I played the big games of 2004, I'd rank them at Far Cry > Doom 3 > HL2. On the other hand, according to polls, most here prefer HL2 > FC > D3, just goes to show you tastes differ. Like Yoss, I liked the beautifully rendered outdoor scenery, especially at night. I liked the feel of a tropical island, I thought the boats & vehicles were well done, liked the AI as well.
Not to put down Doom3 - it's also an awesome game, reminiscent of a good space suspense flick. Most who're used to having everything just the way they want it, often thanks to cheat codes, were unable to enjoy it for what it was; a different game. Not the typical shoot-em-up, but something based on suspense and limited vision.