Win10 Pro(x64), i7 8700k @ 4.7Ghz, 32GB ram DDR4, Sapphire Pulse AMD RX 6700 12GB, M.2 PCIe NVMe (x2) 480GB + 960GB, 447GB SSD´s, Samsung G6 32" , Logitech G13, G502, Warthog HOTAS, CH Pedals, Simagic Alpha Mini, and Formula Extreme FX, DC Simracing DC1 pedals, GT Omega ART cockpit, TrackIR 5.0.
AUDIO: Aiyima A07 Max, Topping E50 and L50 stack, Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 , and Shennheiser HD 560s. DAP: Hiby R3, Hiby Seeds, and iBasso IT01, Sharp MD-MT 80H Minidisc.
#4506682 - 02/08/20 05:42 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Let us know how it goes Red... I will get this eventually!

#4506788 - 02/09/20 02:50 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: Trooper117]  
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Originally Posted by Trooper117
Let us know how it goes Red... I will get this eventually!


Hi Trooper117!

Ok, these are my initial thoughts playing in Sniper mode (three modes: Marksman, Sniper, and Eye something), being Sniper the standard mode. Marksman is easy, Sniper standard, and Eye whatever hard...

The bad:

- It´s not like SGW3 were you can drive your buggy around the map as you please, or set the time of day. There´s no hide-out either. Crafting, Iam not sure as I havent done any of that. But I think there´s no crafting (bench) like SGW3, it´s more of a point system were you unlock gadgets or buy stuff. Not as many ways of approach as SGW3.

Personally, I miss the freedom of SGW3, and the hide-out. Basically I miss all of the above, but the game compensates all that in other ways.

- Maps are actually the contracts area, In other words, you have a huge map were all the side missions/contract happens. It´s condense in a large map, although you don´t have as many ways of approach as SGW3, there are ways to do so though.
- Fast travel is set as you advance. Not like SGW3 were you had to drive there first in order to unlock that fast travel point.
- I personally don´t like the Mask gadget, and the futuristic crap developers put in games like these. I can live with a drone, and EMP nades but that´s about it. Give me a bino with thermal, NV and a range finder and be done!
- The EAC (Easy Anti Cheat) is not liked by alot of users. My guess is that it´s implemented because they plan to add multiplayer later on. MP was added later in SWG3, and alot of users complained about in-game hackers, so it makes sense they added EAC now.
- Had a CTD on the tutorial, and SGWC would not close (ran in background) on the first plays, but that fixed it´s self by rebooting my PC.
- They need to add some sort of queue (aim dot) for when throwing nades or knifes.

While it seems there´s more bad things then good, it has to do more with differences between each other, and not that one is better then the other.

The good:

- Ballistics are ALOT better then SGW3! You can actually see the bullet drop among other things. You will miss alot of shots, and moving targets are hard to hit. Alot of wind in the first map!

This personally makes up for everything bad (different) in the game for me!

- AI is alot smarter then SGW3.
- While not as many areas of approach as SGW3, the ones you do have, have to be very well though out and planned. It´s more of a thinking mans game now.
- In high settings the game runs just fine for me. Looks great too!
- Overall the game is alot more difficult, at least in Sniper mode. For me that´s great.

All this is just trying the first mission and in Sniper mode, as said initial thoughts.

Bear in mind that when SGW3 was released, it was aimed as a triple A game, thus had a 60 doller price tag at launch, that meant it had to be bigger and with more options. SGWC has a smaller price tag and it´s more condense in it´s options, which dosent necessarily mean a bad thing. From what I have red, there´s 15-20hrs of gameplay, so that´s quite resonable at it´s price point.

Putting aside the futuristic BS, I have a feeling that they will expand on this title alot more then SGW3 because of it´s better bullet mechanics, I think they really improved the ballistics, and that´s what a sniper game is all about, ballistics and stealth. People are asking a remaster of SGW3 with SGWC ballistics, just so you get an Idea of what hey have achieved now with SGWC.

Anyhow, back to snipping....

