Got round to giving this some time. Think I'll alternate between games, give FFXV some love tomorrow. 

Can't believe the clock says 9 hours and I've only done mission 3! Dies it continue ticking on pause? I know I've spent a lot of time item hunting and trying to ghost, but 9 hours! What a slow coach.

Loving it.

If you want all the collectibles (and of course some of them you need to power up) then  you have to pick the entire level clean which, at least for me, makes the ghosting very hard.

I'm planning another run with Corvo on an easier difficulty where I just do the story mission with as little deviation as possible.

It's great value if you have the time to attempt each sand box in multiple ways.

Ghosting doesn't affect the story though, just lethal vs non-lethal. You can get seen, parry during combat and knock people out and it doesn't affect your chaos. It's easy to conflate because ghosting and non-lethal are conducive, but they're not the same. Perhaps there should be more tools to make non-lethal more viable without being totally unseen.

A lot of people I know have issues with grading in games, but i didn't mind the slip towards chaos I suffered in Addermire because I accidentally got four people killed, If anything it's better that the game's perception of you is so reductive.

I'm still low chaos. Get seen quite a bit but hardly killed anyone. I also killed four guards in Addermire. Couldn't be bothered to reload, just shit them all in the face.

Er... Dammit, can't be bothered to change it now.

It's more the game going after every level

AWOOOGA DID YOU GHOST? BIG FAT RED X FOR YOU AWOOGA.

essentially after every level you are implicitly told you are a failure (unless you ghosted). Whereas i think there would be more real liberty in a systems game to let you fool around if it just didn't mention it at all. It comes to a point where the overarching feel of the game they present makes a lot of its tools redundant. Why have lots of health around when the game is obnoxiously difficult to you when you get spotted and hit once? I was often dying on purpose after being spotted.

I also think it's a folly to give a big red X in the first run through when the game also sets its stall as an explore this area for fun gimmicks and use the powers game (which is necessary if you want powers).

That all depends on how much importance you put on the big red X. It doesn't really bother me, at all - not being able to have the patience, resources, and skill required to Ghost through a level is my failing as a player, just like the times I can't Pure Platinum many parts of Bayonetta. It doesn't particularly bother me, it just makes me know I have room to improve should I wish. The counter argument is of course that people like feedback on their challenges - I wouldn't bother trying to Ghost or Pure Platinum or do no damage runs of stuff if it didn't grade me. There appears to be no real compromise that is possible, unless you could select an 'ungraded' run at the start of the game or something.

I agree that the feel of the game is counter to the tools, that was a big complaint with Dishonored too, but I don't see the failure to ghost as anywhere near as big an issue as the chaos meter. 

@Bob Can't comment on the reload, it's fairly fast on PC. Faster than Hyper Light Drifter which is far more punishing of failure.

I've put a couple of hours into this now and although the story is indeed absolute rot they've built a great world again.  It may well just be very clever player manipulation but I genuinely feel like I've picked my own route through a tiny part of a whole cohesive town and that I could have taken any number of other routes.  It's great design but this has a negative impact on my enjoyment.  All open world-ers are the same for me - I don't ever feel like I can just go with whatever happens and move on.  I'm constantly worried that I've missed a better route or taken the shit option or I'll be missing out on that good bit that someone else has mentioned.  It's barmy really and entirely my own fault but what'll happen is I'll get to just about the mid point and just lose interest because I can't take the stress of missing out on that bit over there but I just don't have enough spare time for all this. Ok let's go for a speedy, non sidetracked run through with no map mopping.  But what about the stuff I'm missing out on... so fuck it let's just play something very clearly delineated in its player progression. Phew that's a relief.

Saying all that though I'm still in the first few hours at the moment so am still happily keeping the thoughts at bay. Just.

 Also, I think the NPc sight cones are probably too harsh which is then doubly frustrating when you have three separate conversations playing over the top of each other with no real idea who the voices belong to - be it friend, foe or just a street tramp.  It's difficult to know when to casually round a corner or go dark and sneak through the bins.  Like my real life actually.

heh neat.

Clockwork mansion, on low chaos. Pain in the arse. So tempting to screw the stealth and go John Rambo on the world.

Got this last weekend and played the opening level at the moment. Started as Emily and attempting a low chaos run. Absolutely loving it so far, it is just great to be back in that world and the mechanics are as good as ever. However, got to the end of the first level and realised I had just missed massive chunks of the level...a second play through will be a must!

I've fallen off really despite I think only one mission left. Can't deny it's fun mechanically and the setting is masterly but the narrative has disappointed me af.

Nope, found way out.

Who'd you go with? I'm Emily in first playthrough. Not quite ghosting it, but I'm very low chaos anyway.

I went with Emily, just for the change. Do they have different powers?