Why do people love Shenmue?

[Team Andromeda]

I thought Shenmue was dull and boring , The sequel was anything but . The closest I've got to playing a interactive Kung-Fu game , and at times felt a game that Jackie Chan would have made (or a game that at least does him justice ) At times it felt like I was playing the like of Project A II on my DC , along with all those wonderful Chinese folk stories and superstition That why I loved Shenmue II

OK perhaps that last statement was lacking in a little thought. I was thinking more the conversions of Sega Rally 2, Sonic Adventure was a bit of a mess also and a few others.

Launch games for brand new systems rushed out in the main, always tend to have some issues , not that Sonic Adv ever looked bad imo , and you didn't play Sonic Adv II ? The game might have only been ok, but its graphics engine was stunning .

SEGA Rally II was a port of one of the most Advanced Arcaded boards around , another game rushed out , That never helps . Virtual On II shows what can happen with the Team as more time (and if you'll knock its graphics I'll laugh).

I wouldn't call the likes of JSR, REZ, Virtual Tennis , Zombie Revenge, HOTD II, Out Trigger ,Virtual Striker 2, Getbass II, SOA, Shenmue II, Space Channel 5 Pt 2 , Same de Amigo , Crazy Taxi , F335 Confidential Mission, Cosmic Smash has technically poor'
How they play is another matter , but it was hard to fault their GFX and game engines

I think you need to work better at flamebait next time

[Kieran76]

I'm a Sega diehard but have to admit for all its technical accomplishments Shenmue was dull. As in makes Bioshock look good dull.

I loved Shenmue when I first started playing, then found myself getting bored. I never finsished the first one and have never played Shenmue 2. I can understand why the game would appeal so much to some people though.

I also found Bioshock dull.


EDIT - Reading some of the above post does make me think it might be worthwhile giving Shenmue 2 a go.

[garrz32]

I loved Shenmue when I first started playing, then found myself getting bored. I never finsished the first one and have never played Shenmue 2. I can understand why the game would appeal so much to some people though.

I also found Bioshock dull.


EDIT - Reading some of the above post does make me think it might be worthwhile giving Shenmue 2 a go.

That post is exactly how I felt...I bought the game on release, played it right upto where the forklift challenge is, and then got bored with it...I always said I would complete one day...(never did)

As for the second one,Is it possible to play it without finishing the first one?

[Kubrick]

Yep. You still start off with some money and stuff even if you don't have a S1 save file. Plus of course there's the XBOX version of Shenmue II which comes with the Shenmue: The Movie disc, so you can catch-up on the story.

I finished Shenmue when it came out and liked it, but haven't bothered to play it since. I'm curious to know whether I would still rate it tbh, since even then, it had plenty of issues. The fact that you could pretty-much do what you want and indulge in the range of activities on offer was what made it cool though. Plus it had a great atmosphere thanks to stuff like the "magic weather".

[abigsmurf]

The love for shenmue is down to the fact that deep inside we're all secretly looking for where sailor's hang out.
</deep>

I admire Shenmue because it was an attempt to truly do something different and to create a new genre. One of the first real attempts to create a properly immersive world

[Dogg Thang]

Personally, I reckon Shenmue comes down to one thing - atmosphere. If the atmosphere worked for you and sucked you in, you likely love it. If it didn't, it didn't stand a chance because all of the criticisms of the game are valid.

[nakamura]

Launch games for brand new systems rushed out in the main, always tend to have some issues , not that Sonic Adv ever looked bad imo , and you didn't play Sonic Adv II ? The game might have only been ok, but its graphics engine was stunning .

Yes i did play Sonic 2 and like a said a silly statement regarding the technical issues. Although launch games in my experience are great, F-Zero, Ridge Racer, Mario 64, Ridge Racer V, Fantavision, Project Giotham Racing, Halo, PRG3, Motor Storm etc etc.

I think you need to work better at flamebait next time

I certainly wasnt trying to flamebait as you put it, I genuinely do not get the love for Shenmue and was arguing with my mate over MSN about it so was interested in other gamers thoughts. I have not played Shenmue 2 mind.