Red



Win10 Pro(x64), i7 8700k @ 4.7Ghz, 32GB ram DDR4, Sapphire Pulse AMD RX 6700 12GB, M.2 PCIe NVMe (x2) 480GB + 960GB, 447GB SSD´s, Samsung G6 32" , Logitech G13, G502, Warthog HOTAS, CH Pedals, Simagic Alpha Mini, and Formula Extreme FX, DC Simracing DC1 pedals, GT Omega ART cockpit, TrackIR 5.0.
AUDIO: Aiyima A07 Max, Topping E50 and L50 stack, Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 , and Shennheiser HD 560s. DAP: Hiby R3, Hiby Seeds, and iBasso IT01, Sharp MD-MT 80H Minidisc.
#4506918 - 02/10/20 04:06 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Thanks for the review Red.

I finished SGW3 yesterday. Had to play the final mission twice, died twice more and ended with 16. I got the achievement for taking 500 hits just before the game ended. I did not manage to unlock every weapon, though I completed every mission. Must be a few still hidden out there that were not mission rewards.

It was three maps not four as I said earlier. I think they are 9km x 9km, so fairly big.

I liked the game, but I feel like it would have been much better with more tension outside the missions. Roving enemy patrols would have been great, as I mentioned already. The way NPCs spawn or appear should have been handled differently as well. Too often they were invisible even though they should have been well within view. But crossing over the magic line made them all appear suddenly. This severely limited the long-distance sniping to really test your skill. My longest kill shot ended up being around 535m, which is a long shot, but it was only because it was on a mission designed for it. Most shots came under 250m.

My preferred loadout for the second half of the game was

Brezatelya sniper rifle -- Fictitious name for the VSS Vintorez subsonic sniper rifle. Mis-chambered in 7.62x51 (should be 9x39). Integrated suppressor never degrades. Slightly quieter than other sniper rifles. Short barrel length makes it good in interiors and near cover. 20-round mag with upgrade for sufficient ammunition for any mission. I tried out all scopes, but generally went with the x8 x16 x32 Scope. The ones with four magnification levels seemed to have an adverse effect on scope movement, slower, I suppose due to their much larger size.

For ammunition I never used explosive or tagging rounds. I did use the luring rounds a lot, enough to get the achievement. And of course standard ball and AP. I crafted the ammo to save money, even though it isn't really necessary if you're scavenging. You'll have plenty of cash and mats.

Herstal assault rifle -- M4A1 chambered in 5.56. I rarely used this weapon, or any secondary weapon really. But there are times when the sh!t hits the fan and the automatic fire is appreciated. I wanted to use a bow, because stealth's my thing, but the lack of magnification of the sight makes it mostly impractical. Good indoors, but mostly useless outdoors.

Wagram pistol -- Glock 21 .45. Used the pistol a little more, and this one had good stopping power compared to the 9mm choices, but you really need a headshot and that's hard except at close range.

I used the heaviest body armor I had unlocked. For gadgets I carried a variety, but these never get used. I tried planting a few gas mines on one mission but more likely to set them off myself. Knife got used quite a bit for close range stealth takedowns. Threw a few grenades. I could have easily played through the game with no gadgets at all.

For the drone I went with

Advanced Camo
Big Battery
Intelligent Recon
Hacking

I didn't use the drone much early on, but as time went on I began using it more and more. By the end it was essential piece of gear, particularly to tag enemies and hack the panels for the cameras.

It's a good game that requires some skill (don't play on easy level), with some cool missions, nice graphics and cool kit. It's let down somewhat by an open world design lacking any random encounters or dangers (aside from wolves) and exploitable NPCs that give up the search after five minutes despite the dead bodies at their feet.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4508442 - 02/25/20 06:34 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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CI Games sale on Steam...
Ghost Warriror 3, Ghost Warrior Contracts etc.

