Shenmue I & II - Part 2 - PC Review

As the second part of the bundled Shenmue 1 & 2 'remastered' package, Sega's Shenmue 2 has been long-awaited and fans of the cult hit have been jumping for joy at its release. Taking place immediately after the events of Shenmue 1, Shenmue 2 continues Ryo's journey as he hits the shores of a brave new world full of intrigue, adventure, and a host of new minigames. More so than in the first title, Shenmue 2's upgraded visuals are far more noticeable (and appreciated), but the real winner is in the dubbing. The original release, in some regions, was Japanese dubbed with English subtitles, whereas the rereleased port contains the English audio. These (and a number of other) quality of life improvements make Shenmue 2 feel a far more complete and immersive gameplay experience.

Right from the get-go it is easy to tell that not only is Shenmue 2 better looking, but it also sounds *MUCH* better. However… Saying that the game sounds better than Shenmue 1 is not saying much at all, given how bloody poor the audio sounded. Thinking about Shenmue 1's audio makes me angry, especially given that the actual tracks are pretty rock solid. Shenmue 2, like its predecessor, has an absolutely amazing soundtrack and with the better quality audio the mix between stunning music and poor voice-over audio has been lessened, so it is not nearly as jarring, though there is still a muffled aspect to it, the voiceover is still better. It sounds, too, that the voice actors had matured a bit between Shenmue 1's release and Shenmue 2's release, as it feels less like the actors are simply reading a script and more like they are an actual part of the script.

Did I mention the music? Because the music is bloody fantastic. I would most certainly purchase it on vinyl (as that is a current trend in gaming music, and one I hope does not go away).

The upgraded visuals also provide some bloom effects as lighting is far nicer than in the original release, even adding lensflares and sine extra tasty shadows. The higher resolution textures really pop and though the models and animations are a bit wooden by today's standards, would be a downright knockout to titles released even as late as 4 or 5 years ago. Given the visual upgrade that Shenmue 2 has received, I absolutely cannot wait for Shenmue 3's eventual release. Though … I will *not* be looking forward to all the bloody Quicktime Events. I seriously hate them, though in Shenmue 2's defense, since it performs quite a bit better than Shenmue 1, they are not nearly as problematic.

Perhaps due to the lighting and texture upgrades, but Shenmue 2 feels "brighter" than the dark, grungy atmosphere of Shenmue 1. While you may spend a number of hours (or more like a ton of hours) in dark alleyways and under the cover of night, the more open alleys / areas in Shenmue 2 seem to take a bit away from the "grunge" feel that was prevalent in the first game. Where alleyways were narrow and rough around the edges in Shenmue 1, they are now more open and airy, less oppressive (even though the realistic locale in Shenmue 2 is indeed more narrowly packed than the locations in the first title). A large part of what I found most inviting in Shenmue 1 was how uninviting it actually felt whereas with Shenmue 2's more open atmospheres feel a little to "warm and fuzzy." However that does not detract from how *alive* the game feels at times. Granted the larger spaces seem less packed with NPCs, they still felt far more alive than many games, certainly more so than any that were released in 2002.

Shenmue 2 is an excellent continuation of not only Ryo Hazuki's story, but also showing the evolution of open-world adventure RPGs around the turn of the century. Shenmue 1 & 2 paved the way for so many other greats; Dragon Age: Origins, Grand Theft Auto IV and V, Demon's Souls/Dark Souls, and even the Tomb Raider reboots. Though they may not have necessarily pioneered some of the now-standard aspects of gaming, Shenmue 1 & 2 showed that abrasive functions like the QTE or that open-world aspect of "alive" worlds. With Shenmue 1 & 2's rerelease, gamers of all ages can experience a cult classic that deserved for more exposure than it received. Now, with it releasing on common platforms, Shenmue 1 & 2 has a larger audience than ever before, and those that decide to follow Ryo's story will be richly rewarded.

