Believe it or not, Unreal has a storyline and it's one that you constantly think about as you explore your surroundings. You are a prisoner on the Vortex Rikers, a prison vessel that has crashed on an alien planet. Your first task is to get out of your ship and find a way off the alien planet. You start with no weapons, no items and enough health so that a particularly nasty mosquito bite would take you down. When you finally do get off your ship, you encounter a race of creatures called the Nali - six handed poker sharks that lived on the planet in peace, the fools. Of course, they were prime targets for the vicious Skaarj, a warlike race (that look not unlike the predator) who hunt the Nali for sport. If you feel up to it, you can help the Nali as well as destroying the Skaarj and they will reward you with goodies and secret areas you wouldn't ordinarily find. You can kill them after you do this, of course, because even a peaceful target gives you some practice.

You're not alone if you have been thinking that all 3D shooters that have been appearing lately are most fun when you get to shoot your mates, and the single player game was only there so you could test the weaponry on some inane beastie before letting rip on your LAN/Net buddies. Put those thoughts in an early grave, because not since Doom has a game had such an effect on a person. It can be summed up in one word: atmosphere. That all too elusive concept in games that cannot be written with code, atmosphere derives from many elements in perfect combination designed to suspend your disbelief so totally, that you actually think you are 'really there'. The visual effects mix perfectly with the sound effects, the music comes on in particular situations and is made for the moment, the enemies are intelligent and well placed - I could go on, but I'll use an example to illustrate me point.

You're walking back along a brightly lit corridor after turning off a couple of switches which de-activate a force field. There were no monsters on the way here, and no doors, so you're not expecting any company on the way back. Still, you tread cautiously because after all, this is an alien and hostile planet and you just never know. You round the corner and spot the door you came in from. Sure enough, the way is brightly lit and free of alien nasties. You head toward the door but as you do, machinery comes to life - there's a hiss, a rumble and the corridor is sealed by a horizontal grate. Your turn around - shit! Both ends are sealed. What now?
Everything is dead quiet, and before you have time to consider your predicament, the lights start switching off - one by one, starting from the entrance to the corridor. Click, click, click, click... until you are left in utter, silent darkness. As you scroll through your inventory to look for a flashlight, a flare, anything that emits light, you hear a low growl behind you. You spin around to see a pair of red, slanted eyes staring at you. Without warning, red lights begin strobing around you as the beast starts running towards you, pulsating techno ringing in your ears. You look down at your ineffectual pistol and think to yourself that Quake was oh so much easier than this...