Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 would benefit from more freedom

Starting at $2.64Buy now

"Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2" is a first-person tactical shooter that takes players to diverse locations around the world, including Philippine jungles and Turkish cities. The game offers a realistic sniping experience with precise controls and asset destruction, while featuring an engaging story with new advanced technology and weapons. Players step into the shoes of a sniper team and must use stealth, tactical decisions, and sharp shooting skills to complete missions.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

58%

Audience ScoreBased on 7,163 reviews

story578 positive mentions

stability280 negative mentions

story
2,158 mentions
27 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The story of "Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2" is generally viewed as clichéd and linear, often compared to typical military shooter narratives with predictable plot twists and minimal character development. While some players found the storyline engaging enough to support the gameplay, many criticized it for being short, repetitive, and lacking depth, with a few noting that the game feels more like a series of guided missions than a cohesive narrative experience. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop for the sniping mechanics, but it fails to leave a lasting impression on players.
- “The story is more entertaining, the shooting feels better, the levels are better designed, and the game is an overall more polished experience.”
- “I really enjoyed the story mode, it was simple but quite effective.”
- “The story is decent and easy to follow.”
- “The story is banal, but at least the experience is over quickly.”
- “The story is definitely something that exists.”
- “The story is bland and forgettable.”
graphics
1,193 mentions
49 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Sniper Ghost Warrior 2" are generally regarded as decent for its release period, with many players appreciating the detailed environments and visual effects made possible by the CryEngine 3. However, there are frequent mentions of graphical glitches, outdated cutscenes, and performance issues that detract from the overall experience. While some players find the visuals impressive for a game of its age, others criticize them as subpar compared to contemporary titles, leading to mixed reviews on the game's graphical quality.
- “With its breathtaking visuals and realistic ballistics, it provides an immersive experience as players take on the role of a sniper behind enemy lines.”
- “The graphics are still pretty good on maxed settings, besides those pre-rendered cutscenes I mentioned I think the game absolutely holds up visually.”
- “For its time, the game boasts impressive visuals that bring the war-torn environments to life.”
- “The graphics are obviously outdated, but that's not the main problem.”
- “The game play graphics are fine however the cutscenes look extremely dated and bad, almost 480p quality.”
- “For being a 2013 game, the graphics are subpar and even the cinematics are subpar.”
gameplay
1,080 mentions
36 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2" is characterized by its focus on precision sniping and stealth mechanics, which many players find engaging and satisfying. However, the game suffers from linear level design, repetitive gameplay, and various bugs that detract from the overall experience. While the sniping mechanics are praised for their realism, the lack of diverse gameplay options and the presence of scripted sequences limit player freedom, leading to mixed reviews regarding its overall enjoyment.
- “The gameplay is where this game shines with its team-based shooting and cover-based sneak attacks coupled with melee kills thrown into the mix.”
- “Despite some linear level design and occasional AI quirks, its satisfying sniper mechanics and thrilling long-range kills make for an engaging experience.”
- “In conclusion, Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 provides an engaging and challenging sniping experience with its authentic mechanics, diverse missions, and stealth-focused gameplay.”
- “Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 feels like it's trying to fill shoes that do not fit, to be a COD clone and brute force its way into the gaming market at the time. Gameplay-wise, it's just bad, way too linear and your companion is basically playing the game for you. Playing it feels bad; Duke Nukem Forever had better gameplay than this game.”
- “Sgw2 not only has very mediocre sniping mechanics (even if you play elite), it thoroughly limits your acrobatic/stealth actions to repetitive and unreliable macros, making the experience very boring.”
- “The whole gameplay is scripted and you are kept by the hand constantly where a voice tells you what to do next; which direction you have to go or which poor guy's life you have to take.”
stability
282 mentions
1 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
99 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its severe stability issues, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players experienced game-breaking problems, such as invisible characters, freezing screens, and unresponsive controls, leading to frustration and calls for refunds. While some found enjoyment in the game despite these issues, the overall consensus is that its stability is a major drawback, making it difficult to recommend without significant caveats.