Its nice to hear peoples replies on here. It seems most are not looking with rose tinted glasses and just happen to enjoy that game and thats pretty fair.

Question! Do people think we would have been better off Sega not spending so much making the series? Would they have continued in the same way as before?

[Atticus]

I loved it at the time, and me & my mates couldn't get enough, sharing tips and stuff on how to trigger events in the Japanese version. I even remember the excitement of sharing the news; 'I've got a job at the docks!'

Strangely, playing the English language version exposed it as being less sophisiticated than it seemed when you couldn't understand what people were saying ... the nuts & bolts of the game being little more than string of go here, see so-and-so, garnished with a bit of qte and fighting.

But, for me, the game is simply about being there. Sure, there's the detective stuff, but I love how you can just hang out if you want to. Buy stuff from the shops, play in the arcade ... go home when it gets dark. It's a subtle, cosy experience between the moments of drama and that's what makes it special.

[Neon Ignition]

I love them both but I'm in the smaller crowd who prefers Shenmue 1 over its sequel. Shenmue II was a more diverse and action based title but the original had more of a sense of living Ryo's life and more interactivity within the environment.

[Yakumo]

I can't be bothered to go in to why Shenmue was so great so I'll say it plain and simple. To me Shenmue was like living a life away from my life. The pace was just right, the freedom was fantastic and the fact that you had to work to get by just added to the realistic nature of the game. Sure, it's not for everyone but for those who do like it will never look back. For it's time it was amazing. I remember playing tring to find out some info. I was getting fed up though so said F*ck it and went to the arcade for a game of Space Harrier to get away from it for a while. the thing is though that I was still in Shenmue. Fantastic!

Yakumo

[iloveannie]

It was the first game (not many others I can think of either) where you weren't the main focus. It created an atmosphere where you knew you were a character within the world as opposed to a character with the world created for them. For me anyhow. But then I do love games that have substance to their setting. I think I need to see other people and creatures adapting and comfortable within their environment regardless of whether I'm there or not. Not sure if this makes sense as I have just gotten up.

[paul]

Ok people I am a Shenmue hater. I do not hate the DC at all or Sega for that matter but the love for this game is beyond me. It was a terrible game, it had awful control, woodman like fighting I remember being very unresponsive.
General gameplay was fiddly, even running was a pain.
I can see what Sega tried to do and I do applaud that but it was miles too soon and overall the execution was poor but the if im honest for me Sega were technically a poor company certainly on the DC.

I am not trying to start a war though I feel it may annoy Sega fans but I cannot see why this game has so much love.

Tell me.

Whilst the game was flaed in certain respects, in my opinion to enjoy the game you had to focus on the elements that made it unqiue. These include the story, the free form nature of it, the level of character interaction, the anticipation of what was coming next.

I also personally loved the visuals. I had not seen any game realise an environment in the way Shenmue did both throug sight and sound. If you had decent speakers, just walking down the street and hearing the sounds of passers by, the sound emanating from passing shops buildings was something for me anyway, seemed completely unqiue.

The fighting wasn't particularly great, but that wasn't a clincher for me. I've always been poor at fighers. It really depends on what you wanted from the game. I wanted a unqiue experience and that's exactly what I got: it ranks alongside Ocarina of Time for me in terms of an epic gaming experience.

If you wanted something that exclusively exercised your skills as a gamer, then I think you were bound to be disappointed. I think the point about it was that it was meant to be a story driven experience.

[Duckula]

You can collect Sega capsule toys.

[Strider]

I don't like Shenmue. Yes I can appreciate that is was a very impressive achievement for the time, but it fails for me because so much was promised but it never delivered. Inside Ryo's house it's amazing and it feels like you can react with virtually everything, just as Suzuki claimed. ONce you get outside it becomes less and less. As a result I only ever manage to make it to the arcade and the gashapon shop and that's all I do. I want a Shenmue 3, but only because the arcade in it could be effing incredible.

[Kongster]

Shenmue was an engrossing and immersive experience, it was unlike anything else at the time. The fork lift truck driving job at the docks was amazing. Actually that last bit is a lie.