Though the routes are often linear, there are still opportunities to chart your own path. The climbing mechanics provide an array of brilliant, tactile puzzles, taking advantage of the environment and architecture a lot better than the recent Assassin's Creeds. When you're not trying to kill off the competition, you'll spend most of your time climbing, clambering and hanging off precarious perches. But it's still possible to clear out a whole squad without being spotted, if you're patient enough. Most of my stealth efforts became firefights, or forced me to flee from eagle-eyed mercenaries. Did these plans always work? Hardly ever, admittedly. Stealth provides an alternative to the chaotic shootouts, which saves on ammunition and provides its own satisfying moments, letting me sketch out a masterplan while I'm hiding in some tall grass.
