Shenmue I & II

Shenmue I & II is a compilation of the first two entries in the Shenmue series. These games originally debuted in 1999 and 2001 on Dreamcast. The compilation was published by Sega in a slightly refreshed form. The graphics of both games were slightly improved and the resolution of the games scales to the screen. The user interface was changed as well and it is possible to switch between the classic and modern controls. The games are available in English, but they feature optional Japanese dubbing.

Plot

Shenmue series tells the story of a young man Ryo Hazuki, who returns to the dojo of his father Iwao Hazuki in 1986. Sadly, the family reunion doesn’t go as planned. The father of the protagonist is attacked and killed by a man known as Lan Di, who also steals the mysterious artifact called the Dragon Mirror. Ryo decides to have his revenge and reclaim the property of his father.

In the first game in the series, the players travel to the Japanese city of Yokosuka where they are trying to find clues related to Lan Di. In the second game, the search for the murderer takes Ryo to Hong Kong. There he meets people who reveal more about Iwao’s past and the stolen artifact.

Mechanics

Shenmue I & II are games with an open world. When they debuted, many of mechanics implemented in them were revolutionary. The first game in the series was one of the first true sandbox games. In both games, the players are traveling through large, open locations filled with various activities. A day and night cycle and dynamic weather system are among the attractions featured by the game – both of them can impact the possibility to visit some shops. The same goes for non-playable characters, which are living their life – during the day they are working and taking care of their businesses while at night they are resting. This impacts the gameplay, forcing the players to complete various activities at specific places and times of the day.

The open, living world isn’t the only attraction of Shenmue series. The gameplay mechanics combine various different things. Exploration is the base of the game. During it, the players encounter various characters with whom they can talk. Action-based combat is important as well. The game features plenty of varied minigames like darts. The developers enable the players to start a job and earn some money. All of that is supplemented with QTE sequences that were populated by this series.

Technical aspects

Shenmue I & II compilation doesn’t feature greatly improved graphics. They were only adapted to modern resolutions. Other things, like character models or textures, were left unchanged.

Last updated on 17 April 2018