The first two Shenmue games are undeniably very important, but they fall just short of being great. They are undeniably unique, even all these years after their release, and the best thing that can be said about them is that they are interesting. It is a really fun world the games put forward, and it is great to explore and figure out where to go and what to do next. At the same time, though, they don't necessarily play that well, and they show their age in a lot of unfortunate ways. This is definitely more of an acquired taste, and it is probably best to say that these are better experiences than they are video games. They're worth checking out, particularly for someone that has fond memories of them on the Dreamcast, but be warned that there are some warts that need to be looked past before you dive in headfirst.
Embr is, in a way, a lot like its namesake. It burns bright while it lasts, sure, and it is initially a lot of fun to run around putting out fires and dealing with the general chaos of the game. Unfortunately, it burns out quickly, and soon all that is left is the faint glow of the once bright fire. At this point, this just doesn't have any sort of staying power, and the novelty of the whole experience wears off very quickly. This isn't a bad title, and even with its shortcomings it is worth the time for a quick play-through. Perhaps it might even warrant a second one some time down the line, but this is the sort of game that could've been much better with a few more ideas, and maybe if improvements come in the future this could truly be a great experience. For now, it doesn't quite generate the heat it was hoping to.
While Tandem: A Tale of Shadows does feel like it runs out of a bit of steam by the end, overall this is still a fairly entertaining little puzzle adventure. There are plenty of places for improvement, and both the story and the gameplay really could have used a bit more refinement if this was to become something truly special. But even if it is a little rough around the edges, the biggest impression the game is going to leave behind is just how clever its puzzles are. It is the core gameplay that saves the game, even if the stuff around it might not be all that impressive. Even when the game starts to drag and become a bit more predictable, the puzzle platforming is fun enough to warrant seeing everything through until the end.