Shenmue I & II (HD)
Release date: 8/21/18
Format: PS4/XB1
Original format: Dreamcast (1999/2000), Part 2 (2001 DC JP/EU, 2001 XBOX US)
Genre: Ryo Hazuki simulator/FREE
Shenmue is/was, by nature, a very polarizing game - to appreciate what it is, you have to appreciate the genius of Yu Suzki - an industry genius long denied his rightful place for creating such industry-advancing paradigms such as Hang-On, Space Harrier, After Burner, Thunder Blade, G-Loc, OutRun etc.
Shenmue - a series he originally intended for the Saturn way ahead of the industry in the mid to late 90's, still struggling to see conclusion before society wraps up in the mid 2020's - i literally can't stress how far ahead this visionary was/remains for our era. where miyamoto (rightfully) set out to shape software around his vision, suzuki always approached realism with arcade sensibilities in a way that only an industry legend could - trying to embrace simulation with both weighted emotions and the fun of approachability could fuse, as competently crafted from a longtime industry vet. you literally can't duplicate the vision of a man who wants you to drive as far as you can in the late 80's with a testerosa that handles as accurately as was possible in that time, along with the sensibilities of a girlfriend that just wants to go far away - the line between realism and fun pick-up-and-play classic gameplay? that's suzuki's lane, and he established it before most of you were old enough to pick up a controller. hold your heads and bow down to a living legend.
but hey, maybe you're not yet convinced. i can dig it; read on.
Project Berkley
this industry (rightfully) respects creators like Hideo Kojima, a man forever known as having vision well beyond the hardware available at the time - but imagine a guy that was there since the early 80's, designing costly sit-down hardware forcing people in the Pole Position era to sit down on a physical motorcycle and rev the engine to move.
i can't stress this enough for most of you - imagine you were alive in an 1985 arcade, and most racing games were about pressing a button. now, you look over...and there's a goddamn motorcycle, with responsive handles for clutch/brake & accelerate, as well as somewhat accurate physics responding to them. you literally can't overstress how big these were for the time.
so that same genius, right? he takes you for a chopper ride in Thunder Blade. he shows you what barrel rolls in military planes might feel like in After Burner. he shows you what fantasy SHMUPs could be like in Space Harrier & Fantasy Zone, what early 3D could be like in Power Drift. this is sega's Miyamoto: for several generations, his team seems to have direct input on what hardware looks like - and that hardware is almost always bleeding edge. family-friendly Nintendo (in an era before Sony was a player) had to work hard to keep up (even if you were a Mario fan, you quietly respected that this man's team - whether you knew it or not) & kept pushing the envelope.
So, it's the late 90's. the barrier to 3D has been crossed, but many of us feel like the zenith might be here - and Suzuki debuts his long-awaited magnum opus: an epic tale with classic shaw bros kung-fu flick sensibilities and an attention to detail that, to this day (almost decades later) is still unmatched. it's a simulator of a lost soul from the 80's trying to avenge his father in a tale so very much larger than himself, it spills over to china & beyond....and then, right when the 2nd chapter debuts in what is later the EU....sega tragically exits the hardware game.
that's it. for those of us following the man's vision for literally decades now....the dream is over. every thread - be it GAF or anywhere else - is forever filled with let it go gifs. we're told that no one gives a shit, that we're the minority, that gaming going forward is a monolith that doesn't care about slow-paced epics in the face of instant gratification (no disrespect to the latter, just that the existing dichotomy gives no room to the former)...and that's that. every e3 a punchline; every hint of optimism, a dead end.
then comes e3 2015. the dream is, quite literally, a kickstarter record-breaker, alive - despite the incompetence of all involved. from then on? if it wasn't a konami property (RIP silent hills...), so you couldn't tell me nothing. we kept the faith since damn near the clinton era, who are you to tell us this modern era doesn't care for a series unlike any other?!
so here we are. mere weeks away from seeing a modern re-release of some of the best we've seen - finally, with dual analogs & saves that carry over! - and so many that don't know what they're in for. let's correct that a bit.
What's changed?
Simply being able to carry your save from shenmue 1 to 2 (including gashapon & the like) is a huge deal that was denied to us forever, but treating the two as a continue experience reamains huge. likewise, being able to control the camera (via dual analogs),drastically altered the formula.
What Shenmue Is
Shenmue is, quite literally, the sum total of a genius designer whose entire library was built around fusing fun/arcade sensibilities with simulation/realism. which is to say: you can - and absolutely are - encourage to take your time in the game (part 1 is, quite literally, a series prologue), but when you do advance the story, it's worth your time to do so.
The engine is unique: some events are what's now known as quicktime, but for the most part, if you, say, decide to spend your days going out back behind a convenience store to practice your jump kick, then later when you're forced to face down a horde of bad dudes, you'll do so competently. if you focused on playing old arcade games & else, you'll make do with the basic striking moves Ryo knew beforehand...so if you want to be proficient, the game requires an investment.
Shenmue II is so grandiose, there's sections bigger than the whole of part 1. i don't say this in a way to push you to rush through the former, but...if you enjoy the slow-paced prologue that is chapter 1? you will literally adore all that part 2 - a deliberately action-packed chapter - has in store for you.
according to my backlog, i've finished 600+ games. i don't say this to brag, so much as: Shemue II is unlike anything you've likely played, and part 1 is prologue to that. so if you embark on them both as parts to a whole and enjoy them as a kung-fu flick you control the pace of - with tons to explore on your own - you're much more prepared to meet them with the unique experiences they have to offer vs marketing/etc that paints them as something else.
What Shenmue Isn't
it's not Yakuza or most other series. i wish more of you had a demo to play; cause honestly? more than most action RPG's it's very literally not fore everyone. if this doesn't click, it's gonna feel like a chore, full stop - if it does, though? it'll have its hiccups, but regardless of the year you catch up, you'll join us shenmue-bros in wanting a conclusion to our kung-fu revenge epic....for better or worse.
we're not gonna see a series finale till chapter 4 at best
Can i join in at part 3 later this year?
Of course you can, but...so much of this series in invested in the often-fun, usually-nihilistic plot of protagonist Ryo Hazuki, and without the quality time invested in this mere $30+ game, you'll miss the meat of that! which is to say: if you want to see what the hype is about for this series, this is the single best way to currently experience that.
that's my hard sell. if that doesn't strike you as interesting, you should prolly pass whenever 3 finally drops & the hype goes wild, too.
but if you enjoyed Sleeping Dogs? if you ever played a later era GTA and wished it had more heart, or remember Jade Empire/etc but wish it was actually developed from people that could deliver on a feel for a foreign land during a era long passed, or just wanted to feel enveloped by a smaller world that lived independently of your quest, thereby making it larger than a personal vendetta?
welcome to the fold. please believe: we're gonna see this through. and it's gonna remain unlike anything you've experienced in the medium - so the next time someone downplays it, you'll understand. and the next time someone a gen or two from now finally experiences it? you'll nod & welcome them, as i'm doing here.
when applicable, i'll post reviews below. meantime? welcome, now let's nail Lan Di & the Chiyoumen. and maybe have some fun along the way.
