Pretty good, but not essential
The controls are quite hard to get used to and feel a bit strange at first. Very different to any other 3D fighter such as Tekken games, Virtua Fighter, Bloody Roar...etc. Garouden Break Blow for starters does not use the regular type of energy bars but instead there is only one energy bar, it starts in the centre and depletes either way left and right as the players hit one another, quite a fun experience that can sometimes take very long or end in a few seconds.
I just got the game yesterday and I like it more now than I did yesterday but for some reason I don't think I'll be playing this anywhere near as much as Tekken 5. A good change from the regular style of fighting games though. Also gotta add that the characters do not differ too much from one another but there are a lot of unlockable characters, you start with 7 characters and there are another 11 to unlock. The music is very similar to that of Guilty Gear, making this quite fun to play for extended periods of time.
Personally I think this game is alright to own and play when you don't feel like playing regular fighting games. Kinda reminds me of Bushido Blade with its realistic touch. Characters bleed and bruise as fight progresses but it's not that visible, still cool.

Best fighting game
If you are a fan of grappler baki then this is the game for you, it has the most realistic fighting setting. characters actaully bleed and get injured throughout battles. this game also consists of cruel moves that were never present in other fighting games. A real must have for any fighting game fan