Shenmue... Why the Hype?

Shenmue... why all the hype?

When Sony introduced a gentleman by the name of Yu Suzuki, I noticed a stir within the crowd that were present at E3 whilst I blankly gazed at the screen trying for the life of me to understand what was going on.

Turns out this was the man responsible for a series of games I knew nothing of. Zero. Squat.

once the screens behind him summoned the word "Shenmue III" I could tell from the crowd's reaction that this game was something of a big deal, and if I’m honest I thought I was quite the gaming enthusiast and for me to not know what the hell was happening made me feel like a child in a way.

We all know that within an incredibly short space of time Suzuki already had his Kickstarter goal reached which just proved how much the gaming community wanted this to happen.

This was the time I decided to delve into the world of Shenmue. I started by looking at prices of a Dreamcast as well as a copy of the game and immediately realised that this wasn’t going to happen as I’m quite tight for money with the way things are for me (not to bore or guilt trip any of you).

After cursing the gods for my lack of money I settled for the next best idea I had, a play through on YouTube.

I have to say for a game released in '99 I was really impressed by how the game looks not to mention the frames were really smooth for the age of it.

The opening of the game's story was a lot darker than I thought it would've been and it's because of this dark and gritty story that I feel immediately drawn into it and need to know more instantly. It’s at this point where I can see how a game like this could gain such a cult following, and this is within the first hour of the game!

My interest with Shenmue grew by the minute as I’m introduced to loads of characters, including some guy named Tom who sells hot dogs, his accent is probably my favourite through any game I’ve ever played/seen.

I’ve only watched a short time of the game of Shenmue but I can't help but be impressed, there sure is a lot to do AND see with in the game, from collecting little toys within them bubble gum vending machine things, to playing some billiards! I couldn't believe the scale of the game and I’m fairly sure I’m only skimming the surface!

I plan to keep updating this piece the further I delve into the crazy world of Shenmue and its inhabitants, thanks if you do take the time to read this!

Because the story wasn't finished and Shenmue 2 came out in 2001/2002. Gameplay wise I don't think we were missing much with stuff like Yakuza.

I think the game was great for the story and just the sheer amount of stuff to be done... This was new stuff back in 99 at least to me.

People have just been waiting for the third installment to the story for a very long time. Been considering hunting down a Dreamcast and Shenmue 1 and 2 to discover why? I never played this game series. It is just impossible to play every game/or game series. So I am considering playing the first 2 games. Nothing against Shenmue, This past E3 has peaked my curiously, I will get around to playing parts 1, and 2 before 3 is released. It will be 2 or even 3 years before fans see the results of the Kickstarter. So I have wondered why the hype. So I will find out for myself.

I am hoping for Half Life 3, So maybe a future E3? Until then I will try Shenmue series. To see what this hype is about.

They're just engaging games, from the story and characters to the funny little tasks and extracurricular activities you can do. Sleeping Dogs and the Yakuza games are pretty similar to them, but they don't have quite the same charm.

The first game to me is a classic. Shenmue II is where it gets crazy, the story moves incredibly quick, the dubbing is even worse - it's a weaker game to me. I don't know why people are DYING to play it, but it is a special game.

well i'd firstly just like to thank each of you for taking the time to read my post and thank you even further for the responses, truly appreciate it!
the vibe i'm getting though is that Shenmue II is going to be the weaker game of the two, is this because the game was rushed? or production just wasn't as strong as it could of been? personally if they were to revive any franchise for me it would have to be Onimusha, I absolutely loved Onimusha 2! what would of been your dream revival announcement of a franchise at e3?

I have never played the Yakuza games, but since you made this comparsion I am going to try them!

I think Shenmue was great because it was one of the first games that generation that really gave the gamers an idea of how great the leap in technology was from the previous generation. It was a pretty good RPG, with a combat system that reminded me of Virtua Fighter, and one hell of a cliffhanger ending that left all of us wanting more. So much so that 15 years later people are still dying to finish the story. And now it seems we will finally get what we have desired all these years.

If you don't know who Yu Suzuki is, you need to check out some of his other games. He made some of the best games of all time, not just Shenmue.