Dont be dismayed by all the so-so reviews....
Many of the things others reviewers have said are true. The difficulty level is very high, frustrating at times but not impossible. You really have to think outside the box sometimes to come up with a plan that will work given the resources (men and equipment) you have.
The AI also isnt the smartest all the time. Thats true of almost every game, but it is far from disruptive here. The enemy will still be quite challenging and will seek cover if overwhelmed.
I also have never played any of the other games in this series, so as a comparison I can provide no help there. What I can say is that its a great game that will really challenge you and frankly its nice to play a game not set in WW2.