I honestly don't think the core gameplay of the original holds up. It was stellar back in the day and I played the shit out of it when it released but I'd argue it's not strong enough to basically re-release the same game twelve years later with a handful of minor, perfunctory improvements and think most people are going to fawn over it they way they did in 2007.
Obviously, if you can't get enough of the original this game scratches that itch but from a critical/review standpoint this game has been treated more than fairly.
Also, sadly, I agree with you that this is probably the end of the franchise.
I'm just in a peculiar position because I really like the core gameplay, but it's rather possible that I simply enjoy something that isn't very good. It's not a matter of cognitive dissonance - I own every console and have a backlog that I'll never clear, so I don't NEED this game to be good - I'm just having a lot of fun with the game. In alternate universe if people on these boards were raving about how much fun they were having I would have no trouble believing it.
As it stands, the game is getting critically ransacked and I simply have to accept that I have an oddball position on this one.