An incredible experience
First off, the graphics - while not top notch, it does the job well. Character animation is fairly weak. You see no face or expression animation (like we saw in Elder Scrolls: Oblivion for one). It's the same engine as in the old Stalker games, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. No advanced rag doll animation or localized wounds (like we saw in Sin or Soldier of Fortune) either. Still the outdoors look fantastic and you feel like you're part of that scenery. Also the flashlight IS a masterpiece. Shadows render incredibly good and give you an eerie survival horror feeling.
Sounds are a nice touch, most people speak russian or have nasty russian accents. Including you. You feel like a drunk sailor with a big gun. And that's good.
Rpg elements are reduced to a minimum, your moral choices are very limited and don't affect how the game plays, dough it does affect the ending. You're also military and stay that way, you can't join a faction. Regardless if you just saved a poor bastard from dying, he will still tell you to piss off when you talk to him. Sometimes they will hit you in the face and make you drop your weapon ! (One time a npc even picked my spiffy weapon after that. I shot him, of course). Also there are no females in the game, which sucks.
Gameplay -THIS is where the game really shines. Every weapon and armor can be modified with alot of upgrades. There are some really high tech choices, like 3 layers of night vision, thermal scopes, grenade launchers and auto-locking snipers. Exoskeletons and closed cycle respiratory systems are also plentiful. That means you can pick the first weapon you get your hands on, upgrade it and play it right to the end of the game.
The highlight in this game are the weapons -they feel incredible to shoot, have realistic ballistic trajectories (they go down after a distance, so aim that sniper slightly above the enemy) and are extremely brutal. You can't get enough of confined space fighting! Nothing is more satisfying! Your assault rifle firing a barrage of lead at the enemy and pinning it against the wall. Pieces of concrete flying around as you can't handle the huge recoil of your ak47. You feel like screaming "Die! dieeeee!!". You get the idea, it is incredible.
Melee fighting is pretty bad, you knife isn't very good, it's nothing like the bone crushing stuff you see in Bioshock for instance. The best fights are against humanoid opponents and in very cramped spaces. With your flashlight on, during the night.
Enemy AI is pretty good, dough they are too good sometimes. They can actually see you through dense vegetation and shoot you at full auto from point blank range. You can't do that because the recoil will probably make you shatter all the windows around, leaving the enemy standing.
Grenades are effective and spectacular. Throw one in an office for instance, and the effects are predictable - chairs will smash around and there's chance a computer will blow out the doorway. Sweet! They are pretty hard to aim though. And you can't throw around corners. Other explosives, like rpg launchers come really late in the game so you don't really get to enjoy them. Snipers are also pretty useless because most rifles can have a scope attached to them -x2, x4, x6, thermal, night vision, smart lock, dust scope, assault, and more.
As a big let-down, I must mention some weapons are just plain silly. You can have a shotgun with a scope at some point. Or a very bulky submachinegun with the magazine above the gun and a very big scope on top. You feel like holding the kitchen sink.
This game gets a generous 8.5 from me because it's incredibly good at it's genre -that's shooter. The feeling of dread while walking through the nuclear waste and item upgrades also contribute. Excellent shader quality and realist of graphics are third.
This is a must own and play on my behalf, I recommend this game.