While certainly not for those die-hard FPS fans that only like running and shooting all the time, this is a great game
This game channels that same approach to choice very well. Almost any quest, conversation, or obstacle can be met a few ways. If you can think of a way to do it, I'm willing to bet you can make it happen.
First of all, I want to get one thing out of the way. People are whining and complaining about the graphics, but I honestly have no idea what it's all about. The game looks pretty good. It ain't Dead Space 2 or anything, but it certainly looks better than your average game. And while some textures may lack a little polish, the sheer number of objects that the developers put into the game world will leave your head spinning. There are so many unique objects in any given room or area, and it really helps to draw you in. The game relies heavily on a palette of amber and grey. The whole way the world is presented is such a joy. Exploring Detroit and seeing the sights is part of the fun. And that brings me to the gameplay, which is by far this game's shining strength.
This game ain't Mass Effect 2. It's not Call of Duty. It's not Fallout. If you want my personal opinion, it channels a number of elements from all three of those games. The combat itself is more reminiscent of Halo than COD (the controls are pretty much exactly like Halo: Reach) but they control well, and the firefights are quite well done. The cover system is similar to Mass Effect or Gears of War. You can pretty much take cover behind anything, and you can turn corners and jump from cover to cover, like in Splinter Cell: Conviction. But mostly, this is pretty much an RPG. It's not a shooter. If you look at this and try to play it like one, you will likely be frustrated and confused. Yes, the game has shooter elements to it, and those elements are quite impressive, but it's NOT a shooter. I like to think of this game as a much faster-paced Fallout 3. Many of the same elements are present. Playing as a stealth character is really rewarding and offers a great challenge. If you like shooters AND RPG's, then this is your kind of game. I'm a big dialog nut, and getting into conversations in games is really enjoyable to me. But that's not true for everyone, so keep in mind that this game has a boatload of dialogue.
In the audio department, the game performs quite well, although there are a few issues with the 5.1 audio mix. Instead of actually panning the audio from the front to the side speakers, in some cases the audio literally fades out as you turn away from the source. It's a bit unnerving when you are passing by someone on the street, and you just hear their voice fade out as you pass them, while all the other noises behind them are moved to the correct speaker. This is a much bigger issue early on in the game. About 6 hours in, this problem seemed to go away, but it was still a bit annoying. Other than that, guns sound gunny, voices sound voicy, and things sound thingy. The audio works pretty well. The voice-overs aren't the best out there, but they're certainly not the worst either. There are some good performances, especially from the main character, who sounds exactly like Keanu Reeves mixed with Christian Bale's Batman.
So should you get this game? My quick answer would be yes. I am having an absolute blast playing it; however, if you like games that are a bit simpler or more direct, or you like more action-oriented games, then I'd rent this one first. Little things wind up having a big impact on the way the game plays out. For instance, early in the game, you need to meet someone at a helipad to go take care of a hostage situation. I figured there was no real rush, so I was goofing around and exploring and whatnot. Well, that was dumb, because about five minutes later, I get a message saying that, because we didn't get to the hostage situation in time, all the hostages were killed, and now it's an infiltration mission instead of a rescue. It's little things like that, things that the game didn't need but totally benefits from, that makes this game special. If you are a fan of shooters and RPG's and love dialog and political intrigue, this is one game you'll probably play through a few times. I highly recommend it.