Shenmue I & II

A weird, beautiful, melancholy martial arts adventure. Flawed, but an unforgettable, singular experience.

Shenmue and Shenmue II are both very ambitious games jam-packed with many ideas and concepts that were considered groundbreaking at the time of their release, but do not relegate them to the ash heap of history yet — they’re still just as relevant and fun to play today.

For those who have fond memories of Shenmue I & II, these ports will allow you to revisit and experience why you fell in love with them. New players who feast on GTAs and Yazukas may find the pace a little too languid but with a little perseverance should soon fall under the Shenmue spell. A stellar port by d3t and here’s to hoping Shenume III can pull off the tricky balancing act of appeasing original fans in tandem with bringing the franchise into the modern gaming world.

After years of waiting, Sega finally delivered the Shenmue experience we deserve. Although it's clunky and a little dated, the series holds up incredibly well after nearly 20 years.

Shenmue I & II brings the Dreamcast classics to a new audience as well as those nostalgic for the old days. They are still fun, exciting games even with a few quirks due to their age and are well worth playing in 2018.

To me, both Shenmue 1 and Shenmue 2 are the epitome of what Japan was able to accomplish when publishers gave the developers under them very long leashes to just go out there and make whatever game they desired to. The industry was still in a growing stage, and that has all but evaporated in today's world. As a result, this is truly something that is well worth experiencing whether you're a newcomer or simply looking to find out whether that rose-tinted nostalgia you have still holds up. It may not be for everyone, but you shouldn't pass up Yu Suzuki's magnum opus.

Shenmue is incredible- All open world games should be this good. Players hoping for a little more action and less Forklift Operating should check out the Yakuza series.

We're back to the epic and unique saga that defined modern gaming. The saga and Shenmue Legend begin…again. Shenmue's