Got my copy today
My god, it starts slowly with the dream sequence, crap house, crap (relatively) car and stupid licence test/first championship... Luckily after the first hour or two, the "story" takes a backseat and doesn't interfere with the freedom or TDU vibe of buying nice houses and expensive cars.
It's like TDU, but better. Word of advice though, you can't sell prize cars so I now have a pink Mustang with "kiss" stickers sitting in my garage next to my XKR...
Oh, and the online works really smoothly. Wandered round car dealers with random strangers present, then jumped in a car with said stranger - was a unique experience. And overtaking/humiliating Golf-driving boy racers on the twisties then watching them wrap their car round a tree? Priceless.