CI Games sale

Red


Win10 Pro(x64), i7 8700k @ 4.7Ghz, 32GB ram DDR4, Sapphire Pulse AMD RX 6700 12GB, M.2 PCIe NVMe (x2) 480GB + 960GB, 447GB SSD´s, Samsung G6 32" , Logitech G13, G502, Warthog HOTAS, CH Pedals, Simagic Alpha Mini, and Formula Extreme FX, DC Simracing DC1 pedals, GT Omega ART cockpit, TrackIR 5.0.
AUDIO: Aiyima A07 Max, Topping E50 and L50 stack, Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 , and Shennheiser HD 560s. DAP: Hiby R3, Hiby Seeds, and iBasso IT01, Sharp MD-MT 80H Minidisc.
#4508678 - 02/27/20 09:29 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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So the sale is on for a few more hours and I am really tempted by the cheap prices on Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 and 3. As someone who doesn't like STEALTH games much, but does like Sniping, and a more casual play style, do you think I would like 2 better than 3 from the perspective of a more linear game vs. more open world or general style? They are cheap enough to get both....but I already have so many games I never play....I am hesitant to add a few more.

For reference, I did like Sniper Elite 2, though I am inexorably stuck on the Tiergarten Flak Tower level which I cannot seem to pass either by Stealth or by Run and Gun....


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#4508688 - 02/27/20 10:44 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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I only played 3. So I cannot help much Recluse, but stealth is a core component of that game. Remaining undetected is the aim. For me it was well worth the 8 bucks I spent on it, and I even finished it, which says something right there. Using cover, distance and working out the path and timing of patrols is a key part of it. The season pass version is only $9 and the base game is five under this sale and for that price I'd say give it a go.

Ghost Warrior 2 has good Steam comments, players like it for the most part. It's a few years older, but that never stops me.

Hey Red, have you put more time in to Contracts? Has your view of the sniping changed at all? I'm all for improved sniping mechanics over SGW3, but I get the feeling maybe they overthought it. What's your take?



No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4508696 - 02/27/20 11:35 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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And I want to add that even though I mentioned the dialog early in this thread, that by the end it was truly atrocious. Straight out of a Steven Seagal movie. I didn't care, but it was pretty bad. Actually the story was pretty bad, but the ending was OK. I liked it for the stealth, the shooting and tactical-puzzle approach I took to each of the outdoors missions. Indoors is kind of difficult, all about timing. But those indoors areas are few thankfully.

Once past the tutorial and having arrived at the first safehouse, the game opens up. I liked how I could set my own pace on everything. There were only one or two timed sequences in the game. I just practiced on outposts for a few hours before I tried the first story mission.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4508745 - 02/28/20 08:51 AM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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I guess Iam late to reply, either way I still maintain my thoughts with Contracts. Havent played it lately, but I was having a hard time getting to one of the objectives in the first map, which is a good thing because that means I have to re-think my initial plan. But yea. as I said, the sniping is improved in Conracts versus GW3.

Red


Win10 Pro(x64), i7 8700k @ 4.7Ghz, 32GB ram DDR4, Sapphire Pulse AMD RX 6700 12GB, M.2 PCIe NVMe (x2) 480GB + 960GB, 447GB SSD´s, Samsung G6 32" , Logitech G13, G502, Warthog HOTAS, CH Pedals, Simagic Alpha Mini, and Formula Extreme FX, DC Simracing DC1 pedals, GT Omega ART cockpit, TrackIR 5.0.
AUDIO: Aiyima A07 Max, Topping E50 and L50 stack, Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 , and Shennheiser HD 560s. DAP: Hiby R3, Hiby Seeds, and iBasso IT01, Sharp MD-MT 80H Minidisc.
#4508760 - 02/28/20 12:44 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Originally Posted by DBond
I only played 3. So I cannot help much Recluse, but stealth is a core component of that game. Remaining undetected is the aim. For me it was well worth the 8 bucks I spent on it, and I even finished it, which says something right there. Using cover, distance and working out the path and timing of patrols is a key part of it. The season pass version is only $9 and the base game is five under this sale and for that price I'd say give it a go.

Ghost Warrior 2 has good Steam comments, players like it for the most part. It's a few years older, but that never stops me.

Hey Red, have you put more time in to Contracts? Has your view of the sniping changed at all? I'm all for improved sniping mechanics over SGW3, but I get the feeling maybe they overthought it. What's your take?



Well, I pulled the trigger... pun intended. We'll see!! Ended up getting the Franchise Pack as the cost was about the same as Vanilla SGW 2 + SGW3. SGW 1 got such bad reviews I doubt I will even look at that.

