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Shenmue
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| Developer |
Sega - AM2 |
| Publisher |
Sega |
| Genre |
FREE |
| Players |
1 |
| Rumble |
No |
| Extras |
Online
features |
 For
generations, man has tried to succeed himself in every way possible. There
was Caesar, then Napoleon, then there was Hitler. If we were take this
statement into the video game industry people will say that first there
was Mario, then Sonic…perhaps Tomb raider and Zelda. However, there has
been one game on everybody lips that have had even the avid Nintendo fan
excited like a little child. Sega fans have waited for a long time, but
ladies and gentleman…the wait is now over…I present you Shenmue.
You
have probably heard so much about this game already, but I have the
wonderful pleasure of reviewing this game. Except, upon playing it, I
found myself with a very difficult task. How can a game of epic
proportions be explained with simple words from the dictionary? So I have
chosen famous quotes from greats like Mark Twain, William Blake and
William Shakespeare to aid me in my review. However, first, I am going to
explain what FREE really means…to be honest, the best people to explain
are Sega themselves, so here it is.
-FREE-
Full
Reactive Eyes Entertainment
Go
wherever you want to go, see whatever you want to see,
Investigate
whatever you want to investigate.
Here,
the passage of time is realistic.
A
refreshingly cool morning breaks and transforms into
A
warm, sunny afternoon. The beautiful sunset of evening
Melds
slowly into a quiet and still night.
When
it rains, it rains. When it snows it snows.
At
times it continues without letting up.
Here,
life is realistic.
There
are people who take daily walks in the park,
People
working hard everyday to make a living, shop owners
Selling
their goods, children playing, housewives gossiping…
Everyone
living their own unique everyday lives.
Yes,
this is a real world.
Now
do you see why that when people brand this as another RPG they are sorely
mistaken? Shenmue isn’t about being quick, and it’s not about taking
your time…it’s about being yourself. You take control of Ryo, one day
you come home to find your father brutally murdered by a man who uses a
deadly style of karate. So you decide to take revenge. That’s where it
all starts to show its glory. In Shenmue you can interact with almost
anything, and everything is in 3D. No more of those bitmap images, every
tree is sculptured and every one of them is unique. The control system is
simplistic and easy to learn, however, you must bare with this game for
about the first two hours as all the Japanese names and the sheer size of
it all may just bore you. But wait, stick this out and I promise you with
my money that you won’t let go, I played for 8 hours non-stop without
taking a break. I have been playing games for years but not one game has
had that effect on me.
“Shall
I compare thee to a summer’s day…?”
The
graphics in Shenmue are simply astounding, in actual fact, not one word
will do it justice. Every character moves with a style, the animation of
faces is awesome and the way snowflakes flutter to the ground is simply
stunning. I have yet to see a game on PS2 to better this. Then there are
the actual fight scenes... incredible. The QTE (explained later) really
show off the art. Even the normal combat system flows from your fingertips
when taking on a gang, because the fluid animation runs like water. If you
worked at AM2 you will realise that to them pop-up is not a word, because
in Shenmue it doesn’t exist.
“If
music be the food of love…play on”
For
me personally, I believe that sound is one of the most important features
in any game. It is what sets atmosphere, it can be what determines where
to go. Shenmue has redefined the way you look at games. If you enter a
convenience store, you will be treated to a catchy beat, walk down the
street at night and erie music will occur. Orchestras have been used
superbly, I even hear that in Japan you can buy the Album of Shenmue! Then
we come onto the voice acting. Well, do not fear, they have managed to
pull it off well with only a few annoying characters. Yet, when you
consider that every single character has their own tone, pitch and
amplitude, it makes you wonder how they crammed it onto 3 discs. And in
real life you do get people with annoying voices!
