This game is strange. It somehow manages to be a few steps forward, a few steps back, and a few steps to the side all at the same time. Can't call this a cut and dry AC1 --> AC2 style jump, unfortunately.
- Combat feels slightly clumsier. I was completely at home during combat in W_D1. It was fast, efficient, and stylish. In W_D2 everything is a half step slower, the melee kills are drawn out (just like Assassin's Creed), aiming sensitivity feels weird, L3 to sprint makes fast movement between cover spots a little awkward, you take more damage, and weapon wheel on the D-Pad is not as fluid during intense combat. A lot of small changes that add up to me not feeling as amped to kill everything when stealth goes sideways. Not to mention that losing the focus mode bullet time is tragic, especially while driving because the driving contextual hacks in this game are WAY more unreliable.
- The telepathic enemies mixed with super fast detection and hyper aggressive reactions really does not feel right. It's no longer as fun to switch from ghost to panther because the enemies are inconsistent, and once you make any kind of mistake, recovery time is minimal and omnipotent reinforcements come pouring in. The slick middle ground, modern-Splinter Cell aggressive hacker playstyle is really lacking.
- AI vehicles on the other hand are idiots with no solution to a car being stuck or abandoned in front of them. All the other cool stuff that they do while on foot, but they can't pathfind their way around obstacles in a car? I can understand a pileup blocking the roads, but one car can completely break traffic.flow.
- Driving is bleh, straight up. I totally agree with Septimius here that it's way too sensitive and weightless. Any kind of counter-steering or corrections, or even minor turns while trying to park or position yourself result in these wild swings that just don't feel good. Throttle control does not exist, and traction comes and goes whenever. All the vehicle hacks and defensive chase hacks (stoplights, steampipes, etc.) would feel so much better if these cars had more realistic weight and collision physics behind them. I actively avoid the high performance cars because they feel like 4 tires and an engine attached to a piece of paper.
- I strongly dislike this pulled back camera angle. It probably seems like such a nitpick to others, but every time I sprint across a big downtown road I groan at where the camera is sitting. Walking around doesn't have the same feeling it used to because of this.
- Rain passes through much too quickly. I get that it's in San Fran this time around, but like 95% of W_D1's atmosphere happened during those thunderstorms. Would be great if this game had similar conditions every once in a while to play against the light west coast beach vibe
but
But
BUT
The world is so much more fun to mess around with and explore, that it nearly makes up for the shortcomings. There are stretches of nonsense I've been a part of that have actually made me laugh just from the game bouncing off of itself. The way these little scripted random events like couples arguing can go through their loop, yet still snowball into a bigger confrontation is hilarious. The way a random carjacking, or gang shootout, or NPC police call can interrupt me while I'm 3 levels deep into a hacking puzzle (Drone --> RC jumper --> physical hack) is always a treat. The way you can avoid combat by pitting sides against each other and watching the meltdown from a block away is top tier heel tactics. After at least 15 hours, I still stop to watch every little canned interaction because you never know where it's going to end up. I was outside the baseball stadium sightseeing, and some woman started going off on her boyfriend in front of everyone, and a crowd gathered as I overheard someone complaining that the lighting wasn't good enough to record the fight. Just one of many #Worldstar moments I've witnessed or been pulled into. Actual emergent comedy.
