Shenmue II

"Bigger isn't always better"

This will be the longest review I have ever written, and hopefully will ever write. Much of it will sound as though I am reviewing the first Shenmue, not its follow-up Shenmue II, but I assure you otherwise (though you will need knowledge and appreciation of the original to understand this review). And as much as I would hate to begin such a review with something routine as a quote, I must:

“What if Ryo could run through Dobuita with two uzis. That would be cool.”

The above was a random post on the Shenmue Message Board here at GameFAQs (the author shall remain anonymous for the simple reason that I do not recall their name). While it is harmless in nature, it bothers me. It has for an approaching year. Dwell on its premise: to make Shenmue a shooter--to make Shenmue any ONE thing is to go against the grain of everything that gives it greatness.

I only wish Yu Suzuki, himself, adhered to this rule.

That is not to say that its sequel is inferior, but rather, disconnected. Shenmue II has strayed from its self-pioneering FREE (Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment) genre and has been simplified into an action game. There is nothing in the slightest to suggest that this game operates in its own real time--as opposed to the original. Its reality plays like a theatrical trailer, where we only get samples of life without any real insight concerning where it originated, or in what direction it heads.

Ultimately, Shenmue II suffers from what I will dub more people, less personality.

Sure, the game can produce more than fifty characters on screen all at once... but they serve no purpose (and I don’t mean how they apply themselves to the story). Think back to the first Shenmue. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, even the cats and dogs, had a purpose. You knew them by name, you knew their schedule, you could track every part of their day, and they all contained their own unique voice and personality.

But, in Shenmue II, they have been raped and robbed of life. It’s as though they took the stock characters from the original (those only there for decoration, who offered no helpful advice) and gave them starring roles. They have no realistic schedule, and while you can follow them, it matters not... they only move in systematic circles. Even the cats and dogs just sit on a window sill, or behind a fence.

Is all that I just wrote a minute point? I think not. Since so much of the first Shenmue’s selling point was a world that created its own patterns and tempos of life, the fact that its inhabitants move without direction breaks the reality with every step you take. Now I understand that Ryo is a “stranger in a strange land”, but one would think that would afford new opportunities to meet new characters. Wrong. Everyone is interchangeable. They don’t even have their own voice, only a type of voice (I counted five in all: a child’s voice, a young man’s voice, a young woman’s voice, an older man’s voice, and an older woman’s voice).

The environments are equally devoid. They are larger, sure, but they have no meaning. There are no more name plates identifying which house belongs to whom (which is appropriate as the supporting cast is almost entirely anonymous). While there are more objects, as with the characters, they are repeated so many times that they lose value. Worst of all (and this is a big one) the environments are no longer connected. Without spoiling too much, I will simply say that when you discover a new part of China, your previous location is completely hampered and you are no longer able to revisit.

It’s amazing how much more is included in Shenmue II, yet how little. Again more people, less personality.

My final gripe is something no one else seems to have recognized, but is, for me, a serious impediment. The lock-on system, while pioneered and perfectly represented in Shenmue, has been bastardized in its sequel. Before, when looking through Ryo’s eyes, the camera pushed in gracefully through his skull (as gracefully as anything going through someone’s head can be) and we were treated to wonderful perspective of an already wonderful world.

Now, in it’s sequel? The camera ZOOMS (in both speed and distance) past Ryo and magnifies roughly ten times beyond a normal human being’s depth perception. It’s no longer looking through Ryo, but Ryo looking through a telescopic lens. Whereas Shenmue treated us to broad horizon, challenging us to drink in the details, Shenmue II obscures our view in world that deserves better. Yet again, it’s no longer an attempt at reality, but at the illusion of it.

So, you ask, after all my complaints... why does this game receive a 10? No, it’s not because I automatically give every game I review a 10 (as many of you will argue). Rather, it’s because that, regardless of all that has been removed, the aftermath is still one of the most deeply absorbing and awe-inspiring games ever produced. If anything it shows that the idea of Shenmue is so powerful that it can survive such alterations.

Such survival is aided in no small part by its fourth disk. Now I am going to state something bold, and I need you, the reader, to understand that it is not easy for me to write. But the fourth and last disk of Shenmue II is THE most incredible gaming experience in the entire history of video game experiences. I am not exaggerating. Without giving away the details I will only mention that it is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. It’s primarily dialogue between two people. Actual dialogue. Every word spoken in a video game is said to advance the plot--to act as a clothesline between sequences. Not here. It has people talking about life, and love, and values... and I have to leave it at that or I run the risk of ruin.

This game actually listens to what its characters have to say, as opposed to speaking for them. Any game that cares this much gets a 10. Deservedly so. But (finally) let’s find out why by breaking it down:

Graphics: 10/10

Take what you will from the liveliness of Shenmue II’s world, there is no denying the world itself. Every corner, crack, and crevice feels as though it was forged by the advent, or neglect, of man. Though it lacks the rhythm the original imposed, it retains the feeling, and that’s enough. If I sounded too harsh in opposition to this game, it is only because its predecessor founded such a definite realism that yes... I feel a little cheated that it was not reprised.