- “It's a buggy mess, multiple times I became stuck in an invisible box like some twisted mime, which requires you to restart.”
- “There are so many bugs and glitches that this game is literally unplayable.”
- “The amount of glitches in this disgrace of a video game are astronomically high.”
music
99 mentions
41 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, particularly during tense moments when players are spotted by enemies. The voice acting is also highlighted as excellent, contributing to the overall experience, although some users noted issues with sound glitches that detracted from gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point, fitting well with the game's mood and scenarios, despite some criticisms regarding repetitiveness and forgettability.
- “The cast deliver a pretty excellent voice performance and the solid music does a fantastic job of fitting the mood of the game no matter the scene.”
- “The music and gameplay is top tier in my books.”
- “The game comes with an impressively good soundtrack and nice graphics.”
- “But the worst part of this was the no sound glitch. I played through literally half of the game with no gameplay sound; only cinematics had sound. Sometimes background music would play while in-game and disappear again at the next checkpoint. This bug alone is enough to make me reconsider whether or not the gameplay was good. It should have been immediately fixed the moment it was found out, but it simply wasn't given due attention by the developers.”
- “The music is forgettable; the AI can sometimes be very dumb.”
- “Was a great game until I lost all sound except background music.”
optimization
72 mentions
22 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
28 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received largely negative feedback, with many players reporting significant performance issues, bugs, and graphical glitches, particularly during the initial missions. While some users experienced smooth gameplay on lower settings, others noted stuttering and poor performance even on capable hardware, suggesting that the game is not well-optimized for newer systems or higher graphics settings. Overall, the consensus indicates that while the gameplay can be enjoyable, the optimization leaves much to be desired.
- “Really well optimized and I was able to run it on high settings (except for the water quality which is not that important anyway, because it doesn't affect the missions a lot) on my laptop (i7 7500u, Intel HD 620 and 8GB RAM).”
- “This is well-optimized, it's got a large story mode and you are able to get more than 30 fps with a GTX 1050 ;)”
- “In terms of general performance, the game ran very smoothly for me, and I had no issues in that regard.”
- “The game is poorly optimized.”
- “It is not a particularly bad game per se, but... the optimization is terrible; other than that, the gameplay is decent and the story thus far interesting.”
- “Whenever I would change the API, it would either have low performance (about 10 fps) or none of the textures would load.”
replayability
44 mentions
18 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has been criticized for its low replayability, with many reviewers noting that it is short (around 4 hours) and lacks meaningful choices or varied gameplay to encourage multiple playthroughs. While some players found potential for replaying on harder difficulties or for achievements, the consensus is that the game offers limited replay value, making it more suitable for a one-time experience rather than extended play.
- “🔲 infinitely replayable”
- “Very good game! I did a speedrun of it and beat it in just 3 hours and 38 minutes, but I think it has a lot of replayability if played on harder difficulty. Multiplayer has some players playing, so not bad, and the graphics look very good!”
- “After playing through most of the campaign once on normal, I can definitely see the replay value for this game on hard, or just for fun on easy.”
- “It's not long and has little replayability, but it's a solid sniper FPS.”
- “The game also only lasts 4 hours and there's no replayability.”
- “So the replay value of the campaign is zero; it will be exactly the same the second playthrough with the same triggered events.”
humor
42 mentions
90 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from its poor graphics, awkward animations, and buggy mechanics, which many players find unintentionally hilarious. While the voice acting and character dialogues are often criticized for being bad, they contribute to a comedic experience that some players appreciate. Overall, the game's flaws create a mix of frustration and amusement, making it a source of laughter for those who can embrace its shortcomings.
- “Just to let you know, the number of weird glitches which interrupt your whole 'pro gamer sniper moments' just made me laugh at their stupidity, but they don't crash the game; they just look dumb.”
- “Hilariously, they somehow made a third installment, proving once again that life doesn't always reward talent and ability.”
- “+ hilariously poor stealth kill animations, leading to multiple incidents of stabbing the air to the right of an enemy, causing a fountain of blood and a terrible ragdoll.”
