Customer Reviews

Shenmue 2

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"Shenmue 2" is an engrossing game that breaks with either the standard adventure and role playing type game in an effort to totally involve the player. In a brief summary, the basic plot is simple involving the main character, Ryo, who has witnessed the murder of his father, but it unfolds as the epic story of his quest to avenge his father's death. This is the second installment in the series that began with Shenmue. The story begins where Shemnue left off, with Ryo getting off on a pier in Hong Kong.

There are so many things to do and see in this game including non-plot related activities. For example, to make money I've arm wrestled, had matial arts bouts with in-game contestants, played card games, dice, a game of chance where you drop marbles in a vertical board with nails, and worked several odd jobs. I've also practiced my martial arts moves, collected trinkets from the vending machines, visited pawn shops. I still haven't found the 4 classic Sega arcade games yet that are said to be buried in the game. I'm sure I'll play them on the side just for fun when I do.

The fighting aspect of the game is interesting, but something that I have not yet mastered. You can "learn" (ie, are awarded) special moves as you progress through the game that adds to your martial arts repetoire. Several battles come up where I have fought enemies of various skill levels. Sometimes I won, sometimes I lost. In some instances, you must win against certain characters in order to unlock further progression in the game. If you don't you will have to try again at a later time. In the case of the Quick Time Event (QTE) sequences, on some occasions the game will let you continue to try until you win.

The game is very interactive as I have found myself talking with and getting advice and help from literally hundreds of characters. I can stop to talk with anyone and they have something usually helpful, but at least relevant, to say. There are numerous well done cut-scenes that bring the personalities, motives and circumstances of the various characters to life. You (Ryo) must become allies with some characters in the game to acheieve some of your objectives and, in some cases, a real tension develops. I stll have not encountered at least two of the main characters and am waiting to see what kind of relation and plot twist will ensue at those points.

The extreme detail of so many aspects of the game are incredible. One late afternoon (game time) just for the heck of it, I went to the second floor of a gambling house in the game, played a selection on the jukebox, gambled a little, then watched the sun go down over the lake and tall buildings of Hong Kong. The clouds were moving, the sun and sky faded from orange thru red, then the sky turned dark as night came over the city. I then spent the rest of the evening just discovering new things in that part of the city until it was time to retire for the evening (always at 11:00PM). Amazing.

I also enjoyed the vastness of the cities. I'm talking huge here. This game makes you feel like you're really in Hong Kong. People are walking and working in stores with the ambient sounds of the city in the background. The neon lights glow and flash in the city at night. You can walk in almost every shop and talk to the owner and people inside, look inside the shop and even purchase something.

I must also comment about the music. The music changes depending on which scene you're in and what's about to happen. It adds to the mood and sometimes adds the element of tension in anticipation of what's to come. Some of the scores and paricularly the theme music are very well done and deserve high marks.

Although the game is a lot a fun, there are admittedly a few problems that I consciously chose to overlook. After all, it is a port from the Dreamcast platform. One is the unevenness of the graphics especially the characters. The major characters are very highly detailed and look like XBox quality. The others are blocky and look like a direct Dreamcast port (which they are). Another is the voice acting which is generally bland but occasionally okay. If the voice acting had been top notch, this game may have been ready for an Oscar :) I really hope that Sega and Microft come out with Shenmue 3 and that it takes advantage of the XBox's capabilities. It will be unbelievable.

I will be honest here and say that Shenmue is a game that will not appeal to everyone. For those gamers who must have an adrenaline fix when they sit down to play a game, they will probably not have the attention span or patience in the world of "Shenmue 2". It is a much more deliberate game, that has a pace that ranges from slowly uncovering clues and experiencing real life events to action packed fighting sequences. The whole idea is to draw you into the main character's (Ryo's) world and let you feel the environment around you and the challenge of the adventure. It's like a movie turned into an interactive game.

Exploring, unraveling and experiencing this adventure/rpg/action game is a real joy - so much so that my wife and kids are with me in front of the television at night watching and taking turns playing. A great game. A classic.

