Shenmue

Shenmue 1 & 2 are my favorite games of all time, I loved these games because of the atsmphrere, graphics/art design, music, sound effects, level design, storyline, characters, voice acting that's funny and cheesy(which imo adds charm and likability to the game) in English but sounds great in Japanese. The game has so many things you can do to by pass the time with being able to play arcade classics like Space Harrier and Hang on, play darts, buy drinks, listening to music tapes and practicing martial arts to get better. there is a lot of variety in it's gameplay from detective work, Fighting up bad guys, riding a forklift, QTEs and buying items from various shops. The camera does a great job for the most part and it's controls are good and responsive( the only down side is the walking controls which can be a bit awardward at first but you can adjust to it over time plus the rest of the other game modes are fine)The pacing is a bit slow but then gets better as you progress through the game Shenmue is a fantastic experience and something I recommend to people who like sandbox, fighting, RPG plus a good storyline.

Shenmue is the closest a game has ever come to reality. The game's environment is fully interactable in a legal fashion (for example, you can't just barge into a house...you'll knock first). You can open ever drawer and closet in your house, buy and drink a soda, play in the arcades (with two full versions of old-school classics), raise a kitten, talk to every person, ride a motorcycle, and even take a part-time job with riding a forklift.

But that's not the main idea of Shenmue. Shenmue provides a progressing storyline that will keep you mystified and addicted to it's gameplay. In the process of gathering clues, you will go into fights that will play as a 3D fighting game, mostly like Virtua Fighter. The fights in the game are challenging and fun, with wonderfully animated moves that look like they belong in a kung-fu flick. There is also "QTE" (quick-time event) in which you must press a certain button in a certain amount of time. This may sound simple but is actually fun, and heart-pumping. These events are in the form of controlling a cinematic event within the game, and provides a better experience.

Shenmue is a game that may attract gamers and non-gamers alike. It's story, interactivity, logic, and fun makes a pure gaming experience. The game starts out a bit boring and slow, but soon afterwards, it begins to pick up pace and Shenmue then reveals it's shine.

This is not only one of the best videogames around in technical terms (graphics, sound, gameplay), but it also pioneers in a way of telling an story. It has a cinematic presentation, many dramatical and emotional scenes, but the viewer lives the story rather than watching it. It's the viewer/player the one who explores the environments, the one who makes the events happen, the one who knows the characters and in some degree influences the relationships with them.

The story itself is a little plain, and in fact this game is more like a prologue to the whole story that develops in further chapters, but even in this case the global immersion you can feel is extraordinary. I strongly believe this model of videogame hides a great potential, and should be developed in time.

This is my favourite game (Along with the second one) of all time. The story drags you in and you feel for the characters, the music is beautiful and the graphics at the time were the best, this was the most expensive game ever made and the quality speaks for it's self. I love this game so much, like the tagline say's not a game but an experience (something like that.) And for me that was true.

Probably the best game ever. I first played it on Segas DreamCast. I was stunned. The game was on every way perfect. If you like realistic and games you don't finish the same day you got it, Shenmue is for you.