Great looking, and incredibly fun!
Graphics = 10
Easily the best looking game I have seen on the Xbox. I've even caught myself standing in some of the "down" zones between combat just staring at the weapons, admiring the insane level of detail. There is occasionally some texture pop-in, but I have only noticed it coming out of cut-scenes (these are all in-engine which does not disappoint).
Story = 8
Haven't finished the game yet, as I have been addicted to the multi-player game (see below). So far it has been quite good. It has a bit of a generic "Alien invasion" feel to it at times, but dialogue is well written, and the pacing feels excellent. Some have complained that the first portion is rather slow, but I didn't really feel that way. Yet it was slower paced for a shooter type game so... I would put the pacing so far in line with the Bioshock games.
Gameplay (Single) = 7.5
Single player is entirely satisfying. There are usually multiple ways of getting through to the next objective, allowing you to play the game how you want. you can stealth past enemies, armor up and gun them down, or anything in between. All of your abilities (heat vision, armor, stealth, etc.) run off of a shared energy system, so making it work requires keeping an eye on your gauges. The enemy sight lines are VERY sensitive, so if you have to pop out of stealth to recharge then make sure you are in a good hiding spot (which are plentiful so no worries there.) Aside from being able to spot (and hit you) from a good 3 miles away the AI isn't as advanced as I would suspect. and honestly this comes mostly from bad path-finding from what I have seen (enemies tend to get stuck on things from time to time).
Gameplay (Multi) = 10
Multiplayer is simply addicting and fun. If you played the demo you get the gist of how it works here, but for those who didn't get the chance here's the breakdown. You have 12 maps to play on and they are all very well designed. they highlight various locales from the single player campaign with the same level of polish. The maps are designed with a refreshing level of verticality and freedom of movement which I think is rather lacking in many shooter options (MW2 and Reach [don't get me started on Bungie putting out forge made maps at release then charging for fully designed DLC]). The basic structure is fairly par for the course with online shooters these days. Ranks which grant unlocks for various weapon and armor abilities (too many for me to review here). Many complain that it is too similar to MW and at a base level this is true. The addition of nanosuit powers creates a major difference. Cloaking, movement, armor, and a host of other abilities make for a unique experience. (and I have never understood the "too similar" complaint when the same people will more than likely go buy the next marginally changed iteration of the same IP on release day).
Final Thoughts:
This game is quite simply fun. I was enthralled enough with the multiplayer that this was the first game that I have bought in probably 3 years at full retail price and near release.The basic form may be something shooter fans have seen before, but that isn't a bad thing. For me every new game doesn't have to shatter the mold, it just has to be a good game, and have a respectable story (a game should be able to stand alone outside of multiplayer). And Crysis 2 delivers that for me.