There's no fun. There's no humor. There's only one character with any personality (Constantin). Lots of painstaking effort went into the quests, consequences of decisions, etc. but it wasn't done for love of the product. Instead it seems the devs had a comprehensive checklist to work through and they did so. A competent game, but missing the things that make a game enjoyable.
This game has atmosphere that has yet to be matched in any other game I've played. From beginning to end, you're exploring a world that is cold, dirty, and depressing. While the gameplay isn't perfect (the biggest flaw, I think, is the amount of back-tracking you have to do), it is a near perfect balance between twitch skill, creative tactics, and following clues. This is not a game for people who need their hands held by waypoint indicators. You need to move carefully everywhere you go, and save often - because you WILL die often. The graphics, I feel, hold up pretty well. Textures are detailed. The level of gore is entertaining. The sound is also very atmospheric, and at times ground shaking. When you step on a mine, or get attacked by an exploding dog, or get shot by a tank, you feel it.
