Fistly, I must reiterate a previous review imploring people to also go read dedicated games review sites; a lot of reviews here are woefully misguided, either appearing to have missed the point entirely (some need to look up the word 'tactics' before rendering a judgement on what doesnt qualify for it) or got so stuck in the cliche base-building RTS rut that to venture outside it is like going cold turkey (presumably one reason why the externally divisive C&C3 is so highly rated on Amazon).

Onto World in Conflict itself. Well, lets start by commenting on its designers, Massive Entertainment. In a world populated by games that are still essentially clones of the old Command & Conquer with a measure of the more artificial Warcraft 3 paper-scissor-stone mechanics thrown in, Massive have never made a game remotely like that. The two Ground Controls were different from the 'norm' and different even from each other. WiC is also like them both in that it is not only different from the genre cliche but is even different from its predecessors; no copy-and-paste design from Massive! So if you are getting bored of 'samey' RTS games, WiC is recommended on pedigree alone.

Graphics I wont talk about much; many here do, and in doing so often miss the game underneath them. The most important thing to say that the game is a rare gem these days in that it is very workable on even quite 'weak' computers.

Gameplay-wise, you take contol of a small force (roughly platoon-size) of late Cold War troops and must command them with skill against a technically equal enemy. There is some paper-scissors-stone but not in the usual, artificial way; its more naturalistic and much less rigid. Objectives generally focus around strategic locations rather than simply slugging it out with an enemy base with no actual requirement or need for manouvre. Terrain plays a huge part in the game; bullets dont pass through terrain, you actually need direct line of sight to shoot along (a rarity even in these days), and that forced requirement to manouvre mistakingly makes many people think the game is a 'rush' game, with no tactics, when it is actually the total opposite and requires actual thought to play to the fullest extent.
Ultimately, it is a rare and excellent experience; a real game of tactics rather than the usual 'spam a bunch of units and rush the enemy base ASAP' (or focus simply speed-clicking micromanagement, a just as intellectually bankrupt mechanic), where movement and application of tactics are actually rewarded properly; but also it is not so overcomplicated that someone without much knowledge of military matters would find it frustrating (or conversely, where the focus is solely on micromanagement, which can frustrate others). You can choose your own level of play.

Online play is another big plus. Let me state here and now that I normally dislike online strategy gaming; usually designers with online play in mind tend to seriously compromise the quality of their game to pander to a stagnant market of artificial paper-scissor-stone online play (even otherwise excellent games like Company of Heroes ultimately fail to rise beyond mono-tactic and rigid build orders when playing online comes into effect). It also tends to be very cliquey and individualistic.
Not so with WiC, where the emphasis is on teamplay. You are restricted to playing within certain roles, which is in a sense the ultimate form of paper-scissors-stone, but ironically it is managed in a way that avoids the usual frustration and restriction on creativity that so plagues other games. To win you need to play your roles not in an individually good way, but in a _mutally_ good way. A numerically inferior team can defeat a cohesively inferior team, almost unheard of in modern RTS gaming, and the highest ideal to aim for.

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In summary, World in Conflict is a truly original and well-made game. It is proud of its heritage and lofty ideals, but not so much that it simply clones what has gone before. In a world that is becoming increasingly staid and lacking in originality or quality, it is a rare gem that not only delivers, but often exceeds its apparent promise. Well worth the money, but dont just take my word for it, look outside Amazon at balanced, professional reviews.