Game Information

Platform:
PC
Developer(s):
SEGA
Publisher(s):
SEGA
Genre(s):
RPG
Mode(s):
Single Player
Other Platform(s):
Sony PlayStation 4
Microsoft Xbox One

Source:
Provided by Publisher

Article by Robert

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Shenmue I & II - Part 1 - PC Review

In some respects, the nearly-20 year old Shenmue can still hold its own when compared to today's standards. In a time where gaming was advancing at speeds rarely seen it was fairly easy for Shenmue to fall through the cracks. Released in the craze of the Y2K scare on the Sega Dreamcast, Shenmue had the distinction of being the most expensive video game for the time. Though it had an intense cult-following and positive critical reviews, Shenmue was deemed a commercial failure given the expense of development. With the "remastered" re-release of Shenmue, fans far and wide get to walk once more through the mid/late-1980's Japan, Hong Kong, and Guilin (China) as Ryo Hazuki in an extremely atmospheric and gritty open-world adventure game. Though there are a few technical oddities, Shenmue most brings to light just how different gaming in 1999 and gaming in 2018 really are.

When Shenmue was originally released I was deep in the throes of StarCraft, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy Tactics, Unreal Tournament mods, and was eagerly awaiting the release of Diablo 2. Since I was so stuck on some of the "greats" at the time, I failed to really see much about it in the days of the early gaming internet. In playing the 2018 port of Shenmue I am almost thankful that I did not play it as it is far more mature than my late-teens self would have had the patience for. Other "epics" at the time, like the Final Fantasy games, Legend of Dragoon, Legend of Gaia, etc. had a whimsical feel to their more mature undertones; to be frank, Shenmue's magic would have been lost on me. Cinematic gameplay, gritty world-building, successful open-world experiences that show a living, breathing world, and, to be frank, the popularization of the worst gaming mechanic in the history of video games, the quick time event (QTE), can in many ways be directly drawn back to Shenmue. There are times where I would experience a distinct similarity in camera angles and the on-screen character's movements/actions to more modern cinematic games like The Order: 1886. Though Shenmue may have been a critical failure, its influence throughout gaming can absolutely be felt.

That brings us to today's re-release of Shenmue … In some cases, revisiting the past and replaying the original source for some of the staples in gaming can be a crude experience. Outside of the horrifically up-sampled audio in Shenmue, abysmal keyboard controls, and janky ghosting that can happen, it is actually quite the opposite. Take open-world gaming; the meaning of that today has a very different meaning than what it was in the mid-late 90's. Today "open world" essentially means "any game that provides non-linear, open worlds to explore" and in many respects, pre-Shenmue "open world" generally meant that a game had an overworld map or wide-open spaces as opposed to the oft-linear worlds (i.e. "levels") of the time. Shenmue is a grand mix of the two, being relatively linear (or extremely linear when compared to open-world kings like Read Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto) due to technical limitations, and being amazingly open as nearly every single person in-game seems to have their own little world that they are a part of. Common comparative titles in today's standard would be similar to that of the open world franchises of Ubisoft (Assassin's Creed, Watch Dogs, Tom Clancy's: The Division and Wildlands, Far Cry); for as "open world" as they are, the locales are quite linear. Almost as if they are just one big level with little depth. Shenmue manages to master the real openness of a modern Grand Theft Auto or Watch Dogs, while placing it in the linear, level-like mazes of a From Software 'Soulsbourne' title.

Shenmue's worldbuilding, while excellent, can still be too focused and linear for true open-world excellence; the idea of "free-roaming" was just beginning to be borne in action games and Shenmue is a little rough around those edges. Where exploration is key, there are times when exploration for the sake of exploration can be off-putting, monotonous, and tedious and there are plenty of points throughout Shenmue that this happens. Worse yet, if you are not used to the grindy-exploration of traditional JRPGs, the requirement of hunting and pecking through every open door or room might be engrossing the user in the local lore, but it does so by hindering forward progression and is, ultimately, meaningless. It was refreshing though, to see the lack of button prompts for exploration; Shenmue is from a different age and as such does not coddle the players the way games today do. In fact, there is next to no tutorial and if you want to explore or discover things, you will need to go about slamming buttons/keys on literally every surface until Ryo opens something up. It is GLORIOUS. No waypoints, no prompts, not a single damned "quality of life" function that cheapens the experience by pampering the player.

