Unreal 2 rocks
Don't judge Unreal 2 for the lack of multiplayer. This is why there is UT2004. So, it is all about the single player which I am a big fan of.
So, you are someone (doesn't really matter) who has to do something (doesn't really matter) and in order to do it you have to go through lots of nice places and kill lots of enemies which actually matter.
Unreal 2 is a very nice game overall. The graphics is still an eyecandy. The sound is awesome...just increase the volume of your headphones (speakers) on the max. The story - who cares...actually there is much more story than in very pretentious FPS's. The missions are doable, sometimes too easy on normal difficulty.The voice acting of the main guy is a bit flat but hey, it is all about shooting , not speaking. The weapons arsenal is great. The fire weapon is an absolute must use. There are lots of cutscenes that make the whole Unreal 2 experience even more alive.
So, if you like FPS, go and get this game and don't listen to or read biased reviews.