When this game works, it works well. The firefights are intense (and they fixed the whole "enemies are all snipers" crap that was in GR1), the graphics are good. And the tactics are useful in this game.
Except the game is incredibly buggy, much more pronouced in the MP part of the game. Not only is it buggy, but there are just some poor design decisions that left me scratching my head.
First, the bugs:
1) Playing Co-op can be a chore sometimes, because of the host CD-Key rejection bug after every mission is otherwise finished. Is it game stopping? No, but incredibly annoying to say the least.
2) Gamespy sucks. Oh god it sucks. It took us 15 minutes just to setup a new account because you had to press Enter after every line, just to have the line register. Again, not game stopping, but just a horrible annoyance.
3) A buddy of mine were trying to do the Cou D'tet mission, but for whatever reason, it skipped us ahead to the VIP2 is down mission. Or the VIP2 is down mission is broken and taking us to Cou D'teat mission. Don't really know, but it's a bug I think.
4) Again, on that same mission, teammate got stuck in the air with the bouncing helicoper and couldn't get out. Another annoying bug.
A more general command bug, but:
5) Why don't the function keys work like how the manual says? It takes a "long" time to press the middle button, scroll down to the command, and do the command. I would love if the functions keys actually did what they're supposed to. Otherwise put the gun back on the number keys, and put choosing your members of your squad back on to the function keys.
Annoyances:
1) In MP, your chat screen is not only always visible, but on the top edge of your screen, taking a lot of real estate, and you can't change it (that I know of).
2) Giving commands on the fly is incredibly annoying and takes to long. I know the tactical map makes things more tactical, but when you're in the middle of a firefight, you want to be able to make quick commands (See Function keys not working). Or at least look at how Swat 4 does it's commands for ideas in good interface design for the commands on the fly. I would even take Raven Shield. Actually, the interface in general isn't all that intutive to learn.
3) Grenades are incredibly counter-intutive to throw in this game. It doesn't feel right. Really more of a feeling, other's might differ.
4) The fact that you can "leave the mission area". Just seems like they developed all this space where you can almost go anywhere you want to get to a location, only to be stopped by the "you cannot leave the mission area", which annoys me, especially since it's not even that far away from where you're trying to go.
This is my BIGGEST annoyance:
5) Who decided that when your team lead dies in Co-Op mode, that the mission ends? I get why they did it in SP mode, but in Co-Op mode it either makes it no fun for the commander, or no fun for the rest of team (especially with the Co-Op CD-Key bug). Or if you get too far away from your commander, the mission fails? I mean seriously, that design decision boggles the mind. I know a lot of people have been talking about, but it just seems to be a shortsighted decision to make people play more like a squad...except that it's just not fun, nor realistic.
Actually, I'm wondering if it has to do with some sort of code limitation and Co-Op. Where they almost had to "hack" it so that it's basically single player mode with some MP capability. I hope that's not the case, but the lack of CO-OP games in general deal with a similar problem and network/game code.
I like this game, it has a ton of potential, but I think the game is hugely flawed, either because of annoying bugs, or design limitations. At the very least, I hope they come out with a patch to fix the CD-Key Rejection bug, and not wait until June to release it. It's just the most annoying situation ever.
-The Grinman