Probably, a large part of the negative reviews is associated with unfulfilled expectations from the game: apparently, many expected a dynamic isometric action game in the spirit of the early Syndicate, which consisted of a series of short dynamic missions focused on combat with the enemy. But that's not the case with this game: instead of individual missions, it's a large sandbox city divided into districts, in the style of GTA, and the emphasis is not on combat, but on ways to avoid combat, and complete tasks without resorting to violence. Enemies are too thick-skinned, and besides, in case of direct combat, endless reinforcements are called in, which is why the battles become not so much difficult as dreary. The game is different from the creations of Bullfrog and most of all resembles not so much Syndicate as the Commandos and Desperados, famous stealth tactics games: there are many opportunities for moving around the locations of interest while being unnoticed. And besides this, there are numerous gadgets that simplify the passage: an improved invisibility generator, special hook that allow you to get to the mission location by a cable above the wall, various hacker improvements, the ability to reprogram guards ... And the locations themselves are more open for non-linear exploration than in Commandos. As for downsides, quests and missions often follow the same pattern, and it gets boring over time. As I have already noted, the balance between combat and stealth is off in favor of stealth, which is much more interesting than boring and drawn-out battles. The ending of the game is disappointing, as is the story as a whole. There are no saves in the missions themselves, despite the fact that the missions themselves often could drag on for hours. However, the game is addictive and captivating. Just don't expect a third Syndicate from it - despite some similarities and marketing buzzwords on this page, it's a completely different game under a similar skin.
