I finished Shenmue 2 back on the DC back in 02 so for me it's been 17 years and counting.
Can you please expand on your Shenmue experience as a whole? (Meaning both games)
For me it was damn near a therapeutic and zen like experience in some parts.
Shenmue
Well I had to play Shenmue 1 with a 1999 mindset. There were certain things that did frustrate me like having to wait for certain times for events to happen and not being able to skip forward (something they remedied in Shenmue 2).
The whole world was very immersive. It puts some of today’s open world games to shame. I like how all the NPC had different things to say depending on the time of the day or how far you’ve progressed. Having to ask questions to investigate didn’t feel tedious. Despite the fact the voice acting was horrific, I still felt very much immersed in the world.
I’m used to Street Fighter and Tekken so I wasn’t used to the Virtua Fighter system. I enjoyed parrying which involved a certain level of timing and patience, however, it was flawed at the same time. The fight inside the arcade was stupidly tricky.
I disliked the whole crane driving section towards the end of Shenmue 1. I get that it’s meant to be immersive and make it feel realistic but it ended feeling more like a chore and extremely tedious having to race every morning before starting your job.
Speaking of which, Shenmue made you work hard for your money. It wasn’t as much as a necessity in the first instalment but at least it was realistic.
A lot of games lack the heart of the ones from yesteryear, because they focus on style over substance. Rather than making you root for the protagonist, they focus more on the aesthetics. This game manages to get a combination of both and not make you feel empty when you were rescuing Ryo’s Girl or when he would talk with his mother.
Overall, I can see why this game was ground breaking at the time. So many other games took from it’s foundation and built upon it.
Shenmue 2
You can tell the developers paid attention to the feedback from the first game. Almost everything that made Shenmue annoying, they got rid of or improved.
For example, the fact that time would skip forward if you had to wait for someone or an event to happen was a very much welcomed addition. Standing around was beyond tedious and frustrating.
Having to find different ways to make money was also a great addition to the Shenmue world. I of course gambled (fukk working a 9to5, I’m in these streets son).
The fact stranger’s could lead to your next destination was extremely helpful. It’s such a big expansive world, it’s very easy to get lost.
Speaking of which, wow. The fact this game was made in 2001 and it had the scale of characters and and landscape to cover was impressive. It felt overwhelming at times when you had to remember where certain places were, but that’s where speaking to the people helped.
I truly felt like I was in Hong Kong, from the music, scenery etc. They really did their research with this game. No one could doubt it’s authenticity.
The supporting cast was a lot more rounded this time. Everyone really has their own character fleshed out. It made Ryo stand out a lot more and showed his character in certain scenarios.
I felt the combat took a step backwards. I’m a counter fighter and the parrying from the first game that made fighting enjoyable, was sadly missing from the second instalment. Now Ryo would roll when he wanted to evade attacks. It made it more tricky and in my opinion, requiring less skill. However, the fighting system overall was still fun. The battles didn’t seem pointless. I felt that every fight got me closer to Lan Di.
This game felt a lot more philosophical than the first game. Having to learn the “Four Wudes” was extremely spiritual and educational. Ryo having to learn patience and understand that having a vengeful mindset would get him killed was deep. Having to catch the falling leaf three times in a row tested your patience as a player and made you understand.
The final part of the game leading up to the Shenmue tree was the best. It felt like the purpose of Ryo journey was finally coming to fruition. Meeting and talking to Shenhua was a great experience. Despite the final chapter of the game having no fighting sequences, it was great to see the relationship blossom between the two.
Overall, Shenmue has many flaws but it has what many games lack: heart. So many soulless games are made where they think graphics will compensate for their empty story. Shenmue definitely broke the mould.
I highly anticipate Shenmue 3. I rarely, if ever, buy games the day that they are released but this one will be an exception.
LANDI, WE’RE COMING FOR YOU nikka!!
i can't wait
