Just like a good movie, it is the same every time but still entertaining to watch.
The death system is actually quite refreshing and rather than punish players for dying (we are just going to reload anyhow) it gives a quick simple way to get back into the action via a mini game involving shooting spirits to recharge your health/magic before dropping you back into the game.
Voice acting is good and really helps create a great movie atmosphere. The Portal systems are cool enough, though in the end they are just passage ways and not used that creatively. There are also some pretty cool gravity tricks, that don’t get to tedious and offer some variety in the shooting and puzzle solving. It uses the Doom 3 engine and it shows but unlike Doom 3, they don’t plunge you into dark the whole time or make the entire experience one attempt after another to scare you (though there are a few scares in there). That said there are some pretty graphic scenes so expect some gore.
You can also switch into spirit mode to circumvent barriers and obstacles uncrossable in normal mode. You can fight in this mode as well, but you rarely have to if ever, which is good as all you have is a slow shooting bow.
On the negative side, it VERY linear, you always seem to face the same pockets of enemies and they are not all that different from each other, though they do look very good. Certain elements of the plot disappear with no real explanation (such as a strange "Fear/The Ring" like girl/spirit that crosses your path in the beginning) but the main plot moves solidly enough. Certain obstacles definitely have a repetitive element to them such as navigating through alarm laser detectors and the limited uses for the spirit mode.
Overall a solid game that is just fun to play and watch unfold and ends well without leaving you hanging (but also leaves room for a sequel). There is very little to slow you down as you progress so expect to finish extremely quickly (15-20 hours). Recommended.