I bought the first episode on sale a while ago, just started playing it this week. Solid, solid Hitman game so far. Even the tutorial mission is better than anything in Absolutstain.
One thing is, and probably in all the other games, that there doesn't seem to be much you can accomplish intuitively. Like someone said before, these games are about finding and following the scripts. I always try to go into a new level with a simulation approach, which means only knowing what intel has told me beforehand, not going in with meta knowledge, not using artificial means of locating or tracking marks. Even then, your intel isn't as rigorous as something a hitman would probably get in the real world, like more information on mark activity, habits, routines, locations, guests. Like how was I supposed to know about the sheik? Things like that They do do a pretty good job with listening in on conversations giving you information.
Of course, the average real-world hit is usually more mundane than the kind of cinematic scenarios Hitman games come up with. It's usually waiting until someone is alone or open, and shooting/sniping/stabbing/blowing them up; not finding the exact right drink to poison among 30 that are sitting around and hoping they are thirsty in the first place. Killers prey upon people's predictability, that they will go into their bathroom at 7am every morning and the shades are always open, and there is an abandoned building or something 500 yards away from which to snipe them. But hey, games gonna game, it's not big deal. Would buy an assassin simulator roguelike though. Go in prepared as well as possible, improvise, no do-overs.
And holy shit do they pack a lot of content into each episode. I've already spent many, many hours in the Showstopper mission trying to do all challenges, escalations, user contracts, etc. Too much of a good thing almost. Haven't been this drawn into a AAA game since Arkham City.
P.S. I still haven't done the method where you get the invite to the auction or get into the meeting with Dalia (not as Helmut, but the other guy). Are there in game clues that will point me in the right direction, like a conversation about where the invitation is located, etc.?