Shenmue

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 game did a lot of things new for its time and is now a cult classic. By the maker of the arcade game Virtua Fighter 3 among others, he was rewarded with free reign to make a completely unique game for the Dreamcast, SEGA's last console that saw a great year of innovative game releases. Shenmue and its sequel are perhaps the most revered of all those games.

The game lets you run free round a limited but highly programmed set of environments interacting with objects and people all while day/night, season and weather change around you as you slowly uncover the mystery of your situation and pursue revenge. While some areas of the game can waste your time, the level of connection you forge with the environment and characters keep you involved and the addictive beauty of the real-time changing world keeps you hooked.

At the time of release it was at its height of technology but it has aged relatively well while also having a lot of retro charm in its styles. However, it does require your patience.

The game's action involves a combo deep combat system similar to Virtua Fighter games as well as minor combat situations and other fast action moments being dealt with by quick time events (QTE). This is where a button shows on screen to be pressed straight away to succeed at an action, and people generally love QTEs or hate them, but I think they're used well and sparingly in Shenmue.

A feature I love is being able to play a couple SEGA arcade games in full at the arcade within the game although my personal favourite doesn't appear until Shenmue 2. The game is heavily Japanese which feels very authentic. If you don't have the time to invest as a working adult to play, you can find longplay videos online totalling about 8 hours to get an idea of the experience without the full emersion or shortened story videos for highlights.

So yeah, this is a cult classic and worth looking into, but decide your level of interest as acquiring the game for dreamcast can be difficult or costly.

Shenmue is a video game par excellence. For a western audience it gives us experiences from lands and cultures little known. It is an original and pioneering concept in entertainment, with ideas copied in large budget productions such as GTA IV and Yakuza Ryu Ga Gotoka and production values seen since Final Fantasy X until today.

When Dreamcast owners first saw this game they were stunned at how beautiful the scenery and central characters were drawn. Second viewing and you are aware of the amazing camera work and variety of cut scenes. Third viewing and you realise how immensely rich the score and background music ever present. Fourth viewing and your quest as Ryo Huzuki becomes a world you gladly submit. Fifth viewing and you realise your concept of martial arts is being deepened and nurtured. And beyond a wealth of side games and distractions make the work and world of Shenmue an endearing and longstanding entertainment landmark.

When I found this game by accident. I purchased a Dreamcast because there were already some great titles around. I was completely taken by Shenmue from the first moments of the dramatic opening scene and how that day would shape the central character's life.

Shenmue rewards patient gamers with an enriching experience quite unlike anything else.

Shenmue II is very much similar to Shenmue I although not at all the same experience. I highly recommend Shenmue II as the Xbox game is fully compatible with the xbox360.

But to enjoy the original and in my view the better of the two games you should seek out a Dreamcast and are unlikely to be disappointed if you begin your Shenmue experience here.

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.