Same here. The attention to detail is impressive. Great game so far.
As far as similarities go, it reminds me more of Silent Storm, Commandos, and mostly Shadow Company: Left for Dead (all of them great games on their own right).

I played it when it came out. Some hints:
-> Save all the time
-> Use Cover
-> You can still use enemy tanks if you get the driver out with a molotov cocktail, not if you destroy it!
-> And the best hint: use direct mode a lot, makes the game a lot easier.

I got it when it came out. It blew me away and I couldn't really understand why this game wasn't getting the attention and hype it deserved. It was one of those rare experiences where every five minutes, something would happen that would make your jaw drop to the ground. Stuff you didn't expect, stuff you'd discover, different tactics, the AI, the possibilities that were not documented but "just there" because of the surroundings, etc. Moreover, I like a game that is difficult but not that difficult or unforgiving that you quit. Some games these days seem to be made "easy" on purpose ("to make a larger audience happy"), and I don't believe that anyone, not even the casual gamer if he exists, is waiting for easy games. And this game is even very very replayable, cause there's so many different ways to finish a level. And that's a tip: if you don't succeed at first, restart the mission and think up a whole different tactic :)
/rant ;)
Thinking about buying it again, don't want to try StarForce on my new pc / Vista...

Isnt starforce a drm? I dont think starforce is included

The Soldiers web site at Codemasters had a program that will remove starforce. But starforce is not installed with it. I checked.

Yeah, starforce is not in this version. Having played it a bit more thouroughly I must say i am a bit dissapointed at the AI. So far I find myself using just one unit for entire missions as when I tell multiple people to do something the path finding is absolutely horrible.
I tell 3 guys to get behind a wall for cover, one of them does. One of them goes wayyy out of the way to get to the wall, and the third will go to the wall and get cover...on the opposite side.
This leads me to alot of frustration so far. But controlling one guy at a time makes the game acceptable. I'm thinking of looking around for a mod that maybe does something with the AI.

Yes, that's what I meant, get it again from gog.com so that I don't have SF :) Sorry if I was unclear.

Always check your vehicles/enemy vehicles for a repair kit. And you can swap out items like mg's. I always put the allied 50 cal in my Tiger.
Seconding the direct control, don't rely on your troopers to fire on or hit targets.