Shenmue I & II
D3T · 2018 · Adventure, Open World, Story Rich, Martial Arts, Classic
PC
Very Positive90% · 2,117
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About Shenmue I & II
✦ AI summary
Investigate your father's murder across 1980s Japan and Hong Kong in this groundbreaking open-world action adventure, battling enemies with jujutsu and uncovering the mystery of the Dragon Mirror through detective work and quick-time events. Originally released on Dreamcast, these pioneering classics feature living, breathing cities where NPCs follow their own schedules, shops open and close, and a persistent world that changes with time and weather—gaming innovations that defined the genre.
Originally released for the Dreamcast in 2000 and 2001, Shenmue I & II is an open world action adventure combining jujitsu combat, investigative sleuthing, RPG elements, and memorable mini-games. It pioneered many aspects of modern gaming, including open world city exploration, and was the game that coined the Quick Time Event (QTE). It was one of the first games with a persistent open world, where day cycles to night, weather changes, shops open and close and NPCs go about their business all on their own schedules. Its engrossing epic story and living world created a generation of passionate fans, and the game consistently makes the list of “greatest games of all time”.
Story
A tale of revenge.
In 1986, teenage jujitsu artist Ryo Hazuki returns to the dojo of his father, Iwao Hazuki, only to witness his murder by a Chinese man, Lan Di. Lan Di steals a mysterious artifact known as the Dragon Mirror. Ryo vows to avenge his father’s death and sets out tracing Lan Di’s path.
The first game in the series, Shenmue begins the tale as Ryo travels around Yokosuka, Japan, gathering clues about his father’s murder and dealing with nefarious gangsters along the way.
The sequel Shenmue II continues Ryo’s quest, this time crossing the sea to Hong Kong, China. Ryo ventures deeper into the criminal underworld, meeting martial arts masters who aid him on his journey and offer insight into his father’s death, and unravels the mysteries of the Dragon Mirror that his father kept hidden.
Gameplay
- Take the role of Ryo Hazuki.
- Explore a 3D open world searching for clues, examining objects, and talking to NPCs.
- Battle enemies and bosses making full use of the moves of Hazuki-style jujitsu.
- Beat quick-time events (QTEs) and mini-games.
Key features
The best Shenmue experience
Pioneering Dreamcast classics available for the first time on PC
Updated user interface
Choice of modern or classic controls
Japanese audio available for the first time for a global audience
Fully scalable screen resolutions
An epic legend
A tale of revenge on a grand scale
Solve the mystery of your father’s murder
An experience never to be forgotten
The world feels alive
Talk to anyone, scour the world for clues
NPCs live independent lives on their own schedule
Faithful recreations of 1980s Japan and Hong Kong, China
Distract yourself with arcade games, collectibles, duck racing, and more
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
If you enjoy talking, getting clues, talk to some more people, then realize you need a specific time of the day to enter a shop or find a person so you need to waste time by doing stuff to pass time, yeah this game is for you. The vibe and atmosphere, the music, it all is wonderful I won't lie. But as a game it just isn't something I personally am that patient for. I'm not saying the game is bad (although it is certaintly a product of its time) but just not the game for me.2 found this helpful
it's a masterpiece
There is a beautiful story hidden somewhere deep in this game, I am sure of it. I've heard it can be found somewhere outside the Slot House. You see these 41 Hours at review time? At least 35 of them I spent in the Slot House. The rest of that time I spent walking back to the Slot House after I hit curfew. Thanks to Shenmue I now sport a crippling gambling addiction.
Rare are the games that take real-life cities and countries and place them into a game in a way that makes you feel like you’re living there. Shenmue is one of those games. I know this series was a huge deal back in the day, but I never got to experience it then. I finally played it years later on Steam, and honestly, it hooked me immediately. You follow Ryo and the mystery surrounding his story, but at the same time, you’re simply living a life. You walk through neighborhoods, talk to shopkeepers, meet people, ride the bus, go to work, visit arcades, wait for places to open… all these tiny everyday things that sound simple, but make the world feel incredibly special. The first game especially gives you this beautiful glimpse of Japan in the 1980s, while the second expands the journey much further. It almost feels like you’re playing an old anime where you control the main character yourself. And for me, those little details are precious. There is always this mystery pushing you forward, but around it you have normal daily life, side activities and people just existing in the world. You can also easily see why people compare Shenmue to later games like Yakuza. There are so man…
7.8 out of 10.
Great !
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