Maybe it was the Playstation 3 version Yahtzee played or something, because I found the XBox 360 version to be one of the Best Games of the Year. I didn't buy the demo, so there was no sense of disappointment about expectations. And I found the controls a little different to first pickup, but when I figured them out in a 7-second span, I found them intuitive and well-suited to the gameplay. Maybe if I had played the Prince of Persia series first, I would have found the experience much less enjoyable, but I hadn't so this was my fist parkour game. I know claims about the use of the ruling authority as an enemy may have rubbed some the wrong way, but I'm already a bit of an anti-central authoritarian and found the point about people now living simple and seemingly happy lives worked well, cause it recognizes that open 1984 Big-Brother is obviously bad and easy to recognize. Its harder to do if the place is clean, the propaganda is less direct, and certain trade-offs are made.
Aside from that:
1) Found it Highly Immersive: to the point where I find myself wanting to do a run-up or wall-jump when I pass tightly-packed construction stuff or a low wall.
2) The Platforming was Fluid and Collision Worked Great: I know some disagree, but when I wanted to jump, wall-run, run-up, grab a ledge while falling, etc. all worked well, never missed a beat once (save a few user-errors).
3) Provided Plenty of Clever Platforming Puzzles: these were properly spaced between high-tension moments to let the player catch his breath and prevent the issue of monotomy-induced boredom. They were challenging enough to make me think and feel rewarded when I solved them, but simple enough to figure out if I stopped and considered my options.
4) Much Needed Change in Atmosphere: even as a man who loves my dystopian shooters and dark worlds, the bright colors, atmosphere, and camera affects were a much needed change in pace from black, grey, brown, and gloom.
On the Otherhand:
1) Terribe Combat: the game is about running, not fighting or shooting, and they require a little too much gunplay for the experience I wanted going in. Hand-to-Hand wasn't too bad.
2) Characters and Plot-Development: I loved the world crafted for this game, but I couldn't find myself getting attached to the characters, most of which were movie and/or literary cliches anyways. Different really care much for the plot either, pretty poor overall.
3) More Length: I still had fun replaying it again and again, as well doing the time trials, but I felt it needed to be longer. Not bad for a maiden run though.
