I really liked Contracts and Blood Money. In comparison, Absolution was a huge step back: - Linear tiny FPS-like levels instead of open world levels, divided into serveral parts between which you cannot go back to. - Saves reduced to checkpoints. - Horrible AI: 1. sometimes gets stuck in an activity, making the level unsolvable 2. gets suspicious when you run instead of walk, even if you're in another room - but ONLY if this room is off-limits to you, which is determined by your *disguise*! 3. doesn't even recognize if you pull their talking partner over a counter 4. utters completely inappropriate comments ("Hey, nice gun!" to an excavation helper that doesn't & mustn't wear a gun) - Frustrating "Restricted Area" system that penalizes you the moment someone sees you entering the possibly illogical area - Instinct and point shooting are illogical concepts - NPCs wearing the same disguise recognize you instantly. Makes sense if they're part of a small guard group, but not when you disguise as a seller on a Chinese market walking among hundreds of people. - Console-like controls map actions with fatal differences to same keys (garotte / close combat!) - Removing evidence is a complete pointless requirement for Silent Assassin status when 1) everyone knows you are there and 2) evidence consists of a notepad that was in the level from the beginning; what kind of evidence is this!? - Visual difference between standing next to a wall vs using it as a cover is almost non-existent and irrelevant, yet it decides whether the AI sees you or not: The cover function usually hides you better than it should. - No weapon selection as in Blood Money, but you still lose all weapons. So if you get the chance to use a sniper rifle, it is usually found in the place where you would want to use it anyway, removing the great burden of actually *thinking* - Ridiculous antagonists which are not on par with the series' previous villains. Proving yourself by "out-shooting a girl"? Err, yeah...