For all of Shenmue's excellence, none of it can be specifically attributed to it being brought back from the dead and added to modern consoles. However, the warts of Shenmue most certainly CAN be pointed at the port. For one, the keyboard controls are absolute and utter garbage. Please for the love of all that is holy, if you intend to play Shenmue on PC, do so with a gamepad / controller. Just thinking of the keyboard controls makes me want to go clubbing, and not in the dancy-dance fashion, but in the poundy-pounding fashion. Speaking of poundy-pounding, fighting in Shenmue while fun and VERY Virtua Fighter (huh, go figure … since you know, Yu Suzuki was a part of both), is extra-strength garbage with a keyboard. Other noticeable deficiencies? Oh lawdy the audio. Though it is in itself engrossing, it is also like listening to old cassette tapes that have long-since passed their prime…. Out of old and blown speakers. The up-sampling has a hollow, horrific sound to it. On the other hand, there are some GREAT one-liners … "Okay, let's get sweaty!" and one of the better OSTs of the original release era (if not the best OST on Dreamcast) Lastly, on PC if you set all graphics options to the max, everything goes ghosting mode where the motion in-game goes all pasty-white, as if the contrast is off, then everything has this after-image that appears. It is the worst. Setting the game back to default settings and running it at 720p or in Windowed mode helped (mind you, I am running it on a system with a GTX 1060 8GB in it, sooooo yeah, not hardware related from what I can tell).

Outside of the relatively minor technical issues, Shenmue retains the magic it originally brought to a generation of gamers. A generation of gamers so fiercely dedicated to the franchise that they hounded Sega until the massive publisher and one-great console creator relented to bring the franchise back to life. With the re-release of Shenmue 1 & 2, players can relive one of the most influential games in the business… and the fun part? It plays and feels like such a 1980's action flick that I would sing up to watch an episodic TV series of the game.

Game Information

Platform:
PC
Developer(s):
SEGA
Publisher(s):
SEGA
Genre(s):
RPG
Mode(s):
Single Player
Other Platform(s):
Sony PlayStation 4
Microsoft Xbox One

Source:
Provided by Publisher

Article by Robert

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Shenmue I & II - Part 2 - PS4 Review

Taking right off from the end of Shenmue, Shenmue II starts off with Ryo getting off of the boat he took from Japan in order to make it to Hong Kong. “Some time” has passed as you don’t simply sail from one to the other overnight so it is no longer 1986 but instead the start of 1987 when Ryo gets off of the boat.

Just from here there is already one major improvement as you can skip scenes. This was a bit of a pain in the first especially if you lost once or twice in a fight and had to watch everything all over again. More than that, my biggest issue with the first is no longer an issue as you can buy maps of the area that allow you to see where you are at all times through an minimap in the bottom left corner. Having released two years after the first in 2001, Shenmue II really has some upgrades even if the visuals look a slight notch lower as the details in Ryo’s face are not as pronounced as they were in the first.

Because, and let’s be honest for a moment that it doesn’t take much for Ryo to get into trouble, it won’t take long before you’re thrown back into QTEs chasing after your stolen bag or Free Fights in which I hope you remember your move sets because you’re going to need them! The QTEs start off quick but give a little bit of leeway and like in Shenmue, they fit. They don’t feel tacked on. They don’t feel like lazy development. These QTEs were designed with a purpose and really make the experience more cinematic as even if you “fail”, Ryo will find a way back to his feet to continue. The only thing flunking a QTE normally gives is your opponents a fair shot at your face or the chance to run away.

As for the Free Fighting, I’ll be damned if it isn’t even smoother than the first. Better yet? Each opponent now has health bars so you can see how much more you need to do before taking them out. Multiple enemies? Each is color coded so you know that you aren’t simply hitting the same one. Having their health now displayed also shows you how much damage your own moves really do and what’s worth going out of your way to pull off compared to what isn’t in a sticky situation. Example? The Tornado kick is useless against some foes as their punch to your face will interrupt it. In these cases it’s worth more of your time to use some of your new Ta-Chi moves which pack a hell of a punch.

Compared to Yokosuka, just about the entire location of the first, Hong Kong is something else. It’s bigger, it’s twistier and it’s even more lively especially with the bikini topped ginger motorcyclist Joy almost running you over a few times. With how far the realism was targeted within Shenmue, Shenmue II takes it more than a step further on its scale. I had just been blown away by a cult classic and now with the entrance into the second even more so. The overall scale is larger and while the overall graphics may be lower, the performance is even smoother. The same can’t be said for the voice acting as it’s still horrible but in a good way!

Keeping in mind that this is just part of the first day? Wow. From there however you’ll be into uncharted territory as unlike the first, you are now far away from home and even after your stolen bag is recovered, you’ll need to find money in order to pay the hotel rent for where you’re staying. While visiting the pawn shop may net you a few dollars for the first night or two that you’re there, you’re going to need to either get lucky gambling or get lucky with a part time job running a gambling game that you only make money if you win. I had to keep a few save files running as my luck is horrible and more often than not I didn’t make any money!