Shenmue 2 is the sequel to one of Sega's biggest accomplishments ever: Shenmue. A game unlike anything you've ever played. But be warned this doesn't necessarily mean it's the right game for you.

The Shenmue series, take you on an incredibly deep adventure and puts you in control of the main protagonist, Ryo, in order to discover the secret of two Phoenix mirrors, over which his father was murdered. Your journey begins in a quite 1980's town in Japan. When Ryo returns home one day he finds a black car in the driveway, and some men attacking his father. The leader, Lan Di, eventually kills Ryo's father after a great fight. Lan Di is easily the best villain I have ever seen in a videogame. He's design is truly perfect. He's looks are chilling to the bone.

As you progress through and eventually finish Shenmue, you eventually come to a point where you must travel to Hong Kong in order to find out more about a mysetrious letter sent to Ryo's father the day after he died. This is where Shenmue 2 begins.

And don't worry if you never played the original game on Sega's ill-fated Dreamcast. Shenmue 2 comes with a Shenmue: The movie DVD which explains to you all the events leading up to Shenmue 2 in much more detail than I have.

The way the game works is this. It takes a number of different genres and gameplay elements and blends them into one huge game which takes place in what is no less than a small, virtual reproduction, of Hong Kong in the 1980's. And when I say reproduction, I mean it. The game has complete day and night cycles, seasons, and weather patterns. You sleep at night, play the game during the day, and as you progress through your adventure you'll notice seasons pass by. You'll watch leaves fall of trees, rain muddy the streets, and snow cover everything in white, just like in real life. Of course, time moves much faster than in real life, thankfully, so a day in Shenmue is rougly half an hour long.

The main part of the game has you running around this virtual city and talking to any of over 1000 characters who each have a complete day and night AI routine. It's as real as they get. Each person actually has his or her own life in the game. In your quest for information, you will run into a lot of bad people, where the next genre comes in. Fighting. Shenmue 2 has a fighting system so advance, that it's almost on par with pure fighting games like Tekken or Virtua Fighter, and this is just a part of the game.

You'll aslo be able to take part in quick time events: which are basically cutscenes, but with a little bit of interaction from the viewer. Meaning if Ryo's chasing somebody and something falls in front of him, it's up to you to make sure he jumps over the obstacle and not trip over it. And this is done by pressing a button or a combination of buttons which are shown to you on the screen as the cutscene is rolling. You have to have incredibly fast reflexes to succesfully complete each QTE perfectly.

But even if you fail at one of these, it doesn't necessarily you have do it over. Shenmue 2 is such a vast game that your failure may just simply lead you on a whole different path that will still get you to the same point.

Finally there are some rpg elements in the game. Not only can you enter stores, and practically any building in the city, but you can buy things. For example, you can buy certain scrolls from shops that will teach you new figting moves, and by practicing these moves with a sparring partner, you will actually get better at doing them, increasing your chances of succeeding in fighting battles.

Shenmue 2 also makes a few great improvements over its prequel. The graphics are of course better. But more importantly, you have the option to fast forward time. So if you have to meet somebody the next day, and you don't feel like gambling or playing mini games at the local arcade all day, you will have the option to jump forward in time and meet that person. This greatly helps improves the speed of the game. Overall, Shenmue 2 is just a lot bigger, better and faster than Shenmue.

Of course, all this just barely scratches the surface. I'd have to write a book to be able to describe Shenmue for what is truly is.

