I really didn't give this game the credit it deserved back when it released. I think it might've been from comparing this game to everything else on the market, rather than letting the game stand on its own.
Are the graphics as technically impressive as other titles of the era? No. Does it have an art style that has aged a million times better than most of them, and is realized extremely well? Yes.
If you miss the days when Third Person Shooter didn't automatically mean Cover Shooter, give this game a try on sale, for all its faults, it's a very well crafted game.