Awesome visuals, great gameplay, enough gore to satisfy a sadist. This game is enough reason to purchases a 360.
Graphics: Cinematic style graphics, which in HD could fool many (especially parents) into thinking that they are watching a movie, especially with the outstanding lighting/darkening, character features, and also the way that the camera sways whilst sprinting. The enviroment is rich, with incredibly detailed landscape, buildings, and burnt out vehicles. The gore is bloodcurdling: heads explode with brains falling out, limbs get severed, and entire bodies explode into several meaty chunks. It has to be said, but the chainsaw animation is incredible: the sheer ecstasy you will experience while chainsawing an enemy (or friend on LIVE) is unbeatable.
Gameplay: For a 3rd person shooter, this is incredibly solid. It takes a while to get used to the controls, and you very quickly learn that the A button will be your best friend aside from your weapon of choice, since you HAVE to learn how to use it: it saves you from enemies either for holding it to run, or to smack into a piece of shrapnel/wall for cover from fire. Believe me, running and shooting will get you killed in 5 seconds: you have to use cover to survive. Very tactical, very useful, and enjoyable and frightening while you hear dozens of bullets punch into the cover you are using. Bear in mind that on LIVE, prior to update there are several glitches, but many have been fixed once you download it (not mentioning the sticky walls though...). There are limited weapons to choose from (and hold) but they provide enough entertainement and, used correctly, will make you into a walking tank.
Story: Not original, and not explained enough. Basically this is humans vs. locusts and thats practically all you are told. Anyways, the focus is on the shooting, so this is not as big an issue as it sounds.
Sound: Booming shots, the sound of chainsaws ripping through muscle and tendons, grunts, screams, laughs, epic soundtrack. What the visuals do not fully capture, the sounds make up for, and goes further by putting a cherry on top.
Longetivity: Decent sized campaign, with 3 difficulty levels (ranging from amateur, to professional, to veteran) whereby it will take on average 7-11 hours to complete, depending on your expertise. It sounds a little short, but LIVE (which i have yet to experience) will provide weeks, and even months of delight to go back for. Who doesn't want to chainsaw your friends over and over again?
Value: Still roughly £40-50 pounds depending on where you buy, and whether you choose the limited edition or the standard. For this investment you will not look back: this is by far the best shooter on the market, and arguably the best game on the 360. You do not truly own a 360 unless this is in your games pile. Buy it. Now. It wil not disappoint.