I was a fan of the original, but just barely bought the sequel because I had Metroid Prime... Metroid will always win out in priorities, but Sega fans and Xboxers should buy this game without hesitation.
Shenmue 2 is the sequel to the sleeper Dreamcast hit that debuted at the end of the Dreamcast's life, in fact it was the last Dreamcast game I bought, and it is to this day my favorite DC title simply because this game is a very versatile title. There is no genre that this game series does not cover at some point. Ryo has to learn new skills, and master them, like RPGs, he has to gather clues and information collect items, etc, like RPGs, there's a deep and compelling story, like RPGs, there's mini games galore, exploration, adventure, fighter game type action (similar to the Virtual Fighter Engine.) There's so much going on in this game, its part sim, part RPG, part adventure, part fighter... How could someone not enjoy it? Especially since many of the flaws of the original game have been fixed? Lost? You can easily find someone to show you around. Broke? Part time jobs, though I don't recommend gambling... I lost over $1,000 that way, ironically right after I had won that much! All this in the midst of what is at its core one of the most comprehensive and beautiful epic stories of our day. I've been enthralled by the story of the game, but sadly sales of this remarkable game have been less that stellar. The game is selling so poorly that there may not be a Shenmue 3, and the story is far from over. It isn't fair that such an artistic and beautiful game like this be passed over without so much as a second glance. I implore all Xboxers out there, please save Shenmue and at least give this game a look. There's a movie included with the game that summarizes the plot of the first game, although the movie does not do justice to the original game itself, which has a great deal more to it, it will still let you know what you need to know to get by story wise in Shenmue 2, and in all honesty Shenmue 2 has far fewer flaws. Many people found some aspects of the original tedious, like having to wait around for hours on end for an event, but thankfully this one allows you to fast forward to the appropriate time, rather than seeking out stuff to do. Because Sega and AM2 addressed so many of the flaws of the first game it is well worth it to pick this title up, even if you haven't played through the original. Just watch the movie first and you'll be fine. PLEASE BUY THIS GAME! Don't let this masterpiece fade into oblivion... imagine if 24 were cancelled midseason and you'd know how I feel about there not being a Shenmue 3.

Shenmue can hardly be classified as simply a video game, it is a saga in every sense of the word. The game meshes captivating storyline, heart-felt characters, drama, action, tragedy, and just plain coolness with tremendous success. You really care about Ryo, and the people he encounters and what happens to them, as he begins his quest to learn the truth of his father's murder. Lan Di, though his appearances are few and brief yet tremendously effective, is so icy cool and intimidating you wonder how Ryo will ever be strong enough to face him. When each game ends you are left begging for more. Not to mention the music, which is by far the best, most beautiful score I've ever heard in a game. The gameplay improves on an RPG formula of wandering freely and speaking to whoever you can see, and adds its own twists with its cool free battle and practice system, and the QTE (Quick Time Event) battles will literally have you on the edge of your seat. I already own and have played the Dreamcast version, and you better believe i'm getting this one. Its the main reason I got an X-Box. If you own an X-Box, GET THIS GAME, and prepare to be enthralled in the world of Ryo Hazuki. If you are considering getting an X-Box, get one and this game! I just can't wait for Shenmue III!

this game is awsome its even better than the first one its still have realastic graphics and xbox makes it look better...the game has so many things to do u just want to play it over and over again..i bought this game over seas and even though its in a diffrent language it still says words in english. This game (in my oppinion) can almost match with Halo. the only hard part is deffeating the boss at the end of the game even if u never had trouble with and other people u faught this guy is tuff.. all in all this game should be number 1!

Mark my words - Shenmue 2 is an unbelievably brilliant game. It is the sequel to the even better Shenmue 1 - the most expensive videogame created in history to date, with a budget of over 60 million US dollars. Graphically sweet, making enormous use of the power of the Xbox, Shenmue 2 is pure eye-candy.

It is a game like you have never played before. The story, the characters, the detail, are so immersive that the game flows like an epic novel. Shenmue 2 is simply an epic tale spanning over 12 chapters (this is chapter 2) of the character Ryu avenging the death of his father. The game combines authentic Chinese and Japanese cultural detail, and a superb martial arts system hollywoodised for action.

The game contains intense action cinematic stunt sequences that you have to control using QTE: Quick time event system. This is a rapid response system guaranteed to impress any game-pro!! These QTE's are rarely seen in game these days, which is a shame, since QTE's are sequences used a lot in hollywood action movies (except you act them out with a joypad).

Immense detail is given to streets, shops, people, and sound, the atmosphere can be felt instantly. The dialogue in the game is in fact taken from a script consisting of thousands of pages of speech. In the game, you can interact with ANYBODY you see. That means interacting with hundreds of citizens of Hong Kong, as you Ryu, the main character use clues to find the killer behind the death of your father......