After the next morning came though I almost halted my adventure right then in there. While thankfully not an 9-5, you are set to work in another dock hauling crates with another man in the form of a really, REALLY, awful set of QTEs. The range of motions from this doofus could be infuriating. Why for the love of everything would you go left to go right other than to annoy the hell out of me? Anyways, after a few in game hours pass, the shift is over, you get some money and it’s enough to get you through another few days of living in Hong Kong.

This thankfully doesn’t last for long as the next morning I didn’t go back but instead set forth looking for my path forward. Having sold a bunch of toys that I had on hand at a pawn shop, I had about 200$ in Hong Kong currency allowing me to buy a few more maps and get through a few more nights at the hotel which charged 38$ a night on Joy’s discount. After going back and forth through the city to learn about Wude, you end up finding one the masters that you were searching for and at the end of that “quest line”, you start crashing on her couch for free. No more money troubles. For now. Just more work as now only is her skill leagues above yours, she puts you to work for having put you up for the night.

The adventure though is solid and the improvements from the first are clear to see. Shenmue II doesn’t feel as much like a “sequel” as much as it feels like a continuation of the adventure because of where it takes off and how it simply made adjustments, for the better, to the systems already in place. A perfect example is that even with a built in minimap that you can load up, the map itself that can be loaded from inside your inventory, AND the maps scattered throughout the city, you may still find yourself getting lost and have to ask for directions.

Now instead of having to find just the right person, that person, if they are feeling nice enough, will lead to you to where you’re going and all you have to do is follow them. You can do this in a first-person mode and walking forward will automatically make you follow, or you can do it in third-person and just try to not lose them in the crowd.

Continuing right off from the first and making a series of improvements, Shenmue II is a hell of a title. Adding in the fact that the first and the second have been re-released together just makes for a complete fantastic experience as it really was ahead of its time. Now I’ll be honest that the controls could be a bit clunky, the visuals are a bit dated and the voice acting is horrible. But, considering that these were from 1999 and 2001, on a console no less? There are plenty of elements throughout both that can be seen even now in “modern” gaming. If you look at it from an up front face value? It could look like nostalgia was playing a huge part for many people. Having never played these until now? I’m un-biases on that front and can see these two titles for what they are. Works of art that in one way or the other have helped shape gaming into what we have today with its ideas.

When it comes down to it all though? Shenmue I & II are fantastic and must plays. The character designs, the efforts into the locations, the various gameplay systems from the QTEs which are actually good to the Free-Fighting system that is among the best that I’ve ever tried. All of it, comes together so well that it’s sad to think that it was a commercial flop and that it took this long for the series to come out to KickStarter in order to once again see the light of day. I’m quite looking forward to the third once it finally arrives.

Game Information

Platform:
Sony PlayStation 4
Developer(s):
SEGA
Publisher(s):
SEGA
Genre(s):
RPG
Mode(s):
Single Player
Other Platform(s):
Microsoft Xbox One
PC

Source:
Provided by Publisher

Article by Pierre-Yves

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Shenmue I & II - Part 1 - PS4 Review

The year is 1999. I’ve got a PlayStation that I had only recently bought from Louis for 80$ which was just about all I had in my savings not yet having a job and no longer having an allowance. Games for me had become presents for my birthday or Christmas that while are thankfully six months apart, take some time to come back around and I just got The Legend of Dragoon. It looks fantastic. The cinematics were amazing even if the gameplay looked a bit blocky, it was still ahead of Square’s Final Fantasy VII. I didn’t know that Shenmue would be releasing, I didn’t know it was a thing, I didn’t hear about a Sega Dreamcast in earnest until Sega were no longer playing the console market. I now know that however, the Dreamcast was a ahead of its time and Shenmue? It in a way would be the benchmark for years to come.

If you would be to evaluate Shenmue from today’s standards then you may think that it looks dated, the controls are a bit clunky at times and the voice acting short of Ryo, your protagonist, is damned awful. In a way you would be right as Shenmue I & II is a remaster of an older title. That said, Shenmue is from 1999 and the closest that may come to it visually in the console market are The Legend of Dragoon and Final Fantasy VIII’s cinematics. Pre-rendered screens. Shenmue has one look and that’s for everything. Cinematics and Gameplay. The closest that would really come near to this now huge Cult Classic acing it’s Kickstarter for the third entry would be Square’s Final Fantasy X two years later on the PlayStation 2. Even then? Shenmue looks better.

