REVIEW: Shenmue II for the Dreamcast

Sega's Dreamcast has been the home to more than a handful of truly unique gaming experiences, those that you could say either define or help define the genre they're apart of. Shenmue II is one of those games. From the moment you power on the console with the game disc inserted, to the sign that the game has ultimately been concluded (the credits), Shenmue II manages to provide gamers with one of the truly most breathtaking and awe-struck masterpieces in the history of video games.

Continuing the storyline started in the original Shenmue, gamers saw the star player of the team, metaphorically speaking, Ryo Hazuki, watch his father get brutally murdered at the game's outset by a man named Lan Di. Lan Di was evidently seeking revenge for something that happened to his own father, as we'd learn from progressing through the title. Obviously with this happening, it doesn't stand too well with Ryo, who decides to go on a journey to avenge his father's unfortunate death. While the first game centered around one main local place in Japan, Shenmue II goes outside of that with three unique areas to explore vigorously and thoroughly, Wan Chai, Kowloon, and Guilin (there is another area, Aberdeen, that you begin in, but it's so small that the only thing truly notable about it is that that's where you begin the game).

Shenmue II carries several key elements set in stone in the original installment, one of the most notable being Quick Time Events (or simply QTE, for short). Quick Time Events basically are key cut-scenes that have you pressing a button or string of buttons consecutively as directed to. It's a nice break of pace from the usual action and exploring you'll get comfortably used to, but there are times when QTE's can really get frustrating and difficult (fortunately, though, a majority of those times I refer to won't happen until much later in the game).

Another element that is transferred over from Shenmue I is the investigation portion. This time around, however, when you're looking for an answer to a question very vital in your quest you, more often than not, won't encounter someone who merely tells you to "ask someone else". This time, there are certain instances where you can actually engage in a rather deep conversation with can yield the responses you're looking for. You can also actually ask people where you can get a job or where the local gambling places are by simply walking near them and pressing the "Y" button. It really advances the system used in the original game several notches and you won't feel like you're helpless at times when you're looking for that key thing to progress in the game.

Speaking of progressing in the game, you'll need to amass a small fortune of money at times to advance forward. Fortunately, there have been several new ways added to the game to gain such money. You can select to go to Worker's Pier and get a job carrying crates with a man named Delin (who will actually teach you a fighting move later on, which is always a good thing considering the amount of fighting you'll be doing), or you can choose to play one of numerous gambling games, like Lucky Hit, or you can even decide to sell off your collection of capsule toys should you desperately need the cash. All in all, it's pretty evident that if you're ever short on money, you have enough options to try to get some.

Shenmue II has also seen some changes to the system, all for the better. One key addition is the fact that you can now purchase maps. Now, they aren't as detailed as you'd like them to be, but you can place markers on them in case you need to remember where an important place might be, or where an important person might live, so it's a nice addition of sorts. These purchasable maps will also be visible on-screen; specifically, at the lower-left corner, so constantly pulling up the menu won't be a necessity here.

The fighting system has also been slightly improved, again for the better. For instance, the game has some new moves to pull off as Ryo, and you can finally tell how much health your opponent has left by taking a look at the lower-right corner of the screen whenever you are in battle mode. The fewer amount of circles there are colored in means that your challenger is that much closer to losing.

However, what has to be the most important change, control-wise, has to be the inclusion of analog stick support. Yes, for the time first in the series, you finally have the ability to maneuver Ryo around using the Dreamcast's analog pad. Why this feature wasn't present in the original game is beyond me, but it's nice to see it added to the sequel. What analog control means is that, for the most part, you really shouldn't have that many issues moving Hazuki-san around the game's beautiful streets.

On that note, Shenmue II really is a fantastic-looking accomplishment in the graphical realm. Yu Suzuki and the crew at Sega-AM2 have meticulously created a game that truly makes you feel like you're in the midst of Hong Kong and some of its surrounding areas. The characters (especially key pieces, like Ryo and some of the people you'll eventually run into and befriend) have an exceptionally high level of detail for the Dreamcast, and so do the environments. There is a very high level of draw distance as rarely, if at all honestly, will you see something simply pop up out of seemingly nowhere. It really pushes and taxes the system, not just in the sense that it looks better but also because of the fact that the game has much more people on screen at once, so slow down is somewhat frequent in this game, and can get a bit annoying at times, but it really isn't too bothersome.

Another area that Shenmue II excels in is music. If you thought you heard some purely grand music in the original, wait until you listen to what Shenmue II has in store for you. The soundtrack is beautifully-composed, and while it can get a bit melodramatic at times, it, overall, is one of the best scores I've heard in any game, ever.

Shenmue II has plenty to see and plenty to partake in. Like I previously mentioned, you can engage in a job that sees you carrying crates, or you can go to one of several gambling parlors, or you can just decide to waste your time by visiting every single place in the game and looking through all the drawers you can find. Shenmue II, as a game, is huge, and you'd be hard-pressed o not find something to occupy your time with when you're not in the mood to chase Lan Di-sama.

Conclusively, Shenmue II is absolutely the best of the best that the Dreamcast has to offer. It serves up a game that superbly demonstrates what the system is capable of graphically, and also manages to throw in a storyline that has so much depth to it and doesn't really seem too confusing (unlike certain other games that shall remain nameless). It's the Dreamcast's swan song, and to somehow own a Dreamcast and not have this game in your collection would be a crying shame.

Take note, though: Shenmue II has not been released as a U.S. title for the Dreamcast (it was only released as a U.S. title for the Xbox), but instead is only available in Japan and Europe for the system. If you're not fluent in the Japanese language you can opt to pick up the PAL (European) version, which features spoken Japanese dialogue, but English subtitles, making the game much more playable than in its native form for those of us who aren't Japanese language-friendly.


Score: 10/10