This is quite possibly the most overindulgent application of unrestrained freedom in shooter game form ever.

While there is some bias toward being painstakingly methodical to win engagements as per the game's 'tactical' trappings, it (with admittedly a few needless exceptions) doesn't wrestle control from the player's hands for being pointlessly reckless.

Situation calls for strategic use of high-tech equipment to minimize risk? How about jumping from a helicopter and calling in a danger close airstrike. The story demanding for your attention for a boring mission that you supposedly have to partake in ASAP? Respond in three business days while you go do the side quests. Maintaining one's distance while using silenced, scoped rifles being the optimal way to play? I'll believe that when I get bored blasting cartel goons with my shotgun that has the effective range of a French kiss.

Okay, so occasionally you'll have to play the 'right' way. Defending delicate hostages requires restraining oneself from chucking explosives everywhere like candy, and AA batteries discourage airborne joyriding over the wrong side of the tracks.

Those are nonetheless entirely unproblematic as they stem from organic ways of shaking up the gameplay loop in a genuinely interesting manner. On the other hand, the game commits a peculiar sin in its "stealth" missions, where the player has to avoid engaging with the squad of enemy NPCs that just sort of meander around as if they have crippling social anxiety. Nope, no other playstyle permitted -- you have to be funneled into this specific way to engage with the game or it will command you a game over screen, going against the game's rather consistent thematic presentation of not doing exactly this.

Besides that, this is somehow still the only game of its type that goes so far as to provide the wealth of sandbox options as it does. While it certainly has its shortcomings that is the player's responsibility to make peace with, nothing has ever dared to compare.

As of the Ubisoft Connect updates, they retroactively removed offline mode for all games that used to have them. This is one of them.

External launcher that makes launching the game a chore. Steam/Valve needs to step in and not allow companies to have these external launchers we have to go through with EA and Ubisoft games.