I just completed "Lair of The Mantis" and, wow..
This is the most fun I've had in a game in a while. Gun play and combat feel amazing. On my way to the system that this mission is located in, I found myself stopping at dozens of places along the way to do planet scanning, side missions etc, each just as fun as the last. And when I finally got around to doing the mantis mission, it was so much fun, challenging (as I am only level 14 and playing on very hard), and every bit of loot I collected during the mission as well as the items received at the end of the mission felt so rewarding and deserved. I also generally am not into ship/flight combat in games, but man is space combat starting to grow on me, especially considering the amount of customization options and play styles available to you.
Todd was right when he said that the more you give to this game, the more it gives back. Safe to say I find myself on the edge of my seat every time I play this game.