The abundance of negative reviews and superficial plot summaries initially deterred me from playing this one. However, after several years, I finally dove into the ultimate PS5 version, and the experience proved well worth the wait.

At 60 fps, the game's flow feels remarkably precise. The developers focused on proactive stealth with constant movement, creating a wild fusion of Manhunt and Hotline Miami. The latter's influence is evident not only in direct references but also in the concept of respawn, while the former also shares similarities in its overall spirit. On Survivor difficulty, every inventory item becomes crucial, opening up a plethora of tactical possibilities. The complex, multi-layered design rarely misfires, such as in the inability to quickly knock an opponent down a ladder and stuff like that. The artificial idiots are smart enough to punish mistakes yet entertaining to outsmart. My personal childhood delight is pitting enemies against each other.

The creators sense the level of fatigue in the player’s brain, so they often just let one go for an exploration walk. While some criticized the resource-gathering system, it serves as a welcome respite after high-intensity encounters, especially given the scarcity of resources and the ASMR-like design of these moments.

Cinematic sequences seamlessly blend with gameplay, ranging from calm to epic, with varying degrees of interactivity. This manipulation of player agency becomes one of the game's central concepts, adding some depth to the experience.

Plot-wise, the developers opted for a more intimate narrative, focusing primarily on Seattle, State of Washington rather than spanning multiple states. This concentrated setting allows for a higher density of events and characters. The city's versatility parallels the multifaceted nature of the unfolding events. Contrary to biased retellings, the story contains ample details to explain most narrative choices, proving far more complex than a simple "revenge bad" message.

The game achieves an impressive balance across all aspects of game design. The main thing that irritated me was the presence of “perfect timing” moments, for several of which I hardly found an explanation. And the concept of no return in a linear game can be a little frustrating, especially when it prevents exploration of newly discovered areas. Back to the manipulation of interactivity, one must remember that it’s always the player who needs to look into the metaphorical house, not the character.