[Raapys]

IMO it's not about how 'advanced' the graphics are, it's about if they're doing something for the game; creating a good atmosphere, etc. Music is also way underrated; probably since most games has mediocre music at best. Besides, a nice 2D game can look far better than a groundbreaking 3D game. I also feel that just about all 3D games handle much more awkwardly than the older 2D games.

At any rate, you can't make an enjoyable game without good gameplay. You can, however, make one without good graphics. You don't need high-res, full 3D to make chess fun. The only times I get annoyed over graphics is if they're making it hard to play the game; bad UI, hard to make out objects, etc.

So if it was up to me, SE V would be a highly advanced version of SE IV, where Aaron had taken all the time he spent on the new graphics engine and put it into improving the gameplay and AI instead.