All the streets, houses etc are taken from real planning maps of China/Hong Kong making it very authentic and almost scarily too real. Sega have incorporated the special "real-time weather" system. This means the climate, weather, actually change according to the time of day, and the time of year, taking into account of all types of weather. The weather is not animated - it is simulated.

Sega have also used their patented 3D environment engine, which is simply one of the best software for games in the videogames industry. This means that you get camera angles from almost anywhere, almost fooling the human eye with it's submersive holographic effect.

Sadly, Shenmue 2 (and Shemnue 1) are probably one of the most underestimated quality games in videogame history. The only other games that deserve to be in the same league as Shenmue are the Resident Evil and Final Fantasy series.

If you are a sceptic, I pose one question - Why do you think over 60 million US dollars were spent on making Shenmue? The answer is simple - Sega created a game so well, it became an instant classic hit to all those who were lucky enough to come across it. Since the demise of the Sega Dreamcast, Shenmue 2 was ported onto the XBox, with a movie summary of Shenmue 1.

The game was created by a man called Yu Suzuki. Yu Suzuki is the founder of the Virtua Fighter series as well. Yu Suzuki is regarded a creative genius, who recently won the award for "The most successful videogames creator in history".

When you play Shenmue 2, you'll know exactly why.....

by Adil J.

All the gripes you had with the first game has been fixed:

1)You don't have to wait around anymore. You can fast foward to future events.

2)You're not forced to work to make money. You can gamble and do a number of things to make money.

3)MORE FIGHTING!

4)If you get lost nearly everyone in the city will know where you're going and they'll direct you to your destination.

5)More action and less tediousness. The end of Chapter III is the most spectacular climax you'll ever witness in a videogame.

It's really worth it even if you did not like the first one. I have 2 friends who's opinion of Shenmue changes immensely after playing part II.

Part II is almost nothing like part I. IT is far more active, more lively, more colorful and the action starts more early.

Shenmue is a unique experience and a game that is way ahead of its time.

I played the first Shenmue over 2 years ago on the now dead Sega Dreamcast. I am convinced that Shenmue was the ONLY reason to own a Dreamcast and I anxiously awaited Shenmue II. But then Sega announced it would discontinue the DC and that eventually even Shenmue II was cancelled for US release (though Europe and Japan did get it). Luckily for us, Microsoft kindly picked this title up for it's XBOX and gave us US gamers hope that the series would continue on!

It was a long wait, but finally the definitive version of Shenmue II has arrived! XBOX owners truly benefit and to reward us for our wait and loyalty, Microsoft included a full length DVD movie of the first Shenmue game (awesome!!) and they went back and improved the game by improving the textures, adding voice dubbing (I hate subtitles) featuring the same voice actor who did Ryo's voice in Shenmue 1, and added hard drive support, faster load times, a rock-solid frame rate, and so much more! And it's all on ONE DVD disc! No need to swap discs during play like we were used to on the Dreamcast versions (the DC version of Shenmue consisted of FOUR discs!). Needless to say, Microsoft and Sega did a fantastic job making this the definitive version for the true Shenmue fan! They could have done a quick and dirty port and just called it a game, but they wisely chose to improve it!

The game is great...a strangely addictive mixture of Virtua Fighter-style fighting, 3D exploration/detective work, and some QTE events. The world you interact with is a true living/breathing world complete with clock and common people who follow schedules and daily patterns! It's so much fun just to walk around interacting with everyone and seeing how people react. This is as close to a virtual world as you'll find! The fight scenes are great and there are also full versions of classic Sega games like Hang on/AfterburnerII/Space Harrier!!

Whether you're a true fan or just looking for a great adventure with plenty to do, buy Shenmue II today. You will not regret your purchase!

One of the Greatest Dreamcast games ever made is finally making it's second appearance...ON THE MICROSOFT XBOX. Shenmue II not only out does the first one in every way but surprasses it even more, this game is unbelievable. It is handsdown, my favorite Xbox game ever...EVER. The story continues with Ryu Hazuki on the journey to find his fathers murderer and to meet a man who may know alot of things about his father then he'd imagine. Now the game takes place in Hong Kong, and Ryu is still on the hunt....get ready because not only are playing one of the best sequals to a game ever..but you'll be having one of the greatest video game experiences....ever..

