This Shenmue compilation contains the following two games:
- Shenmue
- Shenmue II
On a November day when the snow turned to rain, Ryu Hazuki arrives home just in time to see his father killed by Lan Di, a man Ryu’s father obviously knew very well. Ryu attempts to stop Lan Di, but is effortlessly beaten to within an inch of his life. After recovering from his injuries Ryu sets out to track down his father’s murderer, as well as uncover his family’s secrets and the mystery of the Phoenix and Dragon mirrors that Lan Di seeks.
Shenmue is a hybrid game that incorporates elements of life simulation, adventure and fighting with light role-playing. The game is set in a 3D environment that can be freely explored by the player. Much of the gameplay involves talking to Ryu’s friends and the various people around town, hoping to find hints or clues that lead to the next step in the story. Any details Ryu learns are written down in his notebook for future review. Ryu can buy items from stores or try his luck with capsule toy machines, but most items that can be bought have no purpose outside of filling his inventory. Ryu can also visit an arcade and play accurate versions of Hang-On and Space Harrier, as well as games like darts and pool.
Ryu is a trained martial artist, and while a true martial artist knows it is better to avoid a fight, sometimes it is still necessary. Ryu can train his moves, either by repeatedly doing them while training, or by sparring with his friend Fuku-san, which constitutes the role-playing element of the game. Fighting system is similar to that of Virtua Fighter, although with toned-down air juggling. Ryu’s training also gives him heightened reflexes, and sometimes during a cutscene the player will have only a moment to press a button (displayed onscreen) to get Ryu out of danger. Failing an input prompt is not always fatal, but whether Ryu survives or not depends on the danger he was in.
Included with the game is the Shenmue Passport disc. On this disc players can receive tutorials about various aspects of the game like mini-games or the battle system, watch cutscenes they’ve already seen in the game, and listen to music from the game. This disc also includes the option to go online to a special site where players can review world-wide mini-game rankings, get hints for the game from Nozomi, review game maps of Yokosuka, trade uncommon items found in the game for even rarer items only available on the passport, and visit the official homepage. This service went offline along with the rest of SegaNet, and all online features are currently impossible to access.
After his father was murdered by a mysterious Chinese man known as Lan Di, Ryo Hazuki swears to avenge his death. After a futile search for Lan Di in Yokosuka, Ryo is contacted by Chen Yao Wen, a Chinese master who advices him to travel to Hong-Kong and seek out Master Lishao Tao, who might be the only one who knows what had happened between Lan Di and Ryo’s father in the past. Ryo arrives in Hong-Kong and starts searching for a man who is his only link to the elusive murderer.
Shenmue II is a direct sequel to Shenmue, continuing its story. The game’s structure and basic gameplay elements are similar to those of the first game, incorporating elements of adventure, fighting, and light role-playing within a life simulation experience. Ryo explores vast 3D environments, talks to people to gather clues, and occasionally participates in fighting sequences. Like in the previous game, Ryo can train to become stronger in battles, and gradually learns new moves, which constitutes the role-playing element of the game.
The game’s environments are based on real locations in Hong-Kong. The game world is significantly larger than that of the predecessor. The game also has a somewhat more linear story progression with numerous precise objectives, though free-form exploration is available during most of the game. Earning money plays a more important role, and many objectives are built around Ryo having to take part-time jobs (most of which are shaped like action mini-games) or participate in fights to win money. Like in the first game, Ryo can visit the arcades and play exact replicas of older arcade games, e.g. OutRun.
The sequel features a larger amount of characters who take part in the story. Some of them also accompany Ryo on his journey, helping him in fights or other dangerous situations. The game also noticeably increases the amount of quick-time events (QTEs). Several key sequences are composed entirely out of cutscenes during which the player has to rapidly press combinations of buttons in order to execute the correct action. Many major fights in the game also include extensive QTE segments, often serving as a culmination of the fight.
The Xbox version of the game comes with an additional DVD called Shenmue: The Movie, which contains a summation of the first Shenmue made into a feature-length movie.
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