I like to use books as a yard stick when referring to the overall gaming landscape. Yes, while Mark Twain and Shakespeare are "outdated" by today's standards, their works are still integral to modern writing and are staples in any credible college writing/literary course.
The same for games like Counter-Strike and Quake or Doom. While FPS games have evolved and offer different experiences in comparison, those newer games still owe a debt of gratitude to the classics for paving the way as without those "outdated" classics there would be no Halo, or Call of Duty, etc.
Modern gamers would be doing themselves a favor by checking out the classics once in awhile, certainly anyone that is reviewing games (professionally or as a hobby). No matter the category.
I often pay attention to what games the reviewer is referencing and how they discuss those earlier titles to judge when that reviewer started playing games. It is the same for YouTube personalities - you can tell by their reference points and how they discuss them to gauge when they started gaming, or anything really.
Luckily i started the middle of the golden age so i have extremely fond memories of so many titles that would go on to influence so much in the market even to this day.
I do agree about a reference point completely, so many "reviewers" are there for a quick buck reviewing current generation games who have no idea just how it came to be or why.
Thanks for the awesome comment brother.