The individual components of gameplay are not particularly fun, and cannot support the game on their own. It does, however, present a fantastic experience; those who appreciate it, playing the game as a movie or book, would enjoy their time. Gameplay-oriented minds, however, are likely to be disappointed.

I use mods to make the gameplay fun, and I find that it empowers the core fantasy dramatically when you not just get to be a half-participating spectator of it, but its core driving force. I wish the base game was like this, personally.