The first preview of the new year comes from CVG taking a look at Unreal2 which will be in fact a sequel to Unreal. Here's a bit that might make for some interesting discussion for the day.

During a break from the action to down a glass of water, trying to stop my adrenaline-fuelled shakes from spilling it, I asked project director and main designer Glen Dahlgren if he thought Half-Life was still the benchmark for new shooters. "It was a real jump," he concedes. "It added depth when there wasn't any. But if you look at its story, it's paper-thin, and a lot of the games that have come since have gone a lot deeper, adding characters with personalities. That is the expectation now, so I don't think Half-Life is the one to beat anymore - in my mind at least." And he has no doubts that in Unreal II Legend has something that will beat anything currently on the market.

So then, what game IS the benchmark now for a single player FPS action (not rpg) experience?