Fool me twice, shame on... who? I get an uncomfortable feeling of déjà vu while reading the reviews of Dark Messiah: Elements. Here's a quote from ComputerAndVideoGames.com that summarizes in a paragraph the gameplay problem that spoils what fun you might have with combat:

"Sadly though, for every satisfying kill there's a frustrating piece of sloppy design just waiting to ruin your fun. Enemy AI is wildly inconsistent. Foes have the cunning to spot you shuffling in the shadows from fifty yards, but once you're one-on-one, they'll happily line up and let you boot them into a fire or set of spikes. It's as if the developer is desperate for you to use its (admittedly great) environment kills at all costs."

The game gets a 5.9 out of 10 there. And with the 5 out of 10 on the Official Xbox Magazine UK and 59% on Xbox World 360 Magazine UK, we get the feeling that the scores aren't likely to improve anytime soon.