The tale of Shenmue starts off on an early December morning when Ryo, your protagonist’s, father is murdered in his Dojo by a man named Lan Di. Vowing revenge after getting his assed kicked, Ryo leaves the house four days later in search for this man and will do almost anything in order to find him. I say almost anything as there’s a lot of ass kicking but no killing which means as mad as he is, there are some lines that he still will not cross even if it looks like he may come close to it at times.

From this point, you are given control of Ryo and of where his search will take him. Keeping in mind that this released in 1999, the Japanese city that was realistically re-created for this adventure is amazing. Now while you may not be going into a lot of store fronts, there are still a fair amount that can be entered and loads of people to talk to even if most will simply ignore you or tell you that they aren’t interested in boys or being “picked up” when all you want is directions to find someone or somewhere. You’ll soon learn that you have specific people to go to for most things and you’ll simply have the sleuth out the rest with these random passersbys.

Now as much as I would love, and I mean LOVE, to complain about the city’s layout? It’s been re-created from the existing one of Yokosuka, so if I was going to complain? It would be to the city planners at the time. That said, once you get your bearings, it’s like any city. You learn the shortcuts and you know which paths to take in order to cut down on the time it takes to make it from point A to B. The only real issue becomes learning your landmarks because there are no mini-maps and the most you have to help direct yourself are maps posted throughout the city stating that “You are here”. It does help but I’ll be damned if I didn’t get lost multiple times looking for one particular shop that I literally ran by because I was looking on the wrong side of the street.

What makes Shenmue really interesting is that while it can feel like an RPG, it’s more of an action adventure simulation with added elements such as combat, minigames and what probably was the father of QTEs. Quick Time Events. That’s right people, Shenmue LOVES its QTEs and this was back in the PS1 era of things long before the PS3’s Golden Age of these mechanics. That said, and while they are part of my list for worst mechanics ever, they work. As much as I hate the dreaded things, they actually work and enhance the performance, not detract. The reason for this is because of how natural things feel, as it is a living and breathing city, you don’t just go around picking fights with people and grinding for experience. Instead, the fighting known as Free-Fighting, comes around once in a while but doesn’t really show up in earnest until near the end so because of this, the QTEs that are prompted cut down on the nonsense and feel like they belong.

Like a lot of other features with Shenmue, the Free Fighting was ahead of its time. In these moments you’ll be put into situations that are normally one versus many unless it’s a badass of some renown which then generally makes it a 1v1 in which you’ll have to pull out all of the stops. While in this mode you’ll be able to punch, kick, dodge and throw your enemies as part of the basics. From these basics come about more powerful moves and combos that can be learnt allowing you to dodge by your enemies and then smack them in the back for a good deal of damage sometimes knocking them out much faster than simply trying to punch them in the face.

While in these combat scenarios you’ll have a health wheel that gives you a general idea of how much “damage” your own hits will deal as you inadvertently take some yourself. There are tutorials that will help you figure out your move sets but until get the chance to experience them yourself, you won’t really get a feel for it until your first fight that throws you right into the thick of things. It’s fun though and one of the better martial arts systems that I’ve had a chance to experience. While punching or kicking you can not only dodge enemy blows but your own moves can be deflected as they would be against someone who knows how to fight. It keeps with the realism that has been set out from the beginning instead of being simply tacked on for nothing better than smacking someone as an interlude.

There are two large negative points to all the above however. The first, and perhaps the more annoying of the two even if keeping in mind the original release, is “time”. A lot of events won’t happen just because you’ve triggered the necessary markers for them. A lot of these events will require both the markers to be hit and for the time of day to be within the necessary window. As there’s no way to move time forward, say by moving the needles on your fancy watch, you’ll literally have to sit there and stare at the needles until they move into place. Making things even more arduous is that you can’t go to sleep until past 9pm meaning that not only do you have to watch time go by, but often you’ll be killing time both for waiting for something to happen or waiting to go to bed so that you can start waiting for something to happen.

Kicking things up a notch negatively, is the what I’ve found out to be the “third disk” portion of the first adventure. It’s long. It’s not that interesting for the most part. And you’ll have to do it again and again and again. Kind of like going to work for a 9-5 because that’s exactly what you have to do! Waking up in the morning you’ll start the day off with a forklift race. From there you’ll be given a map with how many crates you have to move from Site A to Site B. There’s a break for lunch where things can happen which spices things up, but then it’s back to moving things from Site A to Site B until the end of the day. Once that’s over you’ll have to ask around for info until finally something happens or 9pm rolls around and you can finally take the bus home. Oh, you also have to wait for the bus which is just as annoying as real life because it passes just as you get there. Go figure.

