Shenmue 1 & 2 Reviews
Shenmue I & II collects Sega's classic open-world games and gives them modern touches. The titles feature fun combat and quirky humor, but they also suffer jarring pacing issues.
Shemue I & II look like old games but they’re being sold as exactly what they are – a revisit into one of gaming’s most seminal and ground-breaking experiences.
This Shenmue 2 is a title that borders on excellence, but once again we find the immense obstacle of a remastering that has failed to live up to the legend.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Shenmue I & II are two great games that allow players to experience just before the sequel releases late next year. There might not be much for returning fans, besides nostalgia or as a refresher, but they're good enough for that to be more than enough. While I doubt many have played the original Dreamcast releases, the sequel likely piqued the interest of many. Sure, the game is two decades old and it has aged, but if you can get past the shortcomings, you are in for great storytelling and an enjoyable brawling experience. For a remastered release, it's the best one and certainly good enough to warrant a purchase.
Yu Suzuki's magnum opus may still retain many of its core flaws, but this remains a series that is well worth experiencing for yourself.
A missed opportunity to update a classic, resulting in a cynical bug-ridden release. Shenmue deserved better than this.
Shenmue I & II is just a broken mess of former Dreamcast legends.
Review in Polish | Read full review
As it stands, you get classics, and a hopeful outlook there is more to come in the third installment of the series.
If you're looking forward to Shenmue III, this is the perfect time to brush up on the series.
Shenmue 1 & 2 are two of the most influential videogames ever. The new generations of post-millennial can now discover the origin of the myth.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Shenmue is incredible- All open world games should be this good. Players hoping for a little more action and less Forklift Operating should check out the Yakuza series.
Whilst there are clear deficiencies in places, this is just due to the fact Shemue is an aged classic. But a classic it remains and whilst other games may have surpassed it from a open-world game point of view, there's never really been anything like Shenmue for nearly 20 years.
Despite a lack of optimization in needed areas and some aspects of both games that haven't aged very well, this collection presents a good excuse to jump back into Shenmue 1 and 2, both of which remain inherently engaging games even today.
Although Shenmue was initially released nearly two decades ago, the core concept about open-world is still inspiring even in nowadays, and the unique art style still deeply express the aesthetics of eastern culture. However, as a remastered game released in 2018, Shenmue 1&2 actually made very few progress in terms of graphics performance. Besides, the battle system and mission mechanics are still struggling with tons of problems. It might be too difficult for the new generation of players to get used to it.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Shenmue I and II isn't a perfect collection, but it is the best overall way to experience two remarkable games.
And hey, any game that can be described as Virtua Fighter meets The Sims, set in Japan during the 1980s, always will.
When it comes down to it, Shenmue I & II are very much games that helped define the action and adventure genre of 3D games, meaning that for some, the titles, especially the first game, may feel dated, however, for those who can look past that, Shenmue I & II both offer some of the best in storytelling, atmosphere, and charm, that even some other contemporary titles fail to capture.
If it weren't for some technical aspects and mechanics held back by their age, Shenmue would be easy to recommend to just about anyone. So long as Shenmue 3 really adapts itself for the modern gamer while still remaining Shenmue at its core, it could be something incredibly special. After hearing about this series for so long (both through praise and criticism), I can safely say I am a believer in Shenmue and can't wait to play 3 next year.
Shenmue innovated in enigmatic ways that remain inspirational for today’s game designers. These games exude an unlikely warmth that maintains even when Ryo’s jumped by bad guys, clips his hand through a piece of scenery to buy a new toy, or is made to haul crates across dockyards opposite a grunting co-worker.
If nothing else, the simple reality that Shenmue is again a living franchise is, all by itself, something truly amazing.