Initially, the idea of crafting ammo seemed like it could be interesting, that it would open up a world of opportunities with which I could snipe aforementioned dudes with, but I was usually fine with a couple regular rounds and headshots.
You can pursue side missions or farm for crafting materials, but it all seemed like needless padding. It never really felt like there was anything I wanted to do other than just move onto the next mission, but actually going to new mission areas was either a chore, or simply a matter of fast travelling. The game presents the player with an open world, but I honestly wish it didn’t. It will utilize poor visuals and shoddy voice acting at every turn to try and drive home the trite, well-worn excuse it has for a story. It’s so distracting that taking the game seriously is extremely difficult, and Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 definitely wants you to take it seriously. The game will go from lush wooded vistas and scenes of urban decay to ugly character models with clown faces. The in-game graphics can look nice at times, but they’re extremely inconsistent. Sniper Ghost Warrior will never capture the frantic, fast paced action and madness that is the core of the Far Cry series, nor will handle mission planning on the same level as Hitman or a Tom Clancy game. Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 does these things, and they are passably done, but it feels cheap, like it’s pretending to be some different, better game. I even cherish the planning and the forethought that comes with observing the compound, and looking for the best avenue of approach. Staking out an outpost and clearing it is something that remains enjoyable to this day.
Being able to adjust my scope, etc is also very appealing and I wish other series would take that into consideration as well, but they often don't.Personally, I love the Far Cry series, with the recent more primal iteration excluded. I do like the "take it however you want" mentality that is in the third game in case I want to switch things up. I haven't seen much to make me think there will be much of a story in SGW3, and I'm hoping they are just holding that back. Not sure the reason for it, but it was a Beta. The only bug I noticed in the Beta was that there were times when it wouldn't allow me to move the bodies, where in other times I could. To me it seems like a vast improvement over the previous two games and makes me actually want to buy it. After seeing videos and reading about SGW3, I jumped to sign up for the Beta. I didn't like SGW1, and I cannot remember liking SGW2. Though the gameplay has kept me interested. The only thing that has bothered me about the SE series is the often thin story telling. If they were both in the same era I might consider one over the other, but since they are not, I won't think about it.
Sniper Elite 4 will be WW2 era, and SGW3 will be modern era. And I care nothing for multiplayer so that has nothing to do with my decision making. I've enjoyed the Sniper Elite series for a while now, and I'd rather have 3rd persion than 1st anyway, but Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 has something to offer too.