A very underrated and misunderstood game. It's not flawless but there is still plenty to enjoy.
+ I really like this game because it is original and takes its own approach to things, while still feeling familiar to other games. It combines the RPG elements of Mass Effect with the stealthy espionage elements of Splinter Cell and also has some vague similarities to Deus Ex. I really don't think people took the time to understand this game completely before rating it because I really found it quite enjoyable.
So where to begin? Let's start with the RPG elements. You can choose a backstory for your main character, which gives some motivation when you talk about your history in the game. And then you have a number of skills which you spend talents in every time you gain experience in and level up. These skills include stealth, pistols, SMGs, shotguns, assault rifles, hacking, survivability, and a few others. Every few times you improve one of these skills you gain an ability. For example, one ability for pistols is to slow down time for a few seconds, which prevents you from moving, but you are able to lock and shoot a number a set number of enemies during this time. Think of this as a magic spell in any other RPG, where you cast it, it really helps you out in certain scenarios, and then it has to recharge until you use it again.
The RPG elements for choosing your weapon is also a lot of fun. You have two weapons you can equip at any time, body armor, and gadgets. The weapons have their own stats like how powerful they are, how much ammo they can carry, how accurate they are, how much recoil they have, and how stable they are when you are moving. Not only that, but the guns have four upgrade slots where you can add custom scopes, barrels, magazines, etc which affect these stats. Similarly, your body armor has stats on how much armor you have, how much damage you can mitigate, how loud you are when moving, how many armor upgrades are available, and how many gadgets you can carry. And the gadgets include things like explosive bombs, incendiary bombs, EMP bombs, remote mines, health packs, etc.
You also have a store where you can buy and sell items on the black market. So if you are a fan of customizing your weapons and loadout then there is plenty for you to have fun with. Unfortunately you are stuck with customizing your character's looks, being able to only adjust the skin tone, hair, beard, hat, glasses, and eyes.
Now the stealth/action elements may be controversial but I really don't think people took the time to learn how it works. This is NOT a run and gun game. Instead, you have an aiming reticule which is very inaccurate with a wide spread when you bring it up. However, if you continue to aim then your reticule will change from yellow to red and grow more precise, also enabling you to make a critical shot. If you move your character or move your aim reticule around too much, however, it will reset back to yellow. This means you have to take time to aim your shot and if you are just shooting carelessly you will run out of ammo very fast and you won't make it far in the game. Yes, you are able to shoot on the run (remember, a gun's stability stat controls this), but this should not be your primary method of attacking. A lot of people don't like this, but I found it interesting and new compared to the generic shooting mechanics found in all other games. Besides, once you learn how to aim properly you can really easily rack up instant kill headshots.
You do have a way of taking cover behind walls and obstacles, but it is very rudimentary. You also are able to determine how stealthy you want to approach this game, but in general you will have to play with some element of stealth because I repeat that this is not a run and gun game. I ended up specializing in pistols and assault rifles. I put a silencer on my pistol and tried to start the mission getting quiet headshots or sneaking up behind an enemy and getting a quiet takedown. If I screwed up or all hell broke loose I would switch to my assault rifle and unload the heavy fire. This is probably the best way to take the combat approach and I found it very fun.
The conversation system can also be controversial. It has a conversation wheel like Mass Effect, but instead you are just given emotions where you choose how you want your character to react. The issue is that all conversations are timed, so you only have about two or three seconds to make a decision. A lot of people find this unsettling, but I found that I enjoyed it. Just like your weapon where you have to aim and then take a shot, you must quickly decide how your character will respond and then make the choice or else the opportunity will be lost. And in this game your conversation really acts as another weapon, allowing you to get on the good side or the bad side of the dozens of characters you meet. In fact, in some missions all you do is have a conversation, which reinforces my notion that your words are your weapon. This timed conversation also keeps things at a flowing pace and you won't have awkward pauses and you won't have time to second guess yourself. Just react and decide and live with your consequences.
And speaking of consequences, they make it clear at the start of the game that there is no right or wrong way of approaching everything. They really just want you to make decisions depending on whatever you think is best. And sometimes those decisions have dire consequences but you shouldn't feel like you have to reload a checkpoint.
