The city is lifeless, the enemies and main character are generic, the graphics are low-end, and the combat is repetitive. The beginning train mission was also more repetitive than any mission I can remember in any GTA game ever (after the fourth time you had to jump down from the tracks to electrify a box to get the train going again, I was losing my will to actually finish the mission).
This does not make a 9.0 game. That said, it was good enough for me to buy it at a discounted price from Amazon. It showed enough promise, but compared to a true 9.0+ game like Gears of War, Oblivion, Uncharted, etc...? It doesn't quite play on that level, IMO.