OK something happened - I think I just had that moment in a game when it just “clicks”.
After writing that last post up I went & played another 4 hours. This allowed me to complete the Soviet Installation level - apart from having to go back to complete the challenges. I really liked the navigation through the old Uranium mine facility, and the battles fought to get through it. I’m now into the tunnels and again there’s some bottlenecks that have been challenging, but in a rewarding way. It was rage inducing, but only because I knew that I should be doing better. So the control scheme is growing on me, still refusing to use the Instinct vision & I’m playing with all aim assists off.
I think the writers have done much better to fill in the Soviet back history as opposed to the Byzantium/Mongol history, which comes across more primary (grade) school text book level.