The only mode available is team deathmatch on a whopping two maps. The online offering is embarrassingly sparse. If the monotonous campaign bums you out, don’t turn to multiplayer for redemption.
But having played Rebellion’s Sniper Elite V2, it’s hard not to miss the lack of brutal x-ray kill cams.
Pulling the trigger and watching your perfectly lined-up shot travel from your barrel to an enemy’s head (or groin) is consistently satisfying. This true reticle allows you to pull off dramatic, slow-motion bullet-cam kills. Ghost Warrior 2 tries to be hardcore by accounting for variables like elevation and wind, which means you spend several beats waiting for a secondary reticle to appear in your sights. Killing these lifeless dummies isn’t as simple as lining up your crosshairs. Most of your targets – even “skilled” enemy marksmen – stand around like mannequins. Don’t look here for anything resembling an intense sniper duel. Nearly every target is indicated for you, designating the order of your kills in a boring shoot-by-numbers design. With so much hand-holding, I was surprised one of my follow-the-leader NPC buddies didn’t just take my rifle and do the shooting for me. Players are constantly told where to walk, who to kill, and when to hide. Military shooters have been criticized for their linear design in the past, but Ghost Warrior 2 takes it to a new level. City Interactive further insults its source material with mindless military jargon-filled dialogue and one of the worst Russian accents I’ve ever heard. Those moments, along with an uninspired trek through China, are part of a bloated campaign that lacks originality. You sneak past huge patrols of soldiers in a conflicted European country, take aim on an enemy VIP from a bombed-out apartment complex, and even shoot down a chopper. Specifically, the excellent Chernobyl mission in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Ghost Warrior 2 is derivative of every sniping mission you’ve ever played.
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 attempts to stretch those memorable moments into a full game, but its mission results in failure. Dialing in a tricky shot from hundreds of yards away and watching your enemy ragdoll rarely gets old. Sniping is one of the most empowering and satisfying acts you can perform in a video game when it’s done well.