Acquiescence
Member
Despite being a fan ever since the saga began, Im oblivious to what the actual consensus is surrounding the two Shenmue games when theyre pitted against each other. I personally recognise them both as masterpieces that have their own pros and cons, but overall one of them has to emerge as the better title. So I want to know, which game do you prefer and why? Ill probably tally up the votes later down the line.
Oh and uhh, spoilers I guess.
My own thoughts
Shenmue
+ I love the insane amount of detail inherent in the game. Shenmue is admittedly small and contained in terms of its environments, but the fact that you can explore your surroundings in such intimate ways, by rummaging through cupboards in the Hazuki residence, entering a myriad of different shops, restaurants and bars, and picking up individual items from shelves, lends it all a huge degree of immersion. The sequel doesnt have nearly this same attention to detail.
+ Every NPC has their own different appearance and personality. I like the fact that Ryo personally knows half the people wandering around Dobuita.
+ Provides that rare opportunity in a game to stop random people in the street and ask them where sailors hang out.
+ The part where you investigate the secret room under the Hazuki dojo and disover the second Mirror probably stands out as the true highlight moment for me across both games. Shenmue at its most compelling and magic.
+ Japan > Hong Kong. Shenmues depiction of life in Sakuragoaka, Dobuita and the harbour feels more genuine and atmospheric than anything encountered in II.
+ This kitten -
+ Amazing soundtrack.
+/- Some comically bad Western voice acting that veers between endearing (Harbour Goro) and outright cringe-inducing (Tom).
- Forklift racing. It quickly gets tiresome, and the collision detection is dreadful.
- Waiting. Theres lots of waiting in Shenmue for the in-game clock to reach its destination so that you can continue. There are only so many times you can pass the time in the arcade.
- Surprisingly few combat scenarios. There are, at a guess, only a dozen or so fights in the entire game, which is pretty unfulfilling for a game with such a great combat system.
Shenmue II
+ Far more expansive and open than the first game. Its almost overwhelming initially how much there is to explore and wander around in when Shenmue II begins. It serves as a complete contrast to the first game and its awesome, for the most part.
+ Lots more opportunities to flex Ryos combat muscles.
+ Just when you think the game ends, youre told to switch to disc 4. Cue Guilin.
+ A wealth of secret, hard-to-find content is contained in those four discs. I had no idea there was duck racing until years after I first played the game.
+ Leaf catching.
+ The anti-QTE in the barber shop. A brilliant subversion of an often criticised gameplay mechanic.
+ This character -
+ The ability to skip time forward.
+ Amazing soundtrack.
+/- The original Japanese audio is included this time. Unfortunately, according to Suzuki himself, its a poor dub. I can kind of hear the wooden delivery in the leads performance, but not understanding the language definitely has its perks.
- Video gamey moments that grind the narrative to a juddering halt. You need to raise this much money before you can meet Ren. You need to fight these three revered street combatants before you can meet this talent scout so that you can enter this Yellowhead building. Ho and hum.
- Carrying books out of the library so that they can be aired is not fun. Just because its not meant to be fun for Ryo doesnt mean the player has to suffer in the process.
- Plenty of unforgiving QTEs. The first game was a lot more relaxed when it came to this sort of thing, but II is eager to punish for failing prompts. Crossing those planks to reach Yuanda Zhu anyone?
- A rubbish cartoon villain in Don Nui. Hes far too animated and hammy to effectively be a menacing presence.
The verdict Shenmue edges it. Maybe because it has the advantage of being my introduction to the world of Shenmue and thus making more of an impression, the first game serves as the more memorable entry for me.
Oh and uhh, spoilers I guess.
My own thoughts
Shenmue
+ I love the insane amount of detail inherent in the game. Shenmue is admittedly small and contained in terms of its environments, but the fact that you can explore your surroundings in such intimate ways, by rummaging through cupboards in the Hazuki residence, entering a myriad of different shops, restaurants and bars, and picking up individual items from shelves, lends it all a huge degree of immersion. The sequel doesnt have nearly this same attention to detail.
+ Every NPC has their own different appearance and personality. I like the fact that Ryo personally knows half the people wandering around Dobuita.
+ Provides that rare opportunity in a game to stop random people in the street and ask them where sailors hang out.
+ The part where you investigate the secret room under the Hazuki dojo and disover the second Mirror probably stands out as the true highlight moment for me across both games. Shenmue at its most compelling and magic.
+ Japan > Hong Kong. Shenmues depiction of life in Sakuragoaka, Dobuita and the harbour feels more genuine and atmospheric than anything encountered in II.
+ This kitten -
+ Amazing soundtrack.
+/- Some comically bad Western voice acting that veers between endearing (Harbour Goro) and outright cringe-inducing (Tom).
- Forklift racing. It quickly gets tiresome, and the collision detection is dreadful.
- Waiting. Theres lots of waiting in Shenmue for the in-game clock to reach its destination so that you can continue. There are only so many times you can pass the time in the arcade.
- Surprisingly few combat scenarios. There are, at a guess, only a dozen or so fights in the entire game, which is pretty unfulfilling for a game with such a great combat system.
Shenmue II
+ Far more expansive and open than the first game. Its almost overwhelming initially how much there is to explore and wander around in when Shenmue II begins. It serves as a complete contrast to the first game and its awesome, for the most part.
+ Lots more opportunities to flex Ryos combat muscles.
+ Just when you think the game ends, youre told to switch to disc 4. Cue Guilin.
+ A wealth of secret, hard-to-find content is contained in those four discs. I had no idea there was duck racing until years after I first played the game.
+ Leaf catching.
+ The anti-QTE in the barber shop. A brilliant subversion of an often criticised gameplay mechanic.
+ This character -
+ The ability to skip time forward.
+ Amazing soundtrack.
+/- The original Japanese audio is included this time. Unfortunately, according to Suzuki himself, its a poor dub. I can kind of hear the wooden delivery in the leads performance, but not understanding the language definitely has its perks.
- Video gamey moments that grind the narrative to a juddering halt. You need to raise this much money before you can meet Ren. You need to fight these three revered street combatants before you can meet this talent scout so that you can enter this Yellowhead building. Ho and hum.
- Carrying books out of the library so that they can be aired is not fun. Just because its not meant to be fun for Ryo doesnt mean the player has to suffer in the process.
- Plenty of unforgiving QTEs. The first game was a lot more relaxed when it came to this sort of thing, but II is eager to punish for failing prompts. Crossing those planks to reach Yuanda Zhu anyone?
- A rubbish cartoon villain in Don Nui. Hes far too animated and hammy to effectively be a menacing presence.
The verdict Shenmue edges it. Maybe because it has the advantage of being my introduction to the world of Shenmue and thus making more of an impression, the first game serves as the more memorable entry for me.