Once you get to the end of Shenmue it’s a rollercoaster of Free Fights and QTEs making up for that long and overdrawn 9-5 job that you’ve had to do for the past couple hours.

After finally getting the chance to sit through Shenmue I can finally see why this Cult Classic has not only had the following that it does, but why everyone is so excited for the third entry and why it blew right through its Kickstarter goals.

Where the score you may think? The re-release of these classics go together and honestly I have literally just finished the first and wanted my impressions of it un-biased by the second so? Come back tomorrow for Shenmue II and the final verdict!

Game Information

Platform:
Sony PlayStation 4
Developer(s):
SEGA
Publisher(s):
SEGA
Genre(s):
RPG
Mode(s):
Single Player
Other Platform(s):
Microsoft Xbox One
PC

Source:
Provided by Publisher

Article by Pierre-Yves

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What is Shenmue? Part 3: Brush up on your Jiu Jitsu moves ahead of the launch next week - News

With Shenmue coming out next week Sega have a few "What is Shenmue?" segments and here is the latest one!

Just in case you haven't seen the previous ones here they are!

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What is Shenmue? Part 3: Brush up on your Jiu Jitsu moves ahead of the launch next week

Next week, on August 21st, the Shenmue saga begins… Again. We've been teaming up with the English voice of Ryo Hazuki, Corey Marshall, to create deep-dive videos ahead of the Shenmue I & II release. If you missed our previous episodes, you can catch up on the first one detailing the saga's story, and the second video looking at the different key characters in Shenmue. Today, Corey walks us through combat systems and the different mini-games players can spend time with in the world: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drSnBazHVnI

Ryo Hazuki is a Jiu Jitsu master-in-training, spending his spare time busting up the bad guys or sparring with his friends. In Shenmue I & II, you'll use and unlock real Jiu Jitsu moves that you can level up throughout and transfer between both games – which will come in useful as the enemies become tougher throughout the saga. Beyond stunning Jiu Jitsu moves, you will need great reflexes to progress through Ryo's quest of retribution. Players will be able to experience first-hand the very first Quick Time Events, which Shenmue introduced to the gaming world.

But it's not all about street fights and martial arts practice for Ryo – he must unwind as well. Shenmue's arcades have fully working versions of all-time classic games, so you can try your hand at Space Harrier – and if outside activities are more your thing, enter a forklift (or duck) race.

Players can bust out their best Jiu Jitsu moves in Shenmue I & II on August 21st on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Shenmue I & II is now available for pre-order digitally on Steam, Xbox Marketplace and PSN with a 10% discount, and from SEGA approved digital retailers*. The physical edition is available to pre-order from US and EMEA retailers. For all the latest information on Shenmue I & II, go to: https://shenmue.sega.com/


Article by Pierre-Yves

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Shenmue I & II - Return to Dobuita Street - News

With the re-release of Shenmue I & II right around the corner, Sega surprised two of its super fans by giving them a trip that they certainly didn't see coming! So while waiting on the release, enjoy the video of the superfans time!

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Celebrate the upcoming Shenmue I & II re-release by retracing Ryo Hazuki's footsteps in Dobuita Street

Shenmue I & II are getting a long-awaited re-release this August 21st, and to celebrate the announcement last April, SEGA surprised two Shenmue superfans with a trip to Yokosuka in Japan, so they could experience one of the game's most iconic locations in real life. Follow YouTuber Adam Koralik and award-winning comedian Imran Yusuf on their trip here.

From convenience stores to vending machines, the open-world of Shenmue still bears resemblance to the bustling and lively real world locations, and its very faithful representation of Dobuita Street immersed over a million players in Ryo's quest to avenge his father. To this day, dozens of Shenmue fans like Adam and Imran visit Dobuita Street every year to retrace Ryo Hazuki's footsteps, recalling their love for Shenmue and how they felt playing the games for the very first time.

On August 21st, a new generation of players will also be able to follow Ryo's journey of retribution on PC, PS4 and Xbox One and Shenmue I & II is available to pre-order now digitally and physically. For all the latest information on Shenmue I & II, head over to: https://shenmue.sega.com/
 
Article by Pierre-Yves

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