Shenmues Graphics are just amazing, As you've already notice I'm not going to give it a negative on visuals since it's not fair because this is a DIRECT PORT from Dreamcast....Those idiots like IGN and gamemagazines should of known this is a direct port and that the visuals were going to be bumped up, hell it would take poor suzukie EVEN MORE YEARS to make the visuals amazing....but who cares cause this game is still AMAZING. The sound/music is just as beautiful as the original Shenmue, sometimes I'd just stand at one area and listen to the music..it's just so brilliant.. The level desighn for Hong Kong/Kowloo is just incredible, especially one the final chapter of the game, which I won't spoil. Something I like Shenmue II more then Shenmue I is that Shenmue II is just one of those flat out "Sequals that didn't fail one bit" as I can see alot of people love this game but are dissapointed compared to the original...I'm not one bit, Something that Shenmue I had that made me fall in love with the game was the FREE BATTLES and QTE'S....Theres even WAY MORE of those in Shenmue II, and they've never looked so good on the Xbox. Other then the sequal having more action then it's predecessor, something that I loved about Shenmue is that it got you all pumped up all the way to the grand finale...THIS DOESN'T FAIL AT ALL. Especially the Yellow Head Building part, which is by far one of the greatest moments in Video game history.. Everything about Shenmue II on Xbox is amazing....It's just so Brilliant!!!!!

Now for anyone who hated Shenmues Slow paced gameplay DO NOT GET THIS GAME, Shenmue II is just the same(but a lil better) as it's predecessor. It will take awhile to get to the action....More like when you're at the end of the first chapter which by the far longest in this game.. Did I mention this has a very good Length..If you skip all the sidequests and just beat the story for the first thenmue, it would take about maybe...10 to 14 hours...It took me about 13 hours and 45 minutes.. Shenmue II takes about 20 to 30 hours of just playing the story mode of it and skipping some side quests....It's just bigger, better and longer...

The Good
-Superb Visuals and got a bit bumped up on the Xbox
-longer then the original
-the voice acting got a tad bit better but not by much
-Theres more character development and we finally know what SHENMUE means!!
-An amazing scenarion that has to do with the Yellow Head Building and LAN DI!!
-More FREE BATTLES and QTE'S
-More clues to find and people to ask, for me it was fun
-The Music is beautiful
-IT'S Just better then the original...that's all I can say about that....

The Bad
-The controls are TERRIBLE, I had to adjust em' before playing the game
-It got a lot of bad review on lots of sites about it's visuals...they should have known it's a straight port from the Dreamcast
-Just like the Dreamcast...Poor Sales for Shenmue II means NO Shenmue III in the future
-Some like myself were left wanting more after Shenmue II's Ending...amazing though..

Shenmue II on the Xbox is one of the best games ever made, and one of the most overlooked xbox title ever..period.. Just like every other Sega Game on Xbox... Please if you liked the original you will LOVE Shenmue II, it's just better, longer, better looking, more action, MORE EVERYTHING!! Why the perfect score?..Because on like most of the idiots who gave it abad score cause of Visuals, I'm being mature about it, so what if it's a direct port from DC, The visuals are still amazing even if it's no Doom 3 or Ninja Gaiden....Other then that, Shenmue II is just a beautiful game and that is why I give it a.......

5 out of 5 stars...

Brilliant game....

I can't really explain why I fell so deeply in love with Yu Suzuki's first console release, the Dreamcast's original Shenmue. Perhaps it was the sense of complete freedom, which allowed players to spend their income however they saw fit, completely disregarding the story in favor of video games and little toy capsules. Maybe it had more to do with the utterly enveloping environment, which went further toward becoming a totally immersive scenario than any other game in history. Who knows, maybe it was the game's setting in mid-80s Japan, two cultures I've always found fascinating (80s pop culture and traditional Japanese culture). One thing's for certain, it wasn't the emotionless, deer-in-the-headlights expression constantly sported by the story's hero, Ryo Hazuki. Regardless, I was hooked on this story of revenge, reality, and the kind of awkward relationships characteristic of our teenage years.

