Early adopters, beware. Along with the standard system requirements, the Steam BS2 page offers this little gem:
Initial installation requires one-time internet connection; Ability to save game, earn achievements, receive title updates and online play requires log-in to Games for Windows LIVE; software installations required including Microsoft Visual C++2008 Runtime Libraries, Games for Windows LIVE client, Games for Windows LIVE Client Patch, Sony DADC SecuROM, Microsoft DirectX.
It's not clear at this point whether you'll have to have Steam installed to play the game if you buy it someplace else, but let's just assume you get it on Steam. That's three separate layers of authentication (Steam, GFWL, and SecurROM) just to make it past the first save, or to earn the first achievement. It's possible that all three systems will work together seamlessly, with nothing more than an extra account to create (though it's actually two accounts, an online and an offline, in the case of GFWL). It's possible, but I wouldn't bet on it.
GFWL has a decidedly poor reputation among gamers. (See here, here and here for testimonials, though the evidence of pervasive frustration is all anecdotal). As a potential purchaser, your best option is to wait to see if the official forums light up with tales of installation/activation/saving problems in the days after release. You might save yourself some aggravation.
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