Unreal Tournament 3 - The Truth of the Matter

I have been playing this series of games for more years than I care to remember, and when I first heard about the impending release of this game, I was ecstatic. This was enhanced by the unbelievably gorgeous graphics used for the teaser trailer for the game, and my heart skipped a beat.
However, this is all before the actual release of the game, and for me, I guess it proved that the hype-ing up of a game, and movie for that matter, does not necessarily guarantee a great game.
Undoubtedly, those reading this have read reviews of the game from games magazines and websites, that state just how 'amazing' this game is. These are undoubtedly the same individuals who said that Halo 3 was brilliant, despite the fact that in fact, the Halo series is a poorly programmed video game that is only as popular as it is due to the fact that Microsoft makes it. But I will write about my opinion on the Halo series when I next get the opportunity.
You see, the truth of the matter is that Unreal Tournament is in fact, not a very good game at all. Putting aside the glitchy graphics and textures, the actual game play is no where near as good as previous games, and in fact there are even some game modes that are missing or have been modded, and it is for this reason that the game does not succeed in appeasing me. In fact, it left a sour taste in my mouth that could only be diminished by playing Alone in the Dark.
This game was delayed for about a year, which in itself is ridiculous when you consider just how poorly made the game actually is. Sure, it uses the unreal 3 engine, but if this is what we are to expect from this engine, then I am seriously considering boycotting most other games that utilise this engine, unless I see that they are using it to its full potential, otherwise, well you end up with Unreal Tournament 3.
One of the other issues that I had with the game was the fact that they have tried to give a game that is basically based around death matches, a storyline. This concept is ridiculous. If I wanted a storyline, instead of just beating the crap out of the nearest opponent to me, then I would just throw in Gears of War into my 360. Basically, they should have left the stories to Unreal, and not Unreal Tournament.
Now, the greatest criticisms I have with this game are the graphics. I don't care what anyone says; this game is 100% NOT pretty. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that it is ugly. The textures are flat, the characters lack any sense of reality, and everything is shiny. The game is no where near as pretty as it pretended to be in the teaser trailer. And believe me, I know pretty when it comes to video games, and even with the best settings on my HDTV, this game is still appalling.
Now, don't get me wrong, it's not all bad. There are some redeeming points for this game, though not enough for me to want to keep this travesty of an unreal game on my shelf, but you never know. Whilst it has in fact mutilated the Unreal Tournament game, this is still basically a game of death and destruction, and if you are looking for a game where you can kill twenty people in about 10 minutes, then I guess this is the game for you.
I certainly (in hindsight) wouldn't pay full whack price for this game, but about £30 is an acceptable price. Though be warned, this game is set to disappoint, which it has done many of my friends who have been fans of the series for many years.
My advice to one playing this game is to not listen to the hype and false reviews written in magazines. Do not expect this game to compare in any shape, way or form to its' predecessors, as quite simply it does not, and will leave you ever so slightly dead inside.