Shenmue was hugely progressive for its time -- the realistic, detailed world design, the ambitious mix of gameplay genres, the enormous scope -- though as AAA games have iterated on the formula, Shenmue has basically been remembered as a rough-edged curiosity that exists more for historical discussions than to actually be played.
I went back to Shenmue in 2020. Its rough, sure, but I really do think there's something special here? Shenmue will make you intimately familiar with a Japanese town in the late 80s, rummaging through furniture in first person, talking to locals and navigating city streets by landmarks and real maps (no minimap or compass here)! Solving the mystery of your fathers murder feels consistent and well-earned, and the weirdly amateurish/quaint charm of the production kind of synergizes with what I think is a legitimately compelling mystery adventure game..?
Everything does not stick the landing, though. Controls are clumsy, the fighting never happens often enough to really figure out how it works, and there's not enough distractions in this small town to fill up the days of waiting that happens during this slow-burn, slice-of-life story.
The game has a slog of a forklift section near the end. If you enjoyed the game as much as I did up until that point, you have my permission to skip ahead to the FAR more interesting Shenmue 2. You basically know all you need to know by that point.
I went back to Shenmue in 2020. Its rough, sure, but I really do think there's something special here? Shenmue will make you intimately familiar with a Japanese town in the late 80s, rummaging through furniture in first person, talking to locals and navigating city streets by landmarks and real maps (no minimap or compass here)! Solving the mystery of your fathers murder feels consistent and well-earned, and the weirdly amateurish/quaint charm of the production kind of synergizes with what I think is a legitimately compelling mystery adventure game..?
Everything does not stick the landing, though. Controls are clumsy, the fighting never happens often enough to really figure out how it works, and there's not enough distractions in this small town to fill up the days of waiting that happens during this slow-burn, slice-of-life story.
The game has a slog of a forklift section near the end. If you enjoyed the game as much as I did up until that point, you have my permission to skip ahead to the FAR more interesting Shenmue 2. You basically know all you need to know by that point.