Y'know, in retrospect, yeah it may not have been what we were used to, nor was it how the series would proceed because it's not what we wanted either, but I wouldn't call Absolution "bad", just different.
Linear story shooters are okay, look how popular CoD is. This is just that, but for Agent 47. And it does that as well as you would expect. You still get to do lots of stealthy 47 things, and high-octane action hero moments, but it's all in service to a straightforward path, and the level design very much reflects that too.
So imo it's a good game, just not a good "Hitman" game. And given how much IOI listened to feedback after this entry to make the greatest reboot ever in the WOA series, I feel it's safe to say positive things about Absolution now.
Now that we have peak, I can look back at this older game fondly. It is fun, and that's the most important thing for games in general. And the levels, while mostly linear, are at least aesthetic. The gameplay leans into 47's more "supersoldier" side with the dual-wielding and "execution" shooting, which is the one thing I kinda wish they kept in the reboot, ngl.
Canon 47 doesn't "need" to be stealthy when he could easily wipe a squad of 5 before any of them could clear leather, he just prefers stealth because there's less cleanup involved and he has some semblance of a conscience deep down.
This game gives you lots of squad-cleary opportunities, and it's a lot of fun to play "action hero 47". It's just a shame that it came at the cost of the stealth mechanics this time around. If you can forgive that, there's a lot to like.
