Yeah I'm with you on that one, I found the game to be quite tedious and over the top hard. Also I completely agree with you on checkpoint systems, they are a truly terrible mechanic.I hate checkpoint systems like Yahtzee hates QTEs, in fact I made a vow that somehow, someway, I will rid the world of checkpoint systems forever.
The same thing happened with me and The Witcher 2. Seeing all the praise that it was getting on this forum, I bought it expecting an amazing sprawling epic with amazing characters, incredible, skillful combat, deep levels of customization, and a story that treated me like an adult. What a got was a forgetful story, generic characters, and combat that was fun when it felt like it. Still worth the twenty bucks that I paid for it, but nothing I'm going to remember 5 years down the line.
The same thing happened with me and The Witcher 2. Seeing all the praise that it was getting on this forum, I bought it expecting an amazing sprawling epic with amazing characters, incredible, skillful combat, deep levels of customization, and a story that treated me like an adult. What a got was a forgetful story, generic characters, and combat that was fun when it felt like it. Still worth the twenty bucks that I paid for it, but nothing I'm going to remember 5 years down the line.