Shenmue

[Frogacuda]

I love Shenmue but I totally get why others don't. Ryo's a thick-headed unlikable character and the first game is paced like a day at work.

[Daitokuji]

I love Shenmue but I totally get why others don't. Ryo's a thick-headed unlikable character and the first game is paced like a day at work.

I agree with you. The first game's pacing was fucking terrible, but me wanting to find out what was going to happen kept me playing. The second game didn't have the same horrible pacing so i thought it was light years better

[kedawa]

I have both games for Dreamcast, but I've never gotten around to playing through them. I tried a few times, but I could never figure out what I was supposed to do. There are all these kids and old people harassing me about trivial shit and all I want to do is find the bad guys and beat them up. Maybe I'll give it another shot once I've cleared through some of my unplayed game, but it's hardly a priority.

[Frogacuda]

Shenmue did have the best orchestral score of any game, though. I'd be lying if that had no influence on how the game affected me.

[NeoZeedeater]

The first game does do a few things better. No town is as well designed as the first one and the not really a spoiler but just in case: the mega beat 'em up battle at the end is better than any action part in II.

I feel like playing these games again. And Dreamfall, too, because it reminds me of it.

[nameless_one]

The first game does do a few things better. No town is as well designed as the first one and the not really a spoiler but just in case: the mega beat 'em up battle at the end is better than any action part in II.

I forgot about that last part until you brought it up again, but I am glad you reminded me.

[youandwhosearmy]

I have Shenmue 2 on both Xbox and Dreamcast sealed.

:/

Maybe one day I will try one.

It does the first Shenmue absolutely zero justice.

The first game I have fond memories of. It was fun (if totally tedious), and different. I like games that surround me, and that fucker surrounds you.

Shenmue II though, does not surround you as much as try to trap you in the most shallow parts of itself.

[Frogacuda]

The first game does do a few things better. No town is as well designed as the first one and the not really a spoiler but just in case: the mega beat 'em up battle at the end is better than any action part in II.

Yeah, the problem is that the first game and the second game were suppoed to be a single game, and they ended up having to drop the later chapters and pad the hell out of the first one to make it full game length.

If it came out as one game like it was supposed to with the first chapter half as long as it was, it would have been absolutely amazing.

[Scourge]

Shenmue I and II probably get replayed more at my house year to year than most anything else, except maybe Metal Gear games.

[Taito]

As time marches on, I don't think the games aged well. Definitely not the gameplay, and certainly not the incessant loading of the Dreamcast versions. I'm not sure what other game allows you to travel in and out of buildings and other locations completely seamlessly and without visible loading, but I wish Shenmue came out when that was technically feasible. Even then it would be hard to ignore the constant errand-running gameplay, the stale main character, and the drawn out first installment.

I did like the supporting characters in Shenmue II though.. probably more than any other video game I've played. And the music in both games are amazing.