Now all I need to do is tear myself away from finishing the Blood And Wine expansion to Witcher 3! I thought Hearts of Stone was long... more quests keep popping up in Blood and Wine!!


Long system spec sig follows:






PowerSpec G436
Lian Li ATX 205
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Intel Core i7 10700K 3.8 GHz
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Windows 10 Professional 64 Bit

Flight Gear:

Cougar Hotas S/N 26453
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#4508766 - 02/28/20 01:29 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Thanks Red. I think I'm going to miss this sale. I'll still be at work by the time it ends, so I will wait until the next one to pick up Contracts. That's two sales in two months so I expect another one before too long.

Let us know what you think of it Recluse. Once you get through the tutorial it's better. The rest of the game is not the hand-holding experience that the prologue is.

Yeah, Witcher 3 is great, I still count it as the best video game ever. The expansions are great too.

Well, SGW3 will be there when you are done. I looked at Steam and I got 68 hours out of Ghost Warrior 3 and that's having skipped some stuff. But I did take a slow approach.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4509462 - 03/04/20 04:31 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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SGWC has just released the Multiplayer mode.

GOG has a sale on the series, ends soon.

Red


Win10 Pro(x64), i7 8700k @ 4.7Ghz, 32GB ram DDR4, Sapphire Pulse AMD RX 6700 12GB, M.2 PCIe NVMe (x2) 480GB + 960GB, 447GB SSD´s, Samsung G6 32" , Logitech G13, G502, Warthog HOTAS, CH Pedals, Simagic Alpha Mini, and Formula Extreme FX, DC Simracing DC1 pedals, GT Omega ART cockpit, TrackIR 5.0.
AUDIO: Aiyima A07 Max, Topping E50 and L50 stack, Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20 , and Shennheiser HD 560s. DAP: Hiby R3, Hiby Seeds, and iBasso IT01, Sharp MD-MT 80H Minidisc.
#4509598 - 03/05/20 04:12 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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You know what game has an interesting multiplayer mode? Hitman 2. Actually, it has a few. But one of them pits two players against each other in a race to take out the five random targets on the map, and the kills must be unnoticed of course. It's called Ghost Mode. You can see the other player, but he is in his own instance, so his actions don't affect you or the other way around. Except for one thing, you can toss coins that DO affect his instance. So for example you could watch him disposing of his target, but throw a coin that makes a guard investigate and catch your opponent in the act.

It's pretty cool. Not to go too far off tangent, but I've been playing the sh!t out of Hitman 2. It's a great game. There is sniping, but it's simplistic and there aren't too many opportunities to use it. And even then you have to smuggle a sniper rifle in, which means there is something else you aren't smuggling in. Opportunity cost. I bought Hitman (2016) too, and the two games can be combined and played under the Hitman 2 banner. Great maps, tons of solutions, good mechanics. I love getting kills when I've already moved to a different part of the map. So satisfying. Like poison, or setting up an 'accident' that your target triggers while you are far away. Good stuff.

But that is not Ghost Warrior. Forgive the derail. Oh wait, it's my thread right? I'll allow it biggrin


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4545809 - 11/23/20 02:13 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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I finally got around to picking up Contracts, as I needed to fill the schedule gap resulting from the delay of Cyberpunk haha. It's on sale for half-off at the mo. I played through the prologue and first contract. Not sure what I think yet. Maybe it's just the fact that I am going through a tutorial sort of section, but I hope the game opens out a bit. There are some interesting bits, but it will take time to get a proper feel for it. For the price it's definitely worth a punt, and I think once I get further in and have some freedom it will pick up. So far it has more of a spec ops vibe to it than a sniper game. Instead of taking down an encampment from range I am expected to infiltrate and find and destroy things. Close range and indoor action was not a strong suit of SGW3 in my view so I hope there is not much of this, and it's more about shooting dudes from very long range.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4546018 - 11/25/20 02:28 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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I completed the first of the five maps and have a better handle on things now. Contracts is pretty good. I'm playing on the middle 'Sniper' difficulty. The story is a bit convoluted and I'm not really paying much attention to the backstory and what my motivations should be. I'm just in it for the shooting.

