Really? Why on earth would you put unlimited saves in a game like that? From a design point of view it completely ruins what is otherwise a very good game. No matter what you do you can literally retrace your steps and do it again correctly but with more knowledge of where a patrol is going or whats around the corner. I found myself not needing ammo or health kits as a result and it just becomes just a game about exploration rather than suspense, it is a really poor design decision.

Perhaps having it in easy difficulty, fair enough (with its own achievement). Normal maybe with some limited saves, Hard and Very Hard having no saves (again with their own achivement). Obviously in large levels you would have 'check points' to hit where it would auto save but even then they should be infrequent. Great game, artwork and level design, pity about the unlimited saves Arkane.

It's a choice. You may or may not use them. Not everyone likes stuff like that so why not put the option to do it for people who don't like to start the game over again just because you died at the end.

I avoid games with checkpoints like a plague. The real world is more important than video games, if I'm interrupted and have to turn the game off, I don't want to repeat the entire level when I return. I'm perfectly capable of putting limitations on myself whenever I feel they're necessary, I don't want them forced on me by the developers. Yes, in some games limited saves are a valid design choice, but most of the time it's just an inconvenience - if the save&reload tactic makes the game too easy, just don't use it. It's as simple as that.

I don't think it detracts from the overall experience. It allows you to experiment which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Just don't use it" is a weak excuse. A player having to artificially penalise themselves to get a challenge out of the game is ridiculous. If its there players will use it, it's that simple. If you had read my post you'd also see that I mentioned an 'option', that option should be in the difficulty you choose. Isn't that why designers put difficulty options in the game in the first place? So the player has a choice? I'll repeat what I said in my original post, playing on the harder difficulties should have save disbaled. The easy and normal modes are still there for players like yourself.

Of course it allows you to experiment, but with absolutely zero penalty. There has to be a penalty for poor decisions in gameplay, any game designer will tell you that. I am sorry but unlimited saves is not a penalty, it just cheapens the experience.

Why doesn't every game have unlimited saves? If you can think about 'why' developers don't put it in you'll understand what I am talking about.

Its not a choice when unlimited saves is in every difficulty option. Read the OP again.

Well, I like to play games to have a good time. I'm sure a lot of people don't like being punished by a develop for svcking at their game. However, I agree that their should be some correlation between difficulty settings and "penalties".

I also like playing games to have a good time, who doesn't? I am having a good time if I am challenged and in the case of a game like this, you should be on the edge of your seat wondering what is through the next door. As it is, it allows you to save before opening the door, open it, storm in have a good look at whats in the room, pause, hit load game and you'll know exactly what is there. Having a rewind button isn't a good time, as I have said I think 4 times now, it should absolutely be in the easy difficulty for the reasons you mentioned.

Limiting saves does not put challenge where there previously was none. Limiting saves is a pretty artificial way to make a game more challenging and it'd svck. The saves system in this game isn't a poor decision, it's a good decision. Despite the fact that the quicksave was always available it never even occurred to me to barge into every area just to see what's in there only to load in a few seconds. On the other hand, if I want to try something that I know is risky, I don't want to be discouraged from it by the fact that I'd have to replay a section if I try it. That'd ruin the game for me.

You're not even talking about difficulty. The "difficulty" you're talking about is tantamount to the game having terrible controls. Hitman is literally the only game I can think of that used limited saves in a meaningful way, but it was still stupid.

And what if you want to play a difficult game but not have ridiculous arbitrary restrictions on when you can save?

I'll never understand why people actually like tedium and nannying in their gaming.