Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 E3 2015 Preview

Polish developer CI Games treated us to a demonstration for the upcoming Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 and I quickly found out how difficult being a sniper really is.

In Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 (SGW3), you play as an American special forces operative infiltrating the country of Georgia. The scenario mirrors the modern day Ukraine where the US and Russia are waging a proxy war through the civil war in Georgia. SWG3 drops us into the core features of the third entry which focuses on non-linear gameplay and realism through the scout mode.

The scout mode allows players to navigate through the environment similar to how a real sniper would. Here, you can detect and disarm any mines in addition to tracking enemy footsteps. The developer traveled to a safehouse where the sniper could craft items and weapons, acquire new missions, or fast-travel to other discovered safe houses on the map.

As we were tasked with taking down a Russian general, all the intelligence had to be gathered on-site through reconnaissance. Through a nifty drone, the developer was able to move through the environment and learn more about the backstory of the mission by hacking into a nearby computer server and controlling the security cameras around the map. CI Games touts its fully executed, situational encounters and in this instance, I learned the General was in the midst of a labor dispute with his fellow comrades, which will come in handy later.

SGW3 rewards the player for nuanced and tactful approaches to the mission. Its very easy to get spotted or slip up, jeopardizing the entire mission. Even in close-quarters, stealth can go horribly wrong if an enemy solider hears your footsteps. There are no experience points or leveling up in Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3. You are rewarded in a more natural matter for example, the more mines you disarm, the better you get at it.

Ultimately, the developer came across a optimal vantage point occupied by another sniper and spotter. Having waited for the two to distance themselves from each other, the window of opportunity was there, but you had to act fast. Sniping in the game is complex, taking into account a number of conditions including distance, wind and weather, temperature, humidity, and magnification of the scope. This coupled with the breath take makes the whole one shot, one kill concept an intense, real moment for the player in Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3.

In our encounter with the General, we took lined up the shot with the knowledge of all these factors. Once the General was dispatched, the alarms sound. For the purpose of the E3 demo, a Blackhawk helicopter was summoned for an quick escape. However, in the final game, the sniper will have to make it back to a safe area with all these alerted guards and additional hazards in mind.

CI Games is working on giving the final game the polished AAA experience it deserves and with a Q1 2016 release, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 is the one the watch for players looking for a realistic, tactical approach to sniping in video games.