Though the Dreamcast sequel never arrived in America, Sega revamped the title, added a few new features and finally released it on Microsoft's Xbox. Alongside Halo, it was my first purchase for the enormous black and green machine.

Bar none, the coolest thing about the Shenmue series is its outrageous attention to detail. There exist hundreds of storefronts, people, objects, games and environments that don't have any impact whatsoever on the story itself. They could've just as easily been left out, yet their inclusion broadens the game's scope substantially. Almost every doorway can be opened, every object, from the fliers hanging in a popular street corner to the televisions hidden away in the corner of a pawn shop, can be examined in detail. Sega even carried on the tradition of including emulated versions of Suzuki's arcade hits, this time packing in Afterburner II, Out Run, Hang On and Space Harrier.

There's no such thing as a cut scene in Shenmue II, everything you see is live rendered. And, while that was a real feat for the Dreamcast (producing graphics on the fly that rivaled those of the Psone and N64's pre-renders), it's not as impressive on the Xbox. Though it gives it the old college try, Shenmue isn't as visually impressive as Rygar: The Legendary Adventure on the PS2, Metroid Prime on the Gamecube or even Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee on the Box itself. Honestly, though the visuals are improved slightly, this still looks, feels and functions much like a Dreamcast game. The water effects, especially, pale in comparison to what we've already seen the Xbox can do. The game looks above average at best. Not great, but still good. As I mentioned earlier, the real strength of Ryo's world is the tremendous variety in the storefronts, environments and various items, and this is something that helps set it apart from the pack.

Occasionally, Ryo will be drawn into a fight scene, which functions like a strange blend of Final Fight and Tekken. Visually, the transition between "wander and talk mode" and "fight bunch of guys mode" is almost seamless. Very rarely are these fights one-on-one affairs, and you're usually called upon to take down upwards of a half dozen guys at one time. You've got an impressive list of moves at your disposal, with more available as the game progresses, but really only utilize about ten or eleven on a regular basis.

The musical score to Shenmue II follows in the footsteps of the original; it's epic. Every one of the arrangements in the game serves to broaden the scope of this already impressive, expansive title. It truly feels like you're playing a character in a major motion picture, and it invokes your emotions at just the right moments. Near the game's conclusion, when Ryo stands atop the roof of the tallest building in town, staring into the sunset, you really feel as though you're coming of age along with him. When he first rides into port aboard an enormous ocean liner in the game's opening scene, the music further emphasizes that this is the beginning of a tremendous journey. It really is that solid.

Pity I can't say the same about the voice acting. Every one of the characters is just as wooden and emotionless as Ryo himself, which is one of the dark clouds that seems to have followed this series throughout its existence. Though everyone in town has a distinct voice, they all share similar traits; nobody gets excited about ANYTHING, and they all place intonations on the wrong words with frightening regularity. Ryo himself is one of the least appealing characters I've ever played, and nearly everyone in the world seems to share this disposition. It's hard to get excited about the revelations involving Lan Di and his relationship to Ryo's father, when those making the revelations are themselves completely disinterested in the proceedings.

Included with the Xbox version is a DVD containing the majority of the cutscenes from the original Shenmue for Dreamcast. I found this to be a great, somewhat quick, refresher course before diving into the new events. It'd been years since I last ventured into this world, and I was reminded of several small threads I'd have otherwise forgotten. On that same hand, I can imagine how much the inclusion of this disc would have aided players with absolutely no experience with the Dreamcast. A great idea, and something I wish more gaming dynasties would consider.

Overall, I found myself enjoying the first Shenmue more than I did the sequel. This is still a series I'd be interested in seeing pursued, but no matter what you may have heard... it HAS taken a small step down with this release. While the first game focused much more on Ryo's inability to relate to his peers, his awkward social life and his pure intention to avenge his father's murder, the sequel delves more into the spiritual and political ramifications of his actions. It wasn't quite as much fun as the original, though the overall feel was very similar.