G.R.A.W. in short is one of those games were it's great to look at but really frustrating at some points to play.
The firefights in this game are awesome. It really gets you in the game with multiple enemies shooting at you from one direction or the other. Your squad mates thankfully can also hold their own as well.
Graphics are great as well. It's worthy of the next gen era gaming and if you have the hardware to play it on, well, you're in for a real treat. The explosions in the game are awesome. The engine creates a slight visible ripple effect that really adds to the visual delight. Trucks, armoured cars and civilians all display a well done explosion.
AI wise, that's where it's sorta lacking. I have had trouble trying to get them to go where I want. When I see an obvious point of cover and fire, the AI seems to totally ignore it no matter how many times I point them in that direction. Their movement seems more like it's based on a radius where they are free to find cover. Sometimes, they may not see cover as the way you do.
Another pitfall is that sometimes, the AI will wanders around on it's own. And then when they run into enemy gunfire, you try to call them back, but they still keep shooting and if there's a well placed RPG-er, your squad mate is history.
Issuing a follow command is tough as well. It takes a while for them to actually catch up which can be annoying if you have to wait for them or get caught in a tough spot.
The saves are definitely, what makes the game even harder than it already is. There are only certain points where you can actually save. Usually when you're finished with a certain group of enemies will it auto save. You won't be able to actually save the game so if you've done a part 10 times already and you want to save the game to save you some transportation time, your out of luck.
The maps however, are very well done. They are all open ended maps, you can virtually go almost anywhere. There's always a different route you can take. The satellite map makes it really easy to plan out your attacks as it includes, a real time birds eye view of a particular area so you're able to see enemies and plan out your attacks accordingly.
The only problem is, is that unless they're out in the open, it's tough to see them. So if they're on a balcony or hiding somewhere, you can't account for them when you check out the sat. map.
As for gaming mechanics, it seems like it's a move to the checkpoint, shoot this many bad guys, save, and repeat. Which makes it feel like a real drag sometimes when you can't finish the next checkpoint and seeing how the AI doesn't change depending on how you play the game (there's only 2 difficulty settings), it can get really frustrating sometimes.
The weapons load out is pretty cool and features an array of different weapons and accessories. My only gripe is that you can't choose the SRAW as you will encounter enemy tanks and without it, it makes it very difficult to destroy it. Another downside is that the SRAW takes forever to track and lock on which leaves you vulnerable to enemy fire.
All in all, this game will keep you challenged, mystified and banging your head on the keyboards at the same time.