“Imagination
is the one weapon in the war against reality”
Yu
Suzuki, the man responsible for Shenmue, would have certainly looked at
that famous quote, because he has implemented it brilliantly. Detail is
what makes Shenmue so different from all the rest. You can use the phone,
you can catch a bus to work that runs on a timetable using the games
internal clock (one day lasting one hour of our time) and you can even
meet people the next day at a certain time. Every single person has his or
her own life. To prove this theory myself, I went to spend a whole day
with a character and see if it was possible. The man woke up, got on his
bike, went to the shop he runs, opens it up, then goes on a lunch break to
the local arcade (with full versions of Space Harrier and Hang On) then
returns to his shop. Later when he closes up, he goes to the local bar to
have a quiet drink then he is off to bed! It is overwhelming, one that
will take games into a new revolution of detail.
Magic
weather is a new system designed by AM2. This is completely different to
what you get in formula one games! As you walk around you will notice that
the sun will rise and set. Gradually it may rain or snow. However, if the
weather is relentless for a few days, then the scenery outside will
change! It is absolutely beautiful. Then you walk around the shops at
Christmas time to see actual decorations up!
QTE
or Quick Timer Events usually occur randomly. Much like the Die Hard
arcade system that when a button comes up on screen you must press it
within an allocated amount of time. If you succeed then you may catch
something or beat someone up! However, if you fail prepare for the
consequences. It adds great suspense because when a cut scene happens you
will have your hand trembling on the pad waiting for something to happen.
There are also battles where you control the fighting. This is easy to
use, perhaps a little too easy!
“The
world you hold in your hand isn’t the only world that exists”
You
will look at Shenmue more as a second life than a game. Even when you are
watching television you will be thinking, “don’t forget to meet that
guy” only to realise that you got your worlds confused! Shenmue is your
second world that will engulf your mind. The story is brilliant with some
excellent scenes.
“It
has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our
humanity.”
To
finish off, I give you my few problems with Shenmue. It is too easy; I was
on the 3 disc in the second day! However, everytime you play, it’s a new
experience. There is a minute amount of slowdown when a lot is happening
on screen; however, the situation is rectified immediately. Then I come to
my last major fault of Shenmue…that is…one day you will realise that
this is just a game, one day you will finish it and it will all be over.
Take a look at my reviews I have done, it certainly wouldn’t be an
unfair statement to say that I’m the harshest reviewer. But with a game
like Shenmue it is hard to fault. If people dislike the game, then
that’s fair enough, but if people say they hate it, then it is not
Shenmue they hate, but gaming as a whole. Shenmue is pure class, and so I
end with my own words of wisdom! This
is not a revolution; instead it is an evolution!
 |
| Graphics |
10 |
Simply gob smacking. Shenmue is in a class of its
own. PS2…do not be afraid any more! PS2 is nothing compared to
this.
|
| Sound |
10 |
“Great music is that which penetrates the ear
with facility and leaves the memory with difficulty. Magical music
never leaves the memory.” Enough said about that! |
| Gameplay |
10 |
Give it time to explore your mind, because once
it does, that will be the end of your social life. A joy to play. |
| Lifespan |
9 |
Perhaps a little too short, but replay value is
high and each time you play it is different.
|
| Overall |
 |
"No
game is perfect, but by heck, Shenmue comes dam close. If you only get one
game for your Dreamcast, then this is it. An epic game with epic
possibilities for the future. Evolutionised gaming as we know it."
By Mike
Once in a Millennia a
game on a scale beyond that of anything ever made before comes along.
Shenmue is one of those games! Don’t get it for the graphics, don’t
get it for the sound, and don’t even get it because it plays so well!
Get it because it’s an experience so far unmatched by any game (if I
should even call it a game).
Everything about Shenmue
is awesome! I wouldn’t go as far as to say it interrupts with your real
life, but it’s the most absorbing game I’ve ever played. It may get
repetitive at the beginning; the arcade may only have 2 real Sega classics
(Space Harrier, and Hang on. Retro buffs might well find the £40 worth in
the arcade alone, I wasted many an hour in here) the plot might seem a bit
far fetched, but after the first few hours, you’ll soon look beneath
these and find a gaming experience which no other game on any format which
has ever existed comes close to matching!
If
this isn’t in your collection, then get out of my sight!
9.5/10
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Reviewer:
Craig
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