Disappointing. Not because of comparisons to the N64 predecessor, but because of other reviews. Enjoyable though.
The action was very repetitive, very little variation in terms of being tactical or fun in the shooting element. It makes you clamour for a moment to be stealthy because then it becomes a puzzler in certain aspects (how to take down each guy without alerting the others). The stealth sections are good though, making the Park and Jungle levels the stand out levels in my eyes as they are stealth heavy. What I also like about this game is that just "alerting" a guard isn't enough for things to kick off, the guard/s in question have to have time to raise the alarm, so it is very doable to drop one guard, have the other guard notice but quickly and quietly take him down before he has a chance to do anything.
The weapons (there are a lot) give you the impression that there is a great range, BUT most of them are the same and you just end up frustrated that they don't take the same ammo (as they do the same thing) when you are running low. They could have narrowed it down to pistol, shotgun, automatic rifle, sniper rifle, explosive weapon.
I also found the controls clunky at times if not completely bad, and the sprint move is pretty much useless as any deviation from straight forward causes you to drop out of it, no matter how minor.
I applaud the designers for not making a carbon copy of the original, it's a ballsy move and stops it just being the same game with no surprises, but they also could have stayed closer to the original a bit more. The dam (first) level makes you think this will be the classic levels you love with new twists, but it never turns out that way, with the story changed in places to the point that things don't even happen in the same order.
It's weird, I have just kinda slated the game, but I don't think it was bad. I did enjoy playing it, though I dare say if I had bought it instead of renting it I might be a bit annoyed. I won't be playing back through it, completing it on operative (easiest) was enough for me (and I died a few times then so this is why it warrants a hard rating).
Rent it, that's all I can say to summarise.