I can see now why everyone says it's shit. It just is. The graphics are only OK, the jaggy shadows get annoying after a while (I have 8x AA on, that's not my problem) though. The explosions are pretty cool though, and so are some of the effects. Came into my safe house a bit too hot in my Jeep, and found myself knocking down a bloody goat. A goat, at the side of my house, just standing there. Didn't seem to mind the Jeep coming at him either, just tried to stare it down...
It's way too repetitive for my liking. The guard posts are waaaay too close together, and they still see you if you go around them in the forest, even silently on foot. Might be a bit easier when I get a rifle and camo, but right now it's frustrating. The gunfights are too hard too. I'm playing on Normal, and getting rushed by 5-6 soldiers is not cool, especially when it takes almost a full clip to knock one down. And then I run out of ammo and have to use the crappy pistol, which is actually more accurate than the sub-machine gun. I do prefer ammo to be slightly limited like that (unlike Halo for instance, where there's a stockade around each corner), but not when the guards are so close.
And also I've had to turn the graphics down from "Ultra High". Disappointed with that, that's the first game I've come across that won't run reasonably well on full settings
It's not a bad game for the money though, I'll give 'em that. I'll still keep playing it, just in moderation to preserver my sanity.