Shen Mue!!!!!!!

[GTR_Ripper]

Alright who has and/or has played this most aswome game? This game totally rocks, this game was the only reason I bought the already dead Dreamcast! And for the bootleg cames i could buy . Any how what are y'alls thoughts on this game? oh and how has played the Xbox version?

[kakomu]

I found the game to be really boring.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?da...1-15&res=l

First of all. We're presented with some sort of mission. Avenge your father, however, the beginning of the game is spent asking people stupid questions and getting stupid answers. Then after you amass quite a bit of nothing, you decide to go to Hong Kong. So you spend the second half of Disc 1 getting money. This is done by coaxing people for money, having your stupid friend ruin everything, then suddenly slamming all of your money on a seedy joint...just to get swindled.

Then we get to go to the Harbor, and work for money...sigh, I don't even get to Hong Kong, and the back of the Jewel Case said I got to travel to a far-away land.

But to be honest, for all the hype it received, the game didn't seem very innovative. All the activity around the 2 places you go to walk around were the same 10-20 people who all said the same 5 phrases to blow you off. The fighting was a subpar version of something like Virtua Fighter 3 (which was pretty Subpar to begin with). The relationships you develop or dumb. The girl you pine after is unattainable since Ryo will call her up and just say that there's nothing to talk about...just so the girl can move away as part of the story line.

This game can be summed up as a bad story, with bad Voice Acting, and boring gameplay (too easy to finish to boot).

[kakoi_sugoi_yama]

I think that with better voice acting it could be the game it was hyped to be. I was just glad I could turn it down.

[DARK OSAMU]

The dub wasn't the problem it was just an awkward game. I'm still glad to own it though. Japanese voice acting couldn't make that game any better. It's still an awkward game.

[evilomar]

I enjoyed the original, it was the reason I bought my Sega Dreamcast, which by the way is the second most under rated system of all time surpassed only by the mighty Sega Saturn. The X-box Shenmue 2 is the exact same as the DC, if you can play bootlegs you should try to find a copy of the European version.

[kakoi_sugoi_yama]

The game wasn't awkward to me, it was just long. It pissed me off to find out you don't even get the guy who iced your father! At any rate I think the game would have been what they promised had it had top notch voice actors, not the shite they stuck it with.

[megajo53]

Originally posted by kakoi_sugoi_yama
The game wasn't awkward to me, it was just long. It pissed me off to find out you don't even get the guy who iced your father! At any rate I think the game would have been what they promised had it had top notch voice actors, not the shite they stuck it with.

Problem is, where were they gonna get the money to do it? The game was a certified shit seller when it came out in Japan. By the way, I don't think that this next Shenmue game [it has vol1 and 2 packed in as well] will be an Xbox exclusive.....that would be suicide considering how many people actually own an X box in Japan. Love the series [seems to be in a Genre of its own] but it can be kind of tedious at times [too much talking, not enough progress, and too little action]. May be considering adding this title to my collection though.....

[kakomu]

The thing about their "Love" genre is that they tried combining two genres together and then failed at both. It seems like their genre is supposed to be a mix of a sim-type of game and an adventure game. The thing is we don't have enough of either. The Adventure is limited to two (stifling small) environments that get boring quick once you know what everything looks like. The sim is limited to buying trinkets, soda and having a failing relationship with some girl because our main character is inept. So that means we have to progress through either our boring environment to finish the boring game, since we can't explore, and we can't live in a sim environment. I would have liked the game a whole lot more if I could actually play it as a sim. Instead we have sim elements that are only available when it's convienient. The money you get from your aunt serves no purpose beyond buying sodas, trinkets and food for that stupid cat. You can't get a job until the story suits it, and even then it's pointless since you get a ticket by way of the story anyways. We're also treated to a city full of people that look alike and give the same responses (all of which blow you off), boring stuff to buy that serves NO purpose whatsoever (I bought all the move scrolls and still beat the game with regular punch-kick combos) and a few main characters that either sound literally retarded (that bakery chef sounds like he can't talk at regular speeds or about anything beyond the capacity of an 8 year old) or just serve no purpose than to reiterate what other people have already told you (the pharmacist, the produce shop owner, nozomi's mom, the sports shop owner etc).

So in the end, the game just had no redeeming points to it. If I wanted adventure with a story, there are a million other games out there that tell a better story, have better action and are just plainly more fun. Frankly, I think they should revamp the Shenmue engine, and make it a total sim game with a larger city environment, and have actual sim elements, such as building relationships, buying items that really mean something and a bit more freedom.

[DUDE!]

Shenmue was a ok game the fighting was Somewhat Good the voice acting was bad among other thing's. doe's anyone know if part 2 is anybetter or does it suck?

[Prophet Hero]

Originally posted by DUDE!
Shenmue was a ok game the fighting was Somewhat Good the voice acting was bad among other thing's. doe's anyone know if part 2 is anybetter or does it suck?

I've got the PAL DC version and I enjoyed it a lot more than the first game. Japanese audio is the biggest bonus. Elsewhere it's pretty much more of the same thing, but a lot more refined and in terms of the QTEs more complex. Some of the Hong Kong scenes look gorgeous and are a lot more 'alive' than the locations in Shenmue 1.

My only problem was that I wiped my Shenmue VMU save, so started Part Two without any of my learned fighting moves.

[DUDE!]

Sound's interesting enough i guess iall go rent the XBOX version when i get paid. Doe's the XBOX Version have the japanese voice's or just the english one's?