Pros: Details That add to the Realism, Music, Fighting, Mini-Games, Story, QTEs, Graphics
Cons: Voice Acting Feels Robotic and Awkward
The bottom line: If you want to try out a role playing type of adventure game, then look no further.
I remember buying my Dreamcast from a really good friend of mine. The package consisted of the system, four controllers, one VMU, one generic memory card, and over twenty games. One in particular that I had heard so much about was Shenmue. Naturally, I felt that I had to play a game that I heard something about; I felt that I needed to make my first experience with the Dreamcast a good one.

“What Mirror?”

This game takes place in Japan in the year 1986. The game starts off with Ryo Hazuki rushing to his dojo when he sees a black luxury car in front of his gate. There are two men dressed in suits standing outside of the dojo entrance; they try the restrain Ryo but he gets by them. Inside you see Ryo’s father standing face-to-face with a man named Lan Di. This man is wearing an extravagant Chinese robe and is very slender; everything is dark about him, even his hair! Lan Di asks Ryo’s father for a mirror and Ryo’s father says that he’ll never give it to him. Lan Di recalls a time when Ryo’s father killed his father and then strikes him with a finishing blow. Ryo is devastated; he couldn’t believe that his father was dead and also killed another man. He is now trying to do what ever he can to avenge his father’s death.

“On That Day, Did You See a Black Car?”

One particular thing I like about this game is exploring and asking questions. Ryo is now trying to get any information he possibly can that could lead him to Lan Di. You walk around towns and approach anyone you want. However, getting the info you want may not be as easy; you have to think of who would most likely be able to supply you with the info you want. You wouldn’t ask a biker with a tattoo on his arm for the best place to buy flowers, would you? That’s what makes this game so great. You have actually try and ask the right person and hopefully they are able to tell you what you need. Some people are just useless and will never give you information. It’s mostly the people who walk around and they always respond, “I’m tired, can you ask me later?” There were also these school girls who were sitting on the ground and every time you asked them something they would say, “You’re a b@st@rd, you know that?” You get the feeling that the game is filled with real people and you get satisfaction when you are able to finally find out what you need to know.

One thing I like about video games is the cut scenes. Usually, you watch them, something happens, and then you’re back to playing the game. In this game you better have your fingers ready especially if it’s a cut scene where people are going to be fighting. For example, Ryo will be walking in the dark when suddenly he’s surrounded by five shady, no-name characters. One of them is behind Ryo and ready to swing a metal pipe to the back of his head. Out of nowhere you’ll see the letter “A” flash on the screen; you then have to press it on time. If you miss, Ryo will get hit in the back of the head and the other guys will just kick him into a state of unconsciousness. However, if you’re successful Ryo will quickly turn around and snatch the pipe from the man’s hand, knock him down, and beat down all the other guys in the process. The further you get into the game, the more intense these Quick Time Events (QTEs) get; you’ll have to press five buttons within eight seconds sometimes.

Most games consist of battling and Shenmue offers that in a different way than some games. The battling in this game is just like a fighting game; more like Virtua Fighter than anything else. Ryo Hazuki has many karate moves that he has learned from his father and uses them against the street punks he fights. There are some really nasty kicks that look like they could break someone’s neck and punches that could pop your stomach. Unfortunately, there weren’t many fights in the beginning of the game, but one particular fight in the end is just so awesome; I felt like a Fighting God. You can also practice moves by sparring in Ryo’s dojo. The more you use and practice a move, the stronger it becomes. When you practice you are able to bring up a screen to show the list of moves that Ryo knows. It’ll show what button combination you need to press and a meter showing how close you are to mastering that move. Even though I like the fact that there were many moves that you could use, it was too big a hassle to learn them all. There is also a feature where you can assign any move to be the “R” button; I used this for complicated moves that were too difficult to learn.

There are many extra things that can be done in Shenmue. You can go to the You Arcade to play some Sega classics like Hang On and Space Harrier; you can even shoot some darts. If you’re hungry you can buy some chips or by some soda from a vending machine. It’s just too bad you can’t eat anything; I had salami that I bought in the beginning of the game that I could never get rid of. You can even buy cassettes to play on your cassette player. Some of the songs are from the game’s soundtrack. Are you the kind of person who likes looking through other people drawers? You’re just in luck because you can do that at Ryo’s house. You can even switch lights on and off. I don’t like how you can only save the game in your room. I wish that you can save the game anywhere to make everything more convenient. You also have a curfew and if you’ve been out for way too long, you are automatically sent back to your house. You can then go to sleep and freshen up for the next day. Once in a while you may have dreams that are used to carry the story along.

“Is That Chinese?”

The details in the graphics just add a tremendous amount of realism to this game. The buildings look very nice. You can see electrical pipes lined up against the side of these houses, front lawns with worn-out grass and dirt, and nameplates at the house’s gate. Some shops have nice looking signs like the light up sign that a grocery store has. Other very poor businesses have cheaply painted signs giving the game a real scrubby feeling. As you’re walking you see all different kinds of people; not one person is the same. One particular guy I liked was the sushi delivery guy. He would ride his bike with a pizza-shaped box full of sushi in his left hand. Little kids will run around and ask if you want to play with them. And my favorite of all, the weather effects. I just love when it snows in this game, actually snow is my favorite weather effect in games period. When there is rain you’ll see elderly women walking around with their heads lowered, walking slowly and holding umbrellas. The graphics probably pushed the Dreamcast to its limits, but I wouldn’t know because I’m not a technical person.

“I’m Looking for the Man Who Killed My Father!”

The only gripe I have about the game is the voice acting; it sounds robotic at times and may not always fit the scenes perfectly. It gives the game an awkward feeling. When you run around you hear every individual step that is taken. You can even here the click of a door closing. If there should be sound, you’ll hear it; the sound effects don’t sound awkward or out of place. This game has excellent music. As I said earlier you can buy cassettes containing music in the game. All the music does a great job of setting the mood in the game; some of it is very epic.

“Surge, Should I Buy This?”

Chances are that you won’t find this game in new condition unless you want to buy it off EBay for over $20. The retail value for this game is $5 in game stores like EB and Game Crazy. If you still have your Dreamcast or are thinking of picking one up, make sure you get this. If you’re into role-playing type of adventures, this will be perfect for you.

Random Information:

Only On Dreamcast
Player(s): 1
Genre: Adventure
Release Date: Nov 8, 2000
Developed By: Sega-AM2
Published By: Sega
Disc(s): 4
T for Mature (13yrs)

Sergio’s Numerical Rating: 9.198 / 10 Pieces of Salami