As mentioned, it feels a bit more spec ops than sniper. On the first map at least the objectives included assassinations, finding virus samples, destroying files on a laptop and that sort of thing. So rather than being a game focused on long-range sniping, it's a bit of a hybrid. SGW3 had some of this too, but that game felt more slanted toward the sniping. Here, the objectives force you to close the enemy at times.

Contracts has five maps, which are quite large. The player is given a number of objectives and challenges to complete, which you can do at your own pace and in any order. Completing these pays in two types of currency, cash and tokens. Cash and tokens are then used to purchase new weapons and gadgets, modify them, and to upgrade the player's skills. I played the entire first level with the starting equipment, but I gained enough currency that I was able to buy a new pistol, a drone and apply a number of upgrades to my equipment and skills before the second map. The weapons and gadgets choices are fairly extensive, but if it's anything like SGW3 I'll just use the sniper rifle and the drone most of the time. With the added emphasis on getting down in the weeds, the pistol, shotgun and other tools have a bit more utility in Contracts.

New for this game is the mask. It scans the surroundings and highlights important bits -- collectibles, mission objectives, hackables and so on. Also new is the Dynamic Reticle System, which adds a shot fall line, showing the projectile path displaying bullet drop and wind effects. It feels like training wheels. It helps, but really isn't needed, nor wanted in my case. The shooting in SGW3 felt like an art, the Kentucky windage being the player's responsibility. But here that is simplified and displayed, taking some of the skill out of it. Maybe it can be turned off but I'm using it for now.

The sniping itself is largely unchanged aside from the new reticle features. It's still a lot of fun. In the first map my longest shot came at 205m, which is rather short really. Most shots came between 50 and 100m. On the second map though I was taking out targets at 330m in the first few minutes. I worried that the long-range bits might be few and far between, but I think that was just a result of the nature of the first map. One welcome change seems to be how NPCs are rendered. I had complained about SGW3 that NPCs were rendered at relatively short distance, limiting the long-range shooting. There was a magic distance that when crossed made the NPCs suddenly appear when they should have been plainly visible already. Contracts seems to have corrected this and the NPCs can be seen from very long distance giving us more opportunities for long shots.

The AI on Sniper difficulty is very much switched on. Detection ability is quite high, more than the first game. They spot better and can find you more easily. Getting through a mission with zero alerts is more difficult now. It feels really good, the AI less exploitable than the SGW3. They still will give up the search after a bit if you stay hidden, but otherwise seem to have been given a bit of a boost for this game.

For the sale price it's a really good value. Just like SGW3, Contracts is a game that doesn't break any new ground, does not have a gripping story and doesn't try to do too much. But what it does do is done well enough that the sum is a solid sniper-shooter that feels good and plays well.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4546371 - 11/28/20 01:49 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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So far I've completed three of the five maps. I'm having fun with Contracts. Even though this game is not 'open world' like SGW3 is, the maps are quite big and honestly it feels probably more open world than SGW3 did. Mostly this is due to having patrols stationed or roving throughout the maps, snipers positioned on ledges. You need to be on your toes a little more as you move from strongpoint to strongpoint.

The drone feels less useful now. Mostly this is due to the presence of enemy drone jammers, which make it useless until you disable the jammer. Not a fan.

I've not done nearly enough experimenting with the kit. I've bought one pistol and modified it, one sniper rifle and modified it. Ditto an assault rifle. A drone, some explosives and grenades and that's it. I did buy a remote-operated sniper turret, but yet to actually deploy it. But I've not bothered to try anything else. The rifle I have works fine. The sniping's great. And having sunk 30 hours in to it now it's definitely a hybrid, not a pure sniping game. There's lots to do as far as obtaining intel, destroying stuff. There's plenty of distance shooting, but to complete the tasks you have to get on the objective and close the enemy.

Longest shot so far is around 430m I think. Most of it is in the 200m range or under. But there are some spots to open it out. We'll see what the last two maps have in store.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4546576 - 11/30/20 12:30 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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I haven't posted any screens of these games, but I managed to take one. This is a typical view. You spend some time finding a good vantage point, then spend some time scanning the area to tag as many targets as possible, then start taking them down, hopefully in such order that they all fall one by one outside of the view of their friends so that they are not alerted. Range here is around 200m.


