What every other game has aspired to be.
This is one of the most original environments I've ever played in. The architecture, dialects, people and cities are wholly alien. There is a very Asian-inspired aesthetic that permeates the game. I'm startled by the level of detail given to environments, especially because the most striking features are often completely out of the way. Vast columns of light, unlikely windows in architecture, shadows and gloss are used in artistically brilliant ways. I've just never seen anything quite like it. And I mean that literally, because the most startling effects are in places so removed from access that you wouldn't normally see them.
In other words, someone very lovingly crafted this game. And it shows.
As for gameplay, imagine playing Morrowind but with looser, more fluid characters. This is what every other FSP has aspired to be... and failed. There is no safety, no mercy and no calm. You are out to kill people. They are not your equals. They are not even comparable to you. Unfortunately, there is no way to use cover, which is exasperating at times. But replacing that are an astounding array of abilities which every other game has implemented less successfully. This game is really a lot like what a Matrix video game SHOULD look like. You can flip over your enemies mid-air and slice their heads off, create a clone army of holographic duplicates (which can fight), vastly increase your speed and jump across skyscrapers while flinging cars at people. Or hacking their brains. Or using some of the really twisted, perverted spells at your disposal.
The implementation of magic is small and subtle but, like the environment, very reflective of a layer of psychological torture just beneath the already grimy surface of your world ;)
That being said, this game badly needs to be patched. Bugs abound. It's way too dark, even with upgraded eyes. Research is screwy. Hacking fails miserably as a game mechanic. When this gets fixed the game will be worth buying. Until then, not so much.