One final thing that I'd like to mention is how the game felt like ever decision you made was going to affect you. By this I mean that your character has perks. These perks will trigger if you do certain things. For example, if you get a certain number of pistol headshots then your pistol will become more powerful. If you act a certain way in a conversation, you may get discounts when buying weapons or intel. But this also works for important mission elements where you have to choose between two important decisions. You have limited intel. Do you assassinate this suspect or do you let him go? Either way, you will get a perk that will coincide with your decision. Do you pursue a romance with a girl or do you politely decline? Again, your decision will be reflected in your perk. You infiltrate a CIA building and are asked not to take lethal force. Do you shoot use bullets or do you try to tranquilize instead? All of these things and more mean that your character's perks will reflect what decisions you are making in the game, which really helps it feel like you should just play and not worry about what's right or wrong. You will be rewarded according to whichever path you choose.
Overall I found the game to be rather enjoyable. Sure, the AI isn't perfect. Sure there may be little issues here and there. But on the whole? This is a very interesting approach that combines RPG elements and third-person stealth gameplay. You may not like all of the ways they handle stuff, like the timed conversations or the aiming mechanic. But I found it to be refreshing to play something a little different, and I really was not bothered by it. If you give this game time you might be surprised how much it grows on you too.
Story/Presentation: 4.5/5
+ The story is very interesting and has plenty of twists and turns to it. It's really hard to tell who is on your side and who is your enemy, but then again maybe there really isn't any right answer. You are able to increase or decrease how much someone likes you depending on your conversation and your decisions. And this relationship can either help or hurt you in later missions, or give you different perks.
Not all of the characters in the game are stellar, but a lot of them are unique and memorable. They surely have their own personalities and you may find one or two that really stick out in your mind. I did feel like the main character tended to have a very lazy, suave voice for many of his responses but perhaps that was just the decisions I made in the conversations.
I also felt like the story constantly kept you guessing and never lost its energy. It can be pretty confusing at times but it's never totally incomprehensible. You always have to be alert to what is going on around you, and you have to take the limited intelligence you've uncovered and decide for yourself what you think is going on. The impression is that you, the player, really start to feel like the character in the game. You don't know for certain what is happening but you have to do your best to sort through the tangle of lies and deception to finally uncover some truth.
And the best part is that the story wraps around your actions in the game, so there is not one definitive plot. There are many path branches, so the story feels personal depending on how you play the game. And I really enjoyed that a lot.
Graphics: 4/5
+ The graphics can be hit or miss. Overall I was satisfied with everything. You travel across the world to Saudi Arabia, Moscow, Rome, and Taiwan, and all of these environments feel unique and presentable. The environments and the levels feel authentic. Also, you are given a safehouse in each location and I have to say that the safehouses look and feel very impressive. They are detailed and cozy and it seems like a lot of care was put in to constructing them, rather than just being dashed together at the last minute.
They do tend to make heavy use of blurring, though, which gives it a sort of cinematic appeal but it does get kind of distracting at times. Both during cut scenes and during aiming.
The one thing that clearly is at fault, though, are the animations. The enemies tend to walk slower than their animations look, which gives the feeling like they are ice skating across the ground. It's unsettling and really kills the immersion. But that's the only big complaint that I had.
Value: 5/5
+ The game took me about 17 hours to complete, which I felt was a decent completion time. But the thing is that this game can be played a bunch of different times and you'd still find something new in it. Since it's an RPG you can customize your character and either try a full stealth approach or a combat approach or a gadget approach, each of which will change the game for you. Also, like I've said, the story is dependent on some significant decisions you make. Which means you are pretty much guaranteed to have another story waiting for you the next time you play. You can decide to ally with other people, execute some people, and spare other people. In the end, this is a game that definitely has a lot of replay value and I would absolutely love to play through it again when I get the chance.
I'm really surprised at how low this game scored, and I think it's a terrible disservice to the content that is actually in the game. I found the game to be plenty enjoyable and nowhere near the atrocity that everyone has made it out to be. It definitely has a few flaws here and there, but overall I couldn't find enough to detract me away from the good parts in the game. You may feel differently depending on how receptive you are to the conversations and aiming, but like I've said...if you take the time to learn and embrace what the game offers then you will be heavily rewarded with a very solid game.