Sniper ghost warrior contracts, title developed by City interactive that we had also seen during the last one E3, is now in the pipeline: the release of the game is in fact scheduled for the next 22st November to PC, PlayStation 4 e Xbox One.
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts puts us in the shoes of a specialist, a sniper, specifically, who is hired to resolve issues that to define "thorny" is a mere euphemism, in the newly formed but already largely corrupt Republic of Siberia, which was formed after a very fast, how violent, war of independence against dear old Mother Russia.
The game is basically a FPS very tactical, in which our every single move, movement and stroke must always be weighted in the best possible way. And this is undoubtedly also true for the choice of equipment, a crucial moment on which it is really worth spending some time before entering enemy territory.
As can be easily understood from the title, Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts is mainly based on the "termination" of some contracts, not necessarily connected to each other plus various collateral activities. The game is a similar open world, divided into freely explorable macro areas, within which we will have to identify and complete our goals - which can also change during the mission depending on what we have done or not done previously - accessible at our total discretion. All this, just to give an example, somehow recalls the structure of Metro Exodus.
In the build that we were able to test there was an indispensable tutorial and two of these macro areas: a mountain fortress and a port with its surroundings. We also had the opportunity to try out many weapons and gadgets of what will become the in-game equipment.
We said that the tutorial is essential, because Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts should not be taken lightly. In a good way, of course, as it is full of complex mechanics and refined details, such as the right calibration of the sight, the influence of various atmospheric conditions and the calculation of the stopping power of each single loaded ammunition.
In short, you really need to get carried away a bit, but once you have learned even just the basic mechanics, the sense of satisfaction for a well-placed kill is genuinely immense, also thanks to a slow-motion kill cam system that will show us in detail the trajectory and the devastating effects of our blow. Not exactly original expedient, but of sure effect.
An excellent gameplay then, well structured but perhaps not suitable for everyone. The extreme attention to detail could in fact discourage those looking for an easy going experience. Conversely, these details will make the happiness of those looking for a challenging and extremely reasoned experience.
Following the undeniable merits of Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts, however, there are also defects, some of which, unfortunately, even of a certain weight. The very first thing that catches the eye is the frame rate, which drops every time we enter a portion of the map not yet visited. Nothing exceptional in truth, but it is quite noticeable, especially if we are carrying out some activities a little more "excited".
During the test we also encountered numerous graphic bugs, such as killed soldiers "hanging" on the shelves or our sniper rifle from which the details of the carriage magically disappear, leaving us with a ridiculous rifle barrel floating in the air!
The two most serious problems, however, especially given the genre, are the hitboxes and the textures seen up close. We said that Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts does not have a strictly arcade imprint, and that scoring a good shot may not be so immediate, it is true, but sometimes the shot will not hit not for inexperience, but for a wrong calculation of the hitbox (in some cases really sensational) found even in the most short-range weapons, such as pistols and assault rifles.
The other big flaw is that unfortunately, looking closely at an element of the environment, you will see some really coarse textures, with simply huge and flat pixels. Strange, because in the normal view the graphics are always very clean and detailed. However, since we are talking about a game in which we will be looking into a high-precision viewfinder eighty percent of the time ...
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts is a game that has undoubtedly proven to have tremendous potential. Let's just hope that the glaring flaws gripping the trial version we tested can be resolved before release; if not, it would be a real shame, especially for those looking for a challenging experience, which constantly requires you to use your imagination to better adapt to the battlefield!
