I am enjoying the game immensely so far, but I am wondering about the checkpoint/savegame system. Is there even any? Every time I am getting killed, even when standing right in front of the exit, the map just starts again, which is kinda frunstrating. Especially since the devs decided to keep the annoying Tomb Raider style jumping parts, something I already hated in the classic game, which often lets you die because you missed a jump by half a millimeter.

There are checkpoints. Not sure if the first level had any, though.

The game has checkpoints, even the first level has one. When you die you can choose to either return to the last checkpoint or restart the map from the beginning.

If you quit, you can use the load game menu to return to any level and checkpoint you've unlocked, but if you start at a checkpoint instead of level start, you will have the basic inventory at that checkpoint, so it is probably better to load a new game at the start of a map.

Strange, then I seem to have a problem with the checkpoint system, since no matter where I am in a map, it will restart after getting killed. It does not matter if I choose Restart Map or Load Checkpoint, I will find myself at the beginning of the map.

I find the lack of manual saving a major disappointment. Every 90s shooter had manual saving and it was pretty damn important in them. They really need to add in some kind of saving, it's especially annoying when you reach those fairly unforgiving platforming sections.

there seem to exist cheats for quicksave/-load. but i haven't tested them yet.

They aren't cheats, just matter of editing the game files and binding right buttons. Since it's UE3 it's based on configuration files and is rather moddable. ;-)

There was probably problems on side: optimization or framerate/desynchronization with actual action or pogress/scripts/models on screen, that's why probably it was disabled and more stable checkpoint system during level and autosave on beginning was chosen.

Thanks for the info. I will look if such messages come up when I play. But even if they do - my problem still remains. No matter in which difficulty I play, when getting killed, the map WILL start new from the beginning, no matter if I choose "Restart" or "Load Checkpoint".

Aside from my personal problems with the checkpoint system, the system itself is indeed not the best solution. As mentioned before - 90s shooters allowed the save whenever we wanted. Imagine Quake with a checkpoint system, it would have been only half the fun. And those stupid jumping parts make things much worse, especially since First Person Shooters are not the best medium for plattform games AND because the pace of the game and the controls are not exactly made for precision jumping. And installing a checkpoint after TWO terrible terrible jumping parts is either very thoughtless or plain wicked.

Things like this are suitable to completely ruin otherwise great or at least good games for me, since they create frustration instead of challenge and I have enough frustratiion in real life.