Shenmue I & II

Experiencing Shenmue in its inception must have been a thrill, a surprise and a joy back then I imagine. Given that nowadays most if not all games have followed this formula to the tea, I must say that even though I am one of many whom might not be surprised about what the game showcase as its technical achievement, at least what made me love this game was different aspect of it. The soul this title has is quite unique in regard to this attention that was given to it when was made. And it is felt, at least for me it did. Experiencing this so-called godfather of all that came after it again, was a treat I gave it chance by jumping into this world of Shenmue. And wow what an amazing slice of life story it offers. Also, even though story wise is incredibly simple and did not wow me because is something that is not new, still captivated me by the way it has been handled. This attention to detail, from its story and how the mechanical aspect of fighting scenes goes hand in hand was appealing to go through. I honestly never knew why and how this franchise was never let flourish after its second installment. But recently found out that Sega made its last curtain call, so to speak, with Dreamcast and the value it cost to produce Shenmue I & II was the answer for that reason. It is really a bittersweet in a sense and incredible as one can think, how Yu Suzuki still has had whatever ups and downs through all the development and still perhaps? Regarding Shenmue I: I am so glad I gave this game a chance when back then, I never could have had the chance to. The opening of this game is very straight forward with a story that even though now, does not have nuance, what still made it so was the fact that one does know while playing that this game was this incredible trendsetter in its decade. The writing, voice acting and the plot are smart. Everything plays and feels that comes from the mind of someone who really paid attention to every detail and likes to develop a story that is so well played out, with this sense of slow progression that does not linger too much. So, making you experience this slice of life drama of this young boy that goes into a path of no return. So, I think as I write this first review from Shenmue I. Every day that passes, has this intention for the day and story. Detailing progress that does not make you lose attention because everything that was created in this game from its people and locations has its purpose. Not like other games that it bloats into an endless meandering experience most of times with intention of derailing. In Shenmue games, the implementation of both is and does feel cohesive by story. The progress feels intentional, the desire of this kid to find the perpetrator while stepping outside of bounds into this sort of detective with the heart of a fighter was a great way to implement progress to the character. All because the slow moments that arrive when you want to stop and practice, make this experience feel like a hero’s journey. Play a gacha game or talk and call his friends and neighbors made this experience a realization that this is a life of a kid still whom reality is not a movie, but a true consequence that will impact him later. Who by the way, do not know how to really deal with this situation other than what he thinks is right just because he has practice in martial arts. And that is what made me realize, is this kid someone to root for? In a way yes, in other because of what he might fall into… what would happen at the end of his journey? This is a great way to make us think about the real complexity of this story in a sense. Really well-crafted parts that seemed small in detail, but when you piece these things together in consideration with what the story is, it does have a powerful touch within its plot development. Regarding Shenmue 2: This sequel felt bigger and engrossing, making the whole experience with this entry so different from the first. It is amazing playing a franchise that when you go to the next installment, you can see and feel the ambition put into this. The story, music and soon as you enter Kowloon you are experiencing this awesome adventure waiting for you to keep going. Again, in this sequel no space is wasted. Everything created is as the first. It has a purpose to be there because is part of the story. I am so happy I gave this game a chance to experience it and that it is still around to do so. Because with this sequel I experience a great tale that even though it still continuing, the vast expanded story and the array of characters added to this continued epic has made this plot very interesting to want more and see how all culminates. The first time you enter Kowloon, is an adventure in every moment with a duo known Ren, he was joy and laughter here and there when the story kept his paste which was an awesome contrast to the protagonist. The music, the ambient in this game is a step up from the first. One part that took my breath away from the usual chase and continues plot uncovering was when the character went to Guiling. Wow what a change of phase and the beautiful scenario, conversation and this next character duo which was just an entire rest of the game sequence of just conversing. Such a beautiful character and another one that has a great different contrast with the protagonist. The whole sequence is my favorite in the franchise. It was incredibly impressive sequence, and I imagine a bold one to do, but knowing the game has a rich story, seems like from what I felt while I was hearing the conversation, a good choice to do it this way. Same whole sequence is a big change of phase with one of the most beautiful soundtracks I have heard in the game. She stole my heart of how swell and charismatic she is. Her humble heart and this normal conversation while seeing how vastly different these two are, in the way they live and have experienced their life. The scene when they were both in the cave was very beautiful. This game has won me over, I can’t wait to see what is next for the story and hopefully for this franchise, because it does need to be finished to see. I am so glad the third installment, which is the enhance edition, is still in progress to be released and hopefully Yu Suzuki will be able to finish its dream work with the five stories he has in his mind and hopefully already in development.