Graphics aside, the gameplay makes this a must-play.
What I DO need to mention is how solid this game is throughout its entirety. Sean Elliot, in the official 1up review, feels that the ending was a let-down. I suspect this is due to his previewing the game. Once certain features were cut from the game, Sean seemed to lament their absence. Look, the final stretch was a great break from the beginning. A game that repeats itself for hours can get boring, and the zero-gravity levels followed by the linear ice stage with escort mission, culminating in the on-rails shooter was a fantastic break in between the open gameplay of the beginning, and the open play at the end.
Great final boss fight that didn't seem cliche in that there was a REASON for this boss fight; it didn't feel shoehorned in to the game for the sake of following convention.