- “Boring game, seriously not funny at all.”
- “Not funny!”
- “Boring game, seriously not funny at all.”
atmosphere
38 mentions
42 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and intense environments, ranging from lush jungles to urban landscapes, which are meticulously detailed and enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the combination of good graphics, sound design, and environmental realism that contribute to a believable and engaging atmosphere, making it a standout feature even when other aspects may fall short. Overall, the game's atmosphere effectively draws players in, creating tension and excitement throughout their gameplay.
- “From lush jungles to urban landscapes, each location is meticulously detailed, immersing players in the game's atmosphere.”
- “Good graphics and plot create a very cool atmosphere for the game.”
- “Atmosphere and surroundings will take you into the game.”
- “If it's a game with excellent mechanics then I don't care how it looks or what it is about; if it's a game with excellent story and atmosphere, I'm willing to ignore bad game mechanics and just enjoy the experience of the narrative.”
- “The two combine to make a very involving atmosphere, in my opinion.”
- “Each has a different atmosphere and feel that helps build tension and excitement.”
grinding
26 mentions
12 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and time-consuming, often requiring significant effort to achieve milestones like 100 kills and 25 round wins. Many reviews highlight the repetitive nature of the tasks and the restrictive maps, suggesting that the grinding can feel like a chore, even with assistance. While some note it is not as grind-heavy as previous titles, the overall sentiment leans towards frustration with the grind's impact on the gameplay experience.
- “Not grindy like SGW3.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Farming 100 kills and 25 round wins is a chore even if you have someone helping you, not to mention real games (which surprisingly still exist).”
- “Tedious and extremely scripted; I didn't like the restrictive maps.”
- “Otherwise, it can be relatively tedious to obtain the multi achievements.”
emotional
20 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized for its boring and generic storyline, which fails to engage players or evoke genuine feelings. Attempts at creating tension and drama, such as themes of betrayal and historical atrocities, are undermined by poor animations and voice acting, making it difficult for players to connect with the narrative. Overall, the game is perceived as forgettable and lacking in emotional depth.
- “The game also tries to deliver heart-wrenching drama by showing you the acts of genocide committed in the Balkans in the 90s.”
- “The story tries to be super tense and emotional like Mass Effect, but with the bad animations and cheesy voice acting, it's hard to take anything about this game seriously.”
- “Everyone is wholesome.”
- “Boring gameplay & boring story.”
- “Boring story and forgettable game.”
- “Boring story, generic revenge after being betrayed (this time in the past & not present very new very creative).”
monetization
18 mentions
0 % positive mentions
22 % neutral mentions
78 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism for its intrusive and unskippable ads, particularly the four ads that play at the start, which many players find excessive. Additionally, the game's mechanics related to aiming down sights (ADS) have been altered in a way that frustrates players, further detracting from the experience. Despite these issues, some users still find the game enjoyable overall, suggesting that the monetization strategy may not completely overshadow its merits.
- “The worst thing about the game are the crashes (don't ever alt-tab, when you get back to your game it's all messed up and you probably need to restart your PC) and the 4 (yes: four) unskippable ads when you start the game, which is just outrageous (for sure combined with the bugs that require a restart or 3).”
- “In this game, right click is toggle ads, and you have to click again to stop ads.”
- “Every mission is so linear and prompt guided, I felt like I was playing a mobile game without the ads.”
character development
16 mentions
13 % positive mentions
13 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is widely criticized for being lackluster and generic, with many reviewers noting a significant absence of depth and engaging narrative elements. Characters are often described as boring and unlikable, with repetitive themes of betrayal and no meaningful growth or customization options. Overall, the storytelling fails to captivate players, resulting in a forgettable experience that does not enhance the gameplay.
- “The story is once again forgettable with the same generic characters from the first game, with still no character development, more uninteresting dialogue, and a poor attempt at a plot twist towards the end.”
- “The characters are boring, with no character development or likable characters, but that may have been intentional.”
- “Not only this, but there is no character development, no way to customize weapons, no system of leveling, or any rewards for achievement – just one cookie-cutter mission after another.”