I own two of them and I like them .
No , it isn't quite the same as vert bow hunting , but it's still enjoyable and has about the same limitations as a vertical bow with regard to range , penetration , etc . Be prepared to reduce your outside range limit though , bolts lose energy faster than arrows . I've watched mine drop 10" over ten yards . Practice is every bit as important with a crossbow as it is with any other weapon , don't slack on the practice . Despite what you may hear , it isn't as simple as mounting a scope and hitting the bullseye every time .

Given a choice of types , I prefer my 180# recurve model . It can get bolt speeds up to 250 FPS with a 100 grain Thunderhead on a 20" XX75 bolt . A friend of mine who has lots of experience with crossbows has and reccomends Excaliber crossbows , they get the same bolt speeds as compound types , 300+ FPS , but require less tuning and maintainence . The compound models are somewhat fussy and require the same kind of "tuning" that you would have to do to a compound bow .

Crossbows can be somewhat cumbersome in the woods , they tend to be heavy and noisy . I've found mine to be best suited to blind or tree stand hunting for this reason . The company(SVL) that makes String Leeches™ also makes a kit for quieting crossbows . Still hunting , especially in "the thick stuff" , can be rather annoying because of the encumbrance and configuration of the crossbow .