Sniper Ghost Warrior 2: Exclusive Interview With Lukasz Janczuk, Producer

We recently got a chance to sit with the producer of Sniper Ghost Warrior 2, Lukasz Janczuk. We talk in length about how the franchise has benefited from CryEngine 3, comparison with other shooters on the market and more.

Check out the full interview below.

Shubhankar: Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2, unlike its predecessor, utilizes the CryEngine. Do you think that has helped you make a better game?

Lukasz: Yes, it has. The great support that we are receiving from Crytek and the advanced features the engine allows us to use are remarkable. CryENGINE also has great potential in making console games. Many procedures that may have been tricky in the past are now easily implemented. On top of that, the team that works with the engine frequently say they can finally spread their wings to the fullest extent. CE3 = win.

Shubhankar: The visuals of the game, from what we’ve seen so far, seem to be astounding. Do you think that, in the final product, they can be good enough to compete against the likes of Crysis 2 or Battlefield 3?

Lukasz: We aimed for the stars with Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 and I think the final product will certainly match and even surpass many of the current GPU killers on the market.

Shubhankar: One of the most major complaints people had about Ghost Warrior 1 was that it was too linear a game. How have you addressed that with Ghost Warrior 2?

Lukasz: We don’t see linearity as an issue. Books are linear, movies are linear, 80% of the biggest games on the planet are somehow linear. We’re here to tell a story and to make the players’ brains generate fun – you don’t need a giant open world to do that. That doesn’t mean Ghost Warrior 2 is a corridor shooter! We will have open landscapes for you to traverse but this will not be a sandbox type of game.

Shubhankar: Can we expect some drastic changes in this game from the first game?

Lukasz: Enemy AI. That’s been made entirely from scratch. We wanted to emphasize the distance that divides you and your foes, this is a sniper game after all. The AI tackles problems of reducing the distance to you via laying smoke screens, flanking you etc. We’re really proud of that! We also decided not to include “assault missions” this time around, so you won’t run around with assault rifles and engage in CQB. This was decided based on the voice of the community; we respect and take into consideration what they say. The players want an authentic modern sniper experience and that is what we are going to deliver.

Shubhankar: With shooters having smaller and smaller campaigns these days, can we expect Ghost Warrior 2 to be different? Or will it be an online-centric experience?

Lukasz: We want to deliver a solid 10h gameplay campaign and a competitive multiplayer experience in one package. Ghost Warrior 2 will feature something for everyone – shooting mechanics customization for the hardcore player, an easy “red dot marks the spot” system for the more casual sniper and a balanced mode for gamers who, depending on their mood, feel a little bit of both. We have a strong story we want the player to remember. It’s not a tale of a generic soldier on a generic mission – the main character’s name is Anderson, Mr. Anderson :-), and he’ll be involved in some serious personal stuff like deception and life and death decisions.

Shubhankar: Will the PC version run any better than the Xbox 360 or PS3 versions?

Lukasz: We are proud of the consistency we managed to achieve with Ghost Warrior 2, even taking into consideration the age of current gen consoles. CryENGINE 3 helps to elevate graphics to another level so every player will be satisfied, doesn’t matter if he or she plays on a console or PC.

Shubhankar: There are a few sniper focused games coming out in the next few months. One of them is Sniper Elite 2. What is your take on the same and how different Sniper 2 Ghost Warrior will be from the same?

Lukasz: It’s like with racing games – all of them have cars in them but on one hand you’ve got hardcore simulators and on the other – classic arcade games. It’s hard to say something concrete about Sniper Elite V2 because it’s not out yet. Sniper Ghost Warrior achieved the good blend of stealth vs action and realism vs authenticity – we want to continue being the success benchmark of this genre with the sequel. All in all, we wish other developers all the best :-).

Shubhankar: If Ghost Warrior 2 is successful, do you see yourself moving on to a sequel, or would you want to be involved with the development of new IPs?

Lukasz: We’re developing other IPs even as we speak. Enemy Front, our CQB fast paced action title being produced by Stuart Black; Alien Fear, which will redefine digital distribution gaming; Combat Wings, the ultimate flight action game; new RPG Project and CI Romania’s F2P World of Mercenaries are all in the making. As for Ghost Warrior 3 – only time will tell.

Shubhankar: Is there anything else you want to share about the game?

Lukasz: Communication via social media is an important component to our game design philosophy. We value the gamers’ opinions and try to listen to everyone. We’d love if people would visit our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and share their thoughts with us.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SniperGhostWarrior
Twitter: www.twitter.com/sniperthegame

Additionally, we’ll be releasing a very cool video soon so stay tuned!