GameSpy: Shenmue II - Page 1 (original) (raw)

By Sal Accardo | Nov 21, 2002

Ryo Hazuki leaves Japan and continues his amazing journey on the Xbox.

From the Journal of Ryo Hazuki February, 1987

Although it feels like years, it's only been two months since my father's murder at our dojo in Japan. After a long search, I was finally able to identify his killer as a martial arts master named Lan Di, leader of an underground group called the Chiyoumen. Thanks to Master Chen, I've gained passage on a ship to Hong Kong where I hope to confront Lan Di, avenge my father's death, and uncover the mystery of the mirrors which were once hidden at my home.

It's actually been two years since gamers first met Ryo Hazuki, the teenage protagonist of the Shenmue games. Created by legendary Developer Yu Suzuki and released in 2000 for the Dreamcast, Shenmue was an epic tale that followed Ryo's quest to find his father's killer in a small village in Japan. Primarily a traditional adventure game set in a fully-3D world, you could go nearly everywhere and interact with almost everyone, always searching for that next clue that would bring you one step closer to your goal.

But Shenmue wasn't just a search-and-find adventure game. With a system that resembled a scaled-back version of Virtua Fighter, Ryo would regularly work on his martial arts skills, which would be called upon in numerous fighting sequences through the game. The clock was constantly ticking, with days passing as if in real-time and people constantly going about their lives. You could have a conversation with just about anybody, and "Quick Time Events" (QTE's) tested your reflexes during what looked like ordinary cutscenes. You could get a job, make phone calls, buy food at the corner store, or walk into an arcade and play emulated versions of games like Hang On and Space Harrier. With amazingly natural-looking graphics and character animation, it may have been the most vivid depiction of "real life" seen in a video game to that point.

While some gamers found Shenmue irresistible, others found the pacing a bit slow and tedious, and the poor English voice acting didn't help matters. Someone at Microsoft must have thought Suzuki-san was on to something, however -- although Shenmue II was released for the Dreamcast in Japan, Microsoft snapped up the rights to the game before the translation could be released in the U.S., instead turning it into an Xbox exclusive. So, while some dedicated fans shelled out $70.00 (or more) to import the European Dreamcast version (myself included), most were forced to wait for the Xbox version, which has finally arrived.

Chapter 1: Shenmue: The Movie

Although Shenmue II is a direct continuation of the original story, gamers who haven't played through the first game shouldn't worry about feeling left behind. That's because -- in an extremely cool move -- Shenmue II comes with Shenmue: The Movie, a 90-minute DVD that recaps the story of the original game via cutscenes and other in-game footage.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the DVD, but it isn't half bad. You're never fooled into thinking you're watching anything other than a stream of cutscenes, but the "movie" does a great job of recapping all of the major events and moments of the first game ("Do you know where I can find any sailors?") and tying them into a cohesive story. If you haven't played Shenmue, you can simply pop in this DVD and get caught up before resuming Ryo's quest in Hong Kong.

Chapter 2: Wan Chai

I've only been in Hong Kong for a few days, but much has happened. Almost immediately after getting off the boat, I made some money in an arm wrestling match and then had my backpack stolen by a small boy. I managed to recover it, but all the money was gone, leaving me penniless. I met an odd motorcycle-riding girl named Joy, who's helped me find a job and a place to stay. The work carrying crates isn't as much fun as driving the forklift in Japan, but I need the money.

I'm searching for a man named Yuanda Zhu, and my first real lead has led me to a local temple, where I've met with a martial arts master named Lishao Tao. I'm told that a local gang leader named Ren of Heavens can help me find Zhu ... but things seem to be getting more and more dangerous by the day.

Ryo faces a gang of thugs.

While all of Shenmue was set in Japan, Shenmue II is broken up into three distinct sections, making up "Chapters 2-4" of the overall story. (Suzuki-san has stated that the entire story of Shenmue takes up about 16 chapters.) "Chapter 2" is set in Hong Kong, mostly in the city of Wan Chai. With lots of people walking around and stores you can enter, this chapter should feel more familiar to Shenmue veterans than any other in the game.

One notable difference: While Shenmue gave you some time to explore the Hazuki residence before venturing into the outside world, Shenmue II drops you right in the middle of things. Things start happening to Ryo almost immediately after getting off the ship in Hong Kong, and you never really get a chance to explore way you did in the original. Some people might think this is a good thing, but I missed the various flashback cutscenes that would trigger as Ryo explored his home in the original.