I think Jimquisition has it right at 8.5. For now when you first play U4 it feels anywhere from a 9 to a 10 (and I'll admit I'm enjoying it pretty well), but what about grading on quality of lasting appeal? I mean REAL lasting appeal. Even if a game is really good by itself, but copies a lot of what a lot of other games do, how can that be considered good lasting appeal? How will U4 feel 10 years from now? I think that's a question and criteria that needs to be put in all reviews. Reviewers do take into account lasting appeal or replay value, but they do an extremely poor job of it on the grand scale.
One of the most important qualities of replay value that is almost never taken into account in a review is how a game owns itself and separates itself from the rest. It's true that U4 is currently the most visually impressive game right now, but how long do you think that will last? The main gameplay, regardless of how smooth it is is still that same TPS cover shooter gameplay that so many other games have.
Why do people still enjoy Super Metroid, FF7, Super Mario World, Chrono Trigger, OoT and MGS1-3 today? I swear I just saw someone say they finally played through FF7 on youtube and they were extremely impressed. There are new players being introduced to these games today. It isn't nostalgia. It's because each of these games owned themselves and didn't try to appeal to anyone's taste or be like the other games. That's why they can be played again and again throughout the ages. They provide a very specific experience you can't get anywhere else and they do it very well.
*Reviews these days almost seem to punish the idea of separating yourself from the pack.*
Lube Me Up
