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Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2
By Marc Saltzman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Mature, violent sniper simulation hits its target.
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Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2
Community Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
Worth it
It is playable with GORE OFF!
What’s It About?
SNIPER GHOST WARRIOR CONTRACTS 2 is a sniper simulation played from a first-person perspective. The game is set in the fictional region of Kuamar, in the Middle East, located along the Lebanese and Syrian borders. Players assume the role of Raven, a contracted assassin, hired to take down Bibi Rashida, the ruler of this region, after the president, her husband, was assassinated by a neighboring country. Receiving instructions in your ear and seeing the world through a heads-up display, you'll take on various missions across multiple locations and rely on several long-range rifles and other weapons (pistols, explosives), military gadgets (drones, turrets), and some sneak attacks, too, such as stealthily approaching an enemy from behind to break their neck or use a knife on them. Along with realistic weapons, players also have several skills, which are upgradeable through unlockable enhancements. Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 features a dramatic single-player campaign, with five distinct sandbox maps (for nonlinear play and replayable missions), 1000-meter-plus extreme long-range sniping, more intelligent enemies compared to the AI adversaries in the original game, and enhanced (up to) 4K visuals, with faster loading times.
Is It Any Good?
This is a really good (and big) game, one that bests its predecessor across the board as a challenging and gratifying sniper simulation for those who like these kinds of shooters. While playing through the mandatory tutorial of Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2, you'll familiarize yourself with movement, looking down your scope (and adjusting for distance, wind, and possibly enemy movement), and slowing down your breathing so that you can steady your headshot at such long distances. It's easy to get discouraged early in the game, but the guided help is supportive, with enough advice to sharpen your skills before you take on the real missions (after learning to use other weapons and gadgets, too). There are five huge areas to explore, each with several maps and missions, which you can also replay to try a different path or tactic (or to make more money). Missions are divided into Classic Contracts (like the first game) and the tougher Long Shot Contracts, which is new to the series, requiring more planning and execution (like first trying to figure out how to draw an enemy outside of his home before you can take a shot at him). Part of the fun is exploring the map, analyzing the environment, and figuring out the desired path to safely take down your targets.
The graphics are impressive, as is the orchestral music soundtrack. Enemy AI has been improved, but there are some questionable actions by your adversaries, such as one scene where they all clustered together to hunt you down, instead of separating and flanking your position. Along with some AI issues, which might be patched with updates, there's some random visual glitches and inconsistent save issues that can force you to redo tasks you've already completed. Also, it's too bad we don't get to know more about your character, including a backstory, so that we have more of an emotional attachment. But overall, Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 should satisfy fans of the series -- and of the genre as a whole.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in video games. Is the impact of the violence in Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 affected by the amount of blood and gore shown in the game? Does the game seem to glorify and sensationalize violence? Would the impact be the same if the violence wasn't as realistic?
With several anti-Islam verbal and physical attacks against innocent Muslim civilians in the United States, does a sniper simulation that takes place in the Middle East go further to stoke violence toward this group in real life? Is this similar to many Hollywood movies having Muslims portrayed as the "bad guys"?
Parents worried about their kids being exposed to uber-violent games like Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 should visit and bookmark Common Sense Media's section on Parent Concerns, which contains several articles devoted to managing a family's media consumption.
Game Details
- Platforms: PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 5 , Windows , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: CI Games
- Release date: June 4, 2021
- Genre: First-Person Shooter
- Topics: Adventures
- ESRB rating: M for Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Last updated: July 1, 2021
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