I really think that this is an excellent sniper game because they went with authentic realism with this one. Yes, the game is pretty linear, but that doesn't mean that it's bad or that it isn't enjoyable for what it is.

By authentic realism, I mean that it seems everything in the game is modeled in a very realistic way, from game levels and things that are and are not interactive. For instance, the vehicles in the game look real, like how they would be in the real world. Enemies and enemy equipment are also plausible, and then things that you have control over, like the sniper rifles and especially their scopes, are really well done. I do not like that in later iterations of the franchise, they deviated from this formula. For instance, the scopes in SGW: Contracts 1 and 2 really look bad and take up a lot of the screen when you use them. Whereas in this game, they look really good and have a good scale to them. Basically, many things in the game are rendered well in that regard of scaling because things in the game seem to be based on real things, making the game feel like you're handling real objects, as opposed to dealing with artistic impressions that you may or may not align with.

The graphics of the game are okay, and the gameplay is pretty good. I like the linearity of this game more than the semi-open world nature of its successor, SGW 3, because it's kind of tedious to have to drive around the map to get from place to place, and enemies just keep respawning each time you cross a line in the map at sights like various gas stations, enemy outposts, and ultimately mission destinations. So the linearity of this game is a welcome change to that formula, which they have admittedly improved on with the SGW: Contracts games. Sound is also pretty decent. I like how the 9mm sidearm sounds; when you shoot it, you first hear the bullet going through the silencer and then the click-clack from the slide action. Likewise, the silenced sniper rifles sound really good, but they are both too quiet in close quarters, like the enemies do not react to your weapons when you use them. But that's fine, really—just a little nitpick.

I like how the game portrays the life or duties of a US army sniper. Again, the authenticity seems to be really plausible, and I appreciate that a lot because all these realistic and plausible elements make the game very immersive. I have to emphasize once more that it's kind of a pity that they deviated from this formula in later games. Although a change is welcome, we don't really get a lot of games like this one—sniper games that are authentic to a level seen in this game. That is also one of the reasons why I wanted to write a review about it and recommend this game, even though the game does show its age in regards to the graphics and overall narrow level design. Nonetheless, it's a very enjoyable experience with pretty good and smooth gameplay. For instance, the bullets feel like they actually have some weight to them, meaning they are very effective and deadly, whether from the sidearm or the sniper rifles. If you like that from a game experience that is both immersive and fun to engage with, then do not overlook this game, because you'll have to experience it if you like these things I have tried to describe here.

Levels and missions are, I think, well designed; they are okay and functional, and pretty cool to go through in no small part due to the story, which can be perceived as bad. Whatever— to me, again, it comes down to authenticity. The game reminds me of why we enjoyed linear games in the past. There is just something special about the nature of such games that, compared to open-world games, is lacking because often open-world games just play out in the open and aren't really scripted in any particular way except to be a sort of sandbox. In open-world games, a lot of the buildings are often inaccessible, whereas places found in linear games just feel different. You can really notice this when playing games like Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light versus something like Metro Exodus or Ghost Recon: Breakpoint (though GR: Wildlands was pretty good for an open-world game). Again, in this sense, some progress is welcome in game design. Gaming has progressed from linear games into more open-world games, which is a nice thing, but open-world games aren't always as detailed as linear games used to be, which were sort of custom-tailored to really leave an impression on a person and make experiencing them a memorable experience because of the stories and environments.

I think Sniper Ghost Warrior is just that: a memorable experience that leaves me harking back to how games used to be (linear and scripted) in their design and makes me miss authenticity in some more modern sniper games. Relating to scripted game events, CoD games are full of them in single-player and are super popular with each iteration. This leads me to think that the nature of open-world games can't really touch on this aspect of interactivity and storytelling. In open-world games, AI behaves more dynamically and in a hive mind due to some apparent, noticeable limitations of AI in games. For instance, if you alert one enemy AI, all the enemies start converging on your location and start shooting. I appreciate that feeling from linear games where it feels more logical, like you are actually part of a story or ongoing events. Both types of games, open-world vs. linear games, have their distinct characteristics and appeal in their own ways, and Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 is one of those games I like precisely because it's linear but not necessarily limiting.

Military! Hand-holding! A very short linear path from point A to point B! People saying Frosty! What do you know, a villain the good guys trained.

Played this many times on XBox in the past. Thought I'd give it a try on my laptop and had at least 2 hackers in the very first time playing via steam. One of the hackers was even on our team and was teleporting everywhere and even killing his own players. It's a good game but not when other people spoil it