[Linked Image]


Attached Files Contracts.jpg

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#4571930 - 06/16/21 01:29 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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The newest edition has been released

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 @ Steam

Good early comments. Looks like the emphasis is on more long range shooting, which was one of the things I wanted to see, as there was very little of it in the previous games, vanilla or Contracts. For example I had to play through virtually the entire SGW3 to finally get a crack at a shot approaching 500m. But the new Contracts pushes this out to 1000m, evidently.

Comments are positive. I may wait for a sale, but I plan to pick it up for sure. It's not a crowded field these days, but this series has become my go-to sniper shooter.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4589536 - 01/17/22 03:22 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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Finally picked this one up SGW Contracts 2. They haven't done much to alter the formula, still the same solid sniper game. But in Contracts 2 there has been a shift with an emphasis on long range shooting, out past a kilometer, and these sorts of shots from the very first mission. I play without any of the aids, and it's challenging to hit targets at this sort of range, as you'd expect. The problem is if you miss and alert the target he can get in a vehicle and get the hell out of there! So you can't miss.

It's a shift away from where this game series was a few titles ago, where you'd have a target area, say a train yard, or a construction site, and your job was to take everyone down. Now, there are more objectives to complete, stuff to steal, data to retrieve. So for me the series is moving away from pure sniper sim toward a more black ops sort of focus. Not sure I prefer it. Not keen on infiltration in this game. Just let me case the joint, formulate a plan and then carry it out, one lethal shot at a time.

This isn't to say it's bad, and some players will prefer this type of play. But for me I'm just looking for a sniper game. The sniping is well done here, the rifles and gadgets are cool and extensive. still the same good old SGW at its core. But there's been a subtle move away from that and as a result I've only put a few hours in so far. The game didn't grab me in the same way the earlier titles did. But I'll give it more time.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4589684 - 01/19/22 02:24 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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I set Forza aside long enough to play some more missions in Contracts 2. I'm sort of split over it. I like it well enough, the shooting is good as ever. I have a lot of fun with the stealth aspects. Moving around the maps is great, utilizing cover and concealment, and trying to prosecute the missions without being detected. Hiding bodies, taking your target out at the precise moment he will fall unobserved by his squadmates. Sneaking up on one with his back turned to interrogate him with a knife at this throat, to get him to spill the dope on his friends or other mission-related information.

Contracts moves away from the open world setup we saw in SGW3. Maps are still big, but more...not linear, but maybe focused is the right word. There's not much dead ground like in SGW3. I've played on three maps so far. The first is a short tutorial. The second map is focused on long-range sniping. The third on short-range, black ops sort of play. Good variety, and you can modify your loadout to suit the situation, light rifle for the short map, heavy for the long range map. The game told me ahead of time that I should prepare for long shots, or short shots, but not sure it will continue to do so for the remaining maps.

Speaking of long-range, it really is! In the previous games most shots were in the 200-500m range. But in contracts, on a long-range map, the shots are out over a kilck and a half. My longest is just under 1600m which is really reaching out there. I wanted more of this in this series, so I'm happy to see it. The AI is good. They react reasonably to my intrusions, are good shots, spot well and in this game, most are armed and armored soldiers, not the irregular forces we saw more in the earlier titles. What I really like is how they search when they know you're around but not where you are. It's really quite convincing, and you feel like you're being hunted, holding your breath in the tall grass as a patrol moves down the trail a few feet away, muzzles swaying as they try to spot your hide. It's exciting and tense, and lots of fun.

One of the things that I really liked about the non-Contracts SGW3 was the drone. As I played i began using it more and more. It was such a cool and invaluable tool, especially as it became upgraded for new abilities. But the devs seek to reign it in I guess. They've introduced drone jamming towers that severely limit drone effectiveness. These towers can be disabled, but it's all a huge pain in the ass and I'm disappointed they've decided to go this route. As a result I hardly ever use the drone in Contracts and that's a shame. It makes you feel high-tech and super-stealthy. But when you release it and it gets jammed after 10 meters you wonder what's the point?

