This game is a hard sell nowdays. There are so many QoL improvements that the series has had over the years that coming back to the Ubisoft Open World protoype feels like driving a clunky stick shift after years of only using a bike. Following that analogy, you realise the car has its own language and is enjoyable on its own, but not if it's constantly being compared. The base formula is there and it is flawless (as the development of the series proves that point). But, as you play, you realise that every decision to make life hell was made consciously. It really is a great adaptation of the idea of the Heart of Darkness. If you're impatient, you won't really enjoy it. If you meet the game on its own terms, it will not disappoint. In many ways, it peaked Ubisoft design.
