Le Saboteur said:
Is it the inability to create a open-ended sandbox game, or is it attempting to shoe horn a incompatible idea into a sandbox?
Hard to tell. As stated already, even a bit more fluidity into the controls could save a lot. Rockstar has managed to find a great touch into the vehicular controls since GTA III which is nearly a decade old, though the gunplay has always been simplistic, at least up until part IV which really manages to somewhat nail even that (note that I say somewhat, since while it still could be improved, it's a lot better than anything we've seen in the genre so far). Get those right, and even if the rest of the game really is just about explosions and little more explosions, it still could worth our time and, most importantly, our money.
I think
Assassin's Creed was a great technical experience. Unlike those other examples, it really nailed the gameplay bits down. All the climbing, free-running and swordplay made for a great, fluid and cinematic experience. Altair was truly a joy to control. And the backdrops were great. Large, sprawling Middle Age cities with tons of pedestrians, lovely architecture and other little details.
But in the end, it lacked stuff to do. You had a handful of tasks the game forced you to repeat from the beginning to the end, and they all played out exactly the same. There were never any twists within the missions, any surprises or other variations, the AI run through the same lines and animations every damn time you pulled off a task. The story, that in actuality was nothing but a simulation run from the present, was not the largest fall point of the game. It was the lack of variety. Couple of hours in, one just lost interest in what kind of situation the game is going to present next, because you already knew. In fact, the story was in my opinion kind of clever, and it all being a simulation for once offered a plausible explanation for being able to take a sword to the gut and still keep on fighting, or how everyone in the Holy Land seems to speak modern-day English. As gamers, we're naturally able to suspend our disbelief from such things even without explanations given, but it was a nice idea nevertheless.
But eh. All this has very little to do with
The Saboteur which I won't judge 'til I've actually played it. It seems that most reviews call it a bit stiff on the technical side, but I've yet to see one call the gameplay repetitive, so perhaps it'll be worth my time after all, since I've always been one who's able to enjoy a game despite a technical hiccup or two. All it just really takes is understanding what you can or can't do. Once that's down and clear, it's time to enjoy the content and possibilities, if there are any.