It's like a very young scotch, a bit rough at first and then it grows on you.
I must admit that on the first time through, I found it very rough for some reason.
I have a feeling that's because there's really no tutorial level and you're dumped straight in with no time powers at first. That threw me and I definitely had a "Oh man, why did I buy this?" moment.
However, as things progressed and I started thinking of solutions in the "time domain", it became a lot of fun and I had a great time playing it.
I've played it through three times now and can definitely say that folks should give this a try. It really is a lot of fun and should be judged on its own merits. It has the misfortune of being released so near to Crysis and others and I think that colors folks impression of it.
I also get the feeling that the Eastern European flavor of it may throw some folks off. However, that really didn't hurt HalfLife 2 so I could be all wet...
Anyway, I would recommend that you give it a try. Bear with the initial period and you'll be rewarded with a fun experience.