It was always mediocre. Literally everything people praise about it was done years before (i.e. NPCs having full day schedules, being able to interact with so much of the environment).
It did look good for the time but even that hardly mattered when there were a grand total of 3 locations.
>>715584481 Facts. Nostalgia goggles hit some of these dudes harder than a freight train. Just because it blew your 10-year-old mind back in the day doesn’t mean it holds up now. People act like jank equals charm. Nah, clunky is just clunky.