My main point of contention though is probably centered on my personal preference. It's about how the missions and objectives are structured. I mentioned it in the previous post, but it's moved from a sniping game to a black ops game, with infiltration of enemy installations, uploading mainframe viruses, disabling infrastructure and that sort of thing. Like you snipe, but you're not really a sniper in the traditional sense. To succeed you need to get down there in the weeds, in and amongst the enemy. Not exactly what I want out of a game like this, but it is what it is. The drone would make this side of the game feel more professional. Snipers should never be taken by surprise, but it's sort of inevitable here.

Overall though the game is good. It allows enough freedom of maneuver, even if the terrain acts like gutters on a bowling alley and keeps you oriented in the proper direction. I love moving around and trying to avoid detection while thinning the ranks through precision shooting. The AI is convincing and competent. I maybe wish the missions were done a little differently, more of a pure sniper game. But as a sort of 'super-soldier' game it works well.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4589879 - 01/22/22 01:58 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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I reached the fourth region in the game, another 'long range' map. And it's frustrating. Let me 'splain. No there is too much, let me sum up.

These long-range maps are configured in such a way that the sniping spot is obvious, with very little in the way of alternate hides. There is the target, 1500m thataway, and you will lie down righthere and shoot. One of the objectives is to free a prisoner and 'escort' him out of the town. But escort means shoot anyone in his path or that has overwatch on it, from 1300m away. If the NPCs spot your ally they gun him down. If you miss a shot or otherwise alert the enemy, they instantly know which plateau you're perched on and dispatch squads there tout suite. This sort of thing irritates me. There's no way the enemy would instantly know which compass point on the 360-degree mountain range the shot came from, but of course they do, and they arrive there in 20 seconds. And then you need to shift from hidden sniper to CQC and fight off a few waves of soldiers.

I failed enough times that I finally bumped the difficulty down to give me a chance, and I succeeded. I fought off three waves of QRF teams, and feeling emboldened, returned to the sniping spot to pick off the rest in the town. Having cleared the village, I turned to exfil and promptly stepped on an anti-personnel mine I had dropped to protect my hide from the rear. Dead. Ugg. OK, that one was on me, but still....

It's this mix of pure sniper sim and action hero that divides my opinion on Contracts 2. It's fun enough that I want to keep going, but frustrating enough at times that I shut it down until I think of a different approach, then I go back in. These are very long shots, and that precision distance shooting is a big draw. But I could do without some of the grunt-level action that you're bound to get caught up in because of how the missions and objectives are structured.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
#4590019 - 01/24/22 04:30 PM Re: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 [Re: DBond]  
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It keeps tugging at me, this game. I completed the fourth region, but I had to bump the difficulty down a notch to do it. Shameful smile

Actually, the biggest 'cheat' in this game might be bullet cam. It's the sort of thing I turn off straight away. Not interested in that sort of cinematic touch. But it has a possibly unintended side-effect that makes the shooting overly easy. That's because when bullet cam is triggered, it locks the scene while the cinematic is playing. Against stationary targets this is no advantage. But against moving targets it sure is. Because if you trigger bulletcam, the fact that the target is moving no longer factors. it's a hit. Guaranteed. And on maps where shots are coming from 1500m+ away, this is a significant freeze of time. allowing the bullets to cover the distance with no possible alteration to target position.

So I turned bullet cam on for a mission I was struggling with, attempting to lead the targets enough that I could hit them after the bullet traveled for 2 or 3 seconds. Much easier! I turned bullet cam off afterwards. Not only do I not care for the cinematics (they are cool yeah, but not what I want), but upon discovering how it simplifies the shooting I realized I couldn't have that. It's like not using manual targeting in sub sims ya know? None of that, thanks very much!

So as it turns out, and despite clamoring for more true long range sniping in the series, it's the closer range maps that I am enjoying the most. The long range missions are too gamey, even if the shooting is fun. But the shorter range maps hit a sweet spot between the shooting, the movement and the tactical approach to the problem. It's still more 'black ops' than I want out of a game like. It doesn't make it bad, far from it, but it means it's not exactly how I would have approached designing the game.


No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
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