This is a tricky one for me, I like the statue, I already have a tie from Absolution, the pin looks like a pathetically cheap one you'd get from China on eBay for less than a pound, the art book might be nice (e.g. Witcher 3) or awful (e.g. Just Cause 3) and I hate the digital code.
But a far larger problem is the release strategy, it sounds like absolutely the shittiest, most horrid plan I've ever seen for a AAA game like this.
[Link]
I get that episodic can work for some things like Telltale's things or things where it's a more movie-like experience but for a big AAA game like this it's totally putting me off.
If I play a proper, involved game (not meaning episodic ones aren't just now but there is generally a difference in gameplay) I don't want to get to a certain point just to be stuck until they release more content. (For the thing I'd have already paid full price for if I get the CE.) This would totally kill any momentum for me in my opinion, I couldn't keep up the energy of, 'Oh, I've finished this section, guess I need to wait X weeks/days before I'm allowed to progress further in my game! All whilst it's sitting hogging space on my hard drive for bloody months.
But then to add even further to this it feels like a horrible catch 22, you could wait until you actually get a proper full game but what about all the stuff the devs have talked about with it being some big live world? So you'll miss a ton of stuff and have to catch up once it's all out and hope they're just as good as the first time the events happen? Further still, you've got to dodge spoilers for
months too this way.
Then how many times has it changed already? What's to stop them getting part way through and changing it again? I know there will be contracts and everything between them and SE but it still doesn't fill you with great faith when effectively what this feels like is both, 'Shit, we don't have enough time!' and 'Shit, we're running out of money and need a new way of getting it to continue with the game!'
Further to this, I honestly don't quite understand how the game works.
I don't think there's been enough clarity on some aspects such as how exactly it varies from the other games and where the live events and everything fit into it.
Although going by the fan reaction I've seen on various forums, it might be worth getting in some popcorn for the amount of damage control they'll be doing with this.
EDIT: Last thing, no love for the massive Agent 47 from the Absolution CE?
(I actually really like mine because it's a little odd to be fair to it.)