Overview

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Review

Release Date: 12.04.2001
Platform: Sega Dreamcast
Developer: SEGA AM2
Publisher: Sega of Japan

Reviewed by Mack on 4.5.2003

Review Rating: 9/10

User Rating: 8.75/10

The Shenmue series has been a long time coming. As rumors of a "Virtua Fighter RPG" began circulating some time last century, the industry quickly went abuzz, with gamers speculating what Yu Suzuki would have in store for us lowly peasants. As more information sprouted up, it became apparent that Suzuki had no less than a realistic and fully realized game world planned. And while the original Shenmue laid the groundwork for the navigation of the series, Shenmue II comes much closer to being the game I've wanted since its existence became known roughly half a decade ago.

I must emphasize the epic scope of this series. The original Shenmue contained only the introductory episode of this saga, in which our hero, Ryo Hazuki, traversed his hometown in search of the mysterious man who murdered his father. Shenmue II throws Ryo into Hong Kong, where chapters two through four unfold as Ryo continues his quest for revenge. Suzuki has promised 16 chapters total, so we've got quite a bit to look forward to....

The graphics are primo quality here...environments are realistic and colorful, with lush details everywhere. What impressed me the most, though, would be the time and attention spent on each individual character. Since there are probably about 1000 altogether in Shenmue II, this is no small feat! Characters move fluidly, with none of that annoying breakup around joints; facial expressions are varied and often humorous (Ryo going googly-eyed when getting beat up is one that nearly always elicits a chuckle); hell, people even gesticulate when talking if they're so inclined. The only drawback to the wealth of eye candy is the slowdown that occurs when too much is going on at once...This is especially noticeable in the big city, but it doesn't detract from the game too much. Luckily, it never occurs during the masterful story scenes. Cinematic brilliance here, folks. Battles are well choreographed too, with many foes exhibiting unique Kung-Fu styles.

Sound is adequate; you probably won't find yourself jamming out to very many tunes, but they all manage to compliment the scenes pretty well. All dialogue is spoken in Japanese, so I can't really comment on the quality of the voice acting...however, the subtitles are an improvement. You won't get any "Especially since you bought merchandise!" here.

The storyline gets a chance to flesh out quite a bit in Shenmue II. Lots of truly great characters are introduced (with Ren and Shenhua being my two favorites). Somehow, the chemistry works, and characters often end up in either exciting or humorous situations. Masters return in force this time around, providing Ryo with advice or perhaps helping him out by teaching him a new technique. Finally, foreshadowing is handled quite well, with hints and allusions to the greater nature of the quest happening all the time.

I could probably spend another two pages writing about how diverse the gameplay is, but in the interest of sanity, I'm going to keep it concise. The main part of the game is the search for your father's murderer, which is done in standard detective fashion. You'll be running around the massive areas and gathering information for the most part (much of the time from beating it out of people...that's the best). There's a whole bunch of stuff to collect this time around...lots of cool new toys, moves scrolls, lighters, etc. QTE events return, though this time more often and more dynamic as well. Building on the single button presses that you must execute in order to move Ryo through a QTE scene, new multiple button inputs must be done as well. These are actually pretty difficult, and sometimes occur when you are off your guard, so hold on tight to your controller. Both the QTE-style fight scenes and the VF-type ones return in splendor, so prepare yourself for some ultra cool ass-kicking once again. Arcade games also make their return, with Afterburner II and OutRun adding to the collection. Hell, there are even gambling joints littered all over Hong Kong. You can just screw around with the various distractions all day and still have a blast.

Do Europeans usually get packaging this damn cool? I noticed it when I looked at Silent Hill II's packaging, and I?m noticing it now. Shenmue II's packaging is totally slick! While not quite going to the extremes that Working Designs has been, it keeps it elegant rather than extravagant...two different dual-CD cases enclosed in a pretty sleeve, with instructions in four languages. Another really cool feature is the ability to play any of the minigames you've come across for no cost by simply popping in disc four. This applies to both arcade games and "Shenmue Games," like Darts 7. It also brings up the option to replay any of the serious one-on-one battles, complete with elevating difficulty levels. And when you beat the game you get ...well, you can just find that one out for yourself. But it's very cool, no doubt!

Yet another cool thing about Shenmue II is the late 80's atmosphere. Locales are quite believable (that crowded marketplace in particular really felt realistic) and varied as well. People bustle back and forth, the city sprawls out before you...it really feels like being in a big city. Without giving too much away, you get to relocate a couple of times throughout the game, and aren't limited to one small town as you were in the original.

If you can't tell, I'm a big fan of this game. Suzuki and team are to be commended for vastly improving on nearly every aspect of game design, and seamlessly pulling it all off. If you didn't import the European version, be sure to pick up the XBox title when it hits our shores sometime later this year, with even more enhancements thrown in. As for me, bring on Shenmue III.

Box art