I've decided to replay it again after playing OG Deus Ex and I think this mission is actually even better than my initial impression (which was positive still), close to a masterpiece.

The key is VENT SHAFTS. In majority of other immersive sims and in FMs (not gonna claim I played them all, but I played the most popular for sure) shafts and many narrow spaces become a cheat. Enemies can't enter them, can't attack and smoke you out. It's a safe space. It makes knocking out or avoiding enemies trivial. With exception of Alien: Isolation, afaik.

But not here. Here shafts are populated and deadly. And you need to find a way to strategically dispose of enemies so they don't obstruct your way. There are some problems with how clunky it can be at times, so it's not perfect. But I think it's a great idea.

"In majority of other immersive sims and in FMs shafts and many narrow spaces become a cheat"
I find this statement very... confusing.
If the core concept behind your argument is that anything the player can do, but enemies can't is fundamentally cheating, then... what about rope arrows, breath potions, life potions, lockpicking, etc. ?? Also, I think it's much more interesting when a game constantly shifts between tension and relief - environments that are dangerous and safe. The constant sense of danger, or safety is boring.

Rope arrows don't save you from projectiles. Lockpicking has nothing to do with enemies. The rest are consumables, that have limited uses. There's difference between hiding in shadows or out of line of sight, not making noise, and hiding in a completely safe zone, which isn't reachable by anyone and anything. It's almost a cheat because it's easy to abuse without any shortcoming. Alien: Isolation is so tense because there are no safe zones. The xenomorph adapts and will find you anywhere.

So this is why I see this mission as something that tries to overcome the shortcoming, that plagued so many imsims in the past.