Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 One shot, planned to the breath

The sniping is the part this game gets right, and it is the reason to play. Before you pull the trigger you factor in scope elevation, wind speed and direction, your breath and your stance, plus which rifle and bullets you brought. You can strip out most of the aiming aids and turn every shot into a small puzzle of numbers and patience, or keep the helpers on and just enjoy the pull of the trigger.

One concrete loop: send the drone up, tag the guards around an outpost, find a ridge half a kilometre out, then wait for the wind to settle before you take the shot that starts the whole plan. Miss, and you are suddenly in a fight you did not want.

Every mission can go three ways. As a Sniper, you solve things from far away. As a Ghost, you stalk through the grass, use drone recon and vertical routes, and clear a base with silent takedowns nobody hears. As a Warrior, you modify assault rifles, shotguns and machine guns and walk through the front gate.

The open world lets you pick your own path to each objective across three large maps in northern Georgia, with dynamic weather and a day and night cycle that change how you play. You also customise your gear, vehicles and drone, and craft special ammo like explosive rounds and decoys at your safehouse. The story follows Jonathan North, an American sniper searching for his missing brother among the warlords tearing the country apart. Fair warning: the side activities out in the world can feel repetitive, so come for the missions and the shooting more than the map checklist.