Beyond that, this is a faithful installment to the Shenmue series in terms of beauty. It is not required that I elaborate on such beauty simply because if you have read this far into the review, then you have obviously have an interest in the game. And I am willing to bet my immortal soul (yes, I said it) that your interest stems from the saliva dripping from your orifice at the very sight of this game.

Take any individual frame of this game, and it would be worthy of an actual frame to mount upon your wall.

Sound: 9/10

Okay, I lied... I have another criticism (this is the last one, I swear). While the music of Shenmue II is of equal, aural caliber to the original, it pales emotionally. That is not to say the music does not rise to the dramatic and emphasize what we are supposed to feel towards the characters at hand, but... well, this is hard to describe.

In the first installment, the overall music changed in tandem with the story. When Ryo’s clues led him towards danger, the music leading up to it was dark and moody. If it was a carefree day, with no real incentive, the music was subtle and at peace. The music served a purpose and punctuated the action perfectly. Here, despite what cataclysmic events are about to unfold, the music limits itself to the predetermined theme of each area.

This gripe, however, is offset by the SUPERIOR voice acting. Though I am one of the few that admired the Americanized voices of the original (it’s hard to act out that much dialogue and sound authentic all the time), they are nothing compared to the cinematic masterpiece found here. The proof is that I do not speak a word of Japanese (though my screen name might suggest otherwise)... and yet the emotions they were trying to project translated perfectly. To understand what someone is saying behind what is actually being said it is the highest achievement of any actor.

Gameplay: 8/10

I promised no more grievances, so I will not restate my hatred of the “revised” camera technique. And I will only “mention” (the passive aggressive approach to complaining) the lack of parks and parking lots in which to train. Upgrading your moves is no longer a factor--which makes me ponder the initial reason for including them in the original. Oh well.

Beyond those compromises, Shenmue II only has room for improvement. While the heart of the game still centers around talking to so-and-so, who tells you to talk to another so-and-so, the pacing has been significantly refined. How uneven was it, during the first Shenmue, when the game hummed along in a low, uneventful key throughout the first two disks, only to have a third that threw fight after fight, QTE after QTE at you? Now everything builds at a gradual rate, through which a certain level of comfort is applied.

But I must again stress Shenmue II’s fourth disk. Think of it as a fully-interactive ending. While there are gameplay elements, such as QTE’s, they’re not action-oriented. They’re almost playful. You’ll see what I mean. And no, I am overstating how incredible this finale is. It is the sweetest, kindest, most uplifting and gorgeous event amongst video games. And it will let you forget all the cynic, pessimistic, kill-everything-that’s-alive attitudes plaguing games today.

We remember when Samus Aran lost the armor and was revealed to be a woman. We remember the first time Sonic ran faster than the camera could track him. We remember the first steps we took into a three dimensional Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. And we will remember the fourth disk of Shenmue II. Forever and ever--until that grim day we hang up our controller.

Story: 10/10

Shenmue II’s story is told with a different approach. Not better. Not worse. Just different. Its predecessor told its tale through a paper-thin trail of clues. As Ryo Hazuki, you had few leads as to the whereabouts of the man who murdered your father. You started by interrogating the locals, and eventually found your way towards China.

This method of storytelling differs greatly in the sequel, as now the saga continues in broad strokes. Rather than meeting obscure characters, to gather tidbits of information, you meet significant figures that each provide you with a great wealth of knowledge. I agree with this method as there are so many important plot points, taking the long way between them would be distracting.

Replayability: 7/10

The original Shenmue could be relived over and over again to savor the parts we missed. It was worth going through again just to watch the world live before your eyes. We could waste an entire day following a random Yokosuka inhabitant and wonder about them. Who they are, what they’re thinking. I mean, we literally applied humanistic terms to these fictional people.

But, as I’ve mentioned, we don’t have such luxuries in Shenmue II. While the original could invoke wonderment, the sequel simply represents itself for what it is. Often, the result is like a linear action game--a fact that can make multiple trips through somewhat tedious.

My recommendation? Copy your saved file onto a separate VMU when you reach the fourth disk. That way it can be experienced into infinity. Believe me, the awe it inspires never depletes.

Conclusion: 10/10

Legendary director Jean-Luc Godard once taught us that the best way to criticize a movie is to make another one exactly like it. This applies equally to video games. And, in those terms, this game acts as a reminder of just how incredible the first one was. Make no mistake, Shenmue II is still one of the greatest games ever. Period. But, ten years from now, it will be the original Shenmue that I will still be playing. Let’s just call its appeal fewer people, more personality.

Final note: before its arrival, Yu Suzuki said that the sequel would focus more on action, and less on the world surrounding it.

At the time, I thought he was kidding.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/16/02, Updated 03/16/02