Shenmue II

"Shenmue 2 is the Perfect example of how a Second Game in a Series Should be Made."

Introduction
Shenmue is without a doubt was the best gaming experience I'd ever witnessed. Shenmue was way ahead of its time and even now, Shenmue easily compares with some games on the 360 or PS3. It wowed us with fantastic, realistic visuals. An amazing Storyline about revenge, justice and criminal underworlds. The most evolved fighting mechanic ever to grace a non-fighting game that was on a par with Virtua Fighter game. Its Soundtrack was phenomenal and rivalled movies and even awe inspiring orchestral pieces. An amazing thing though is that Shenmue had such a wide, diverse cast of characters that were all memorable; even the sub characters were memorable. Therefore, it was inevitable after such an amazing experience that I would miss the continuation of this fine saga.

Storyline 10/10
Without giving away too much, Shenmue 2 picks up where the original game left off. Ryo Hazuki arrives in Hong Kong to continue his quest for revenge. All he has in his pockets: The Phoenix Mirror, a mystical mirror made of phantom river stone and a letter of introduction that tells him the address and whereabouts of somebody called Lishao Tao. Will this meeting change his life or will it help him progress? Soon though his life interweaves with the fates of many others and he'll be mixed up in more things than his quest for revenge.

The story in Shenmue 2 is just as good as the original. I have to say that it probably is grittier than the original. Expect loads of twists, turns, deceptions, friendships and prepare to immerse yourself in the most intriguing storyline to ever grace a video game.

Gameplay 10/10
Fantastic. Shenmue 2 has so much to offer. Shenmue 2 is split into three areas of gameplay. Exploration, Quick Time Events (QTE) and a Virtua Fighter style free roaming fighting system called Free Battles.

Exploration plays a big part in this game. Expect to be asking many questions as well as scouring the environment. Exploration has many benefits. You can find toy capsule machines, secret arcade retro games, as well as free battles, qtes or you can just explore to see the wonderful scenery. There are many easter eggs as well. Shenmue rewards the player to searching alleyways and dead ends with hidden treats, which are well worth the trek.

QTEs are my most favourite part of Shenmue 2 and they have been evolved. Shenmue 2 is the master of QTES and the direction/choreography here is simply amazing. QTE has you pressing a certain button that pops up on the screen. Press the button quick enough and Ryo will dish out some amazing move or ability to progress him through the game. Don't press it quick enough or hit the wrong button and Ryo will either be hurt or look pathetic at whatever he is doing (e.g.- the carrying books QTE comes to mind)

QTEs are awesome this time around. Expect lengthy chains of you pressing the right button and watch as Ryo performs some of the most entertaining moves you will ever see in a game. QTEs are like an interactive cinematic movie. They are awesome and they began a new trend in gaming. Now all games use QTEs, but just not as well or as effectively as Shenmue.

Free Battles are just as they sound. You control Ryo and battle Virtua Fighter style against multiple opponents at the same time. This area has vastly been improved. Controls are more fluid, enemy AI are smarter and battles are much more fun. You have a large variety of moves available at your disposal that are all as equally impressive.

Also available in Shenmue 2 are Toy Capsules. Toy capsules are little Sega themed toys you collect from machines. Expect to find characters from Nights, Sonic the Hedgehog, Alex Kidd, Panzer Dragoon, Virtua Fighter and machines that are even more exclusive (The AM2 machine is only found through exploration) hold wonderful treasures.

Arcade Games/Mini Games- Shenmue 2 provides you with a bunch Retro games and Mini Games. Old classics such as Outrun- A racer. Hang-on- motorbike racer. Space Harrier- A sci-fi shooter. Afterburner- A airplane shooter. All Retro games play remarkably well and are fun. There are also mini games in the form of Darts -play solo or for money against another player, Arm Wrestling, slot machines, and free battles and lucky hit stands, where you watch balls drop in to targets. You can also get a part-time job and buy food/drinks. The list goes on.

The amazing thing about Shenmue 2- and one thing I really applaud the creators for- is that they took the original Shenmue formula and improved it in nearly every way. All of Shenmue's flaws were deleted. No longer did we have to wait around for the next event to happen, you can speed up time until that event arrives. This was a brilliant addition that allowed the pace of the game to flow perfectly instead of dragging like the original did at times. You weren't forced to work every day. That takes up most of disc 3 in Shenmue. Everything was considered and that really helped with the pace. Thank you AM2 and Thank you Yu Suzuki.

Visuals 10/10
What can I say? Shenmue 2 is painstakingly detailed. This game is so large and yet every area is memorable. Things to spot are little details like a little cat sitting on a ledge; pigeon that fly off when you approach them; fountains that spew water realistically; packed teahouses full of chattering people; electrical shops full of electrical hardware and price tags; packed restaurants full of patrons, parks, apartments and not forgetting the backdrops of every section.

Each area in Shenmue 2 is distinct. Green Market Quarter is like a fruit and veg market, a place where people by their shopping. South Carmain is more of a quiet housing area complete with park. Golden Quarter is a bustling high priced, up market area complete with pricey jewellery shops and a massive shopping mall ( which was a bit of a disappointment because all the stores inside were closed every single day). Every area allows the creators to show something different and that was just in Wan Chai and Aberdeen, the first parts of the game. Kowloon is like a massive sprawling city full of seedy activities and dodgy alleyways. Then a complete contrast to Kowloon with Guilin, an area that provides us with a seriously beautiful, tranquil and artistic approach to gaming, with lush environments and wonderful imagery, rocky landscapes and magical waterfalls.

Next, there is the character design. Now while this isn't as impressive as Shenmue (mainly because this is a much larger game) the game still boasts fantastic character design. All the main characters are amazing. The sheer amount of detail they possess is astonishing. Saying that even sub characters like Cool - Z and Larry possess amazing detail. Saying that even people walking around each quarter posses amazing detail. Yes, Shenmue 2 has fantastic detail, but the towns' folk aren't as memorable as they were in the tight-knit community of Yokosuka.

The visuals are superb; they took Shenmue and improved it on every level. So what if a few apartments are a little bland, the outside world is so detailed you don't even need to think forgiveness, you have already given it. Shenmue 2 is astonishing. Oh, and the cut scenes are simply mind blowing.

Audio 8/10
This is the only area that actually took a step backwards. The music in Shenmue 2 isn't the same quality as Shenmue. It seems that the music is a 'little' muffled and more backgroundish than it was before and there is no collecting of tapes either. The music is still better than most games though and is still vibrant. Each section still has its own piece and they really do fit the scene they accompany well.

Voice acting is superb. Gone are the corny English voice-overs of Shenmue and now we welcome the superior Japanese voice-overs and all I can say is 'wow'. Shenmue 2 supplies us with some top-notch voice work. Although the game is set in China, the Japanese voice-overs still provide a cultural experience and it sets the scene. Not everyone in China would speak English anyway; they would speak Cantonese or Chinese.

The little details also present provide the gamer with a greater overall experience. The fluttering of wings as pigeons fly away; the gushing of fountain waters; the sound of chatter as you walk though crowded areas; the sound of the slots as you walk past the arcade; the crunching of soil under your feet or the sound of wood as you run across planks at the harbour; the sound of a flowing river in Guilin, or roaring waterfall. Shenmue 2 is full of subtle details that most people would never notice and they are produced so brilliantly that they just escalate Shenmue 2 even further into greatness.

Replay 8/10
Collecting all the toys, moves, arcade games and mini games takes some time. In addition, there is also the opportunity so play-though and find all the cut-scenes, free battles and other odds and ends you never did find the first time. Shenmue is more of an experience than a game. You just need to believe in it and you will become immersed in its original, awe-inspiring fictional world.

Conclusion
Shenmue was a master class game. Shenmue 2 took all of Shenmue's flaws and removed them, expanded the games size by four and introduced a fortune of new little gimmicks, some for the better some for the worst (book carrying). They gave us better visuals, a tighter more detailed world, fantastic artistic scenery and vision and yet another superb gaming achievement. Shenmue 2 offers adventure, excitement, induces shock and a ton of other emotions as it takes you on a roller coaster ride or fabulous storytelling and fantastic gameplay. Shenmue 2 is an experience never to be forgotten.

Pros and Cons

+ Fantastic Storyline
+ Amazing visuals and subtle details
+ Great Soundtrack
+ Amazing cast of characters
+ Fantastic Gameplay
+ Mini games are just as fun as the game
+ Artistic vision and Genius
+ It's created by Yu Suzuki who is my favorite creator.

- The odd Slow Down
- Characters sometimes appears out of nowhere or fade just in the distance.

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Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/21/09

Game Release: Shenmue II (EU, 11/23/01)