Its like STALKER combined with Half Life. Forget the freeroaming that you did in yon STALKER days, now you get a plot driven story corridors just like Half Life. Instead of a gravity gun, you get to shoot ball bearings out of a murder pump, among other home made weapons that I am going to sure try (and fail!) to build come the apocalypse. Instead of creepy combine and murderbots, you have things that can only be described as hellhounds, literal flying demons and the most terrifying gorilla ever (trust me, save your good bullets for him and his kind, thus making your life not just easier, but possible). Instead of a massive time conspiracy like in half life that you unravel mostly solo as the demigod that is the One Free Man, you get a trip above and mostly below post nuclear something in moscow as Artyom, who sometimes comes up against things that he cannot possibly kill and therefore has to hide like the frail human that we all are. Finally and thankfully, no famous STALKER type bugs!

This game set a new standard for the Total War franchise. After the letdowns of Empire Total War (get DarthMod Full, it's the only way to play the game) and the weird step that was Napolean, this took the franchise back to its roots.

Despite the lack of "variety" in overall units (as compared to the mess of Empire), this is more fun since the units are much better balanced. Also now the DLC consists of more than just 1 campaign and tons of fancy units, but an entire faction whose playstyle is vastly differnet than the other factions ( Train to Ikko Monks to Agitator, then spread the fires of rebellion for no real risk to you)

My only negatives are:
1. Sea battles in online mulitplayer are mostly pointless now since Guns/Cannons>Everything Else, until you get said Guns/Cannons, because 95% of Multiplayer navies are now Guns/Cannons.

2. Hideyoshi's Naval Invasion of Korea is enitrely absent from the game. Politically Correct much, Sega?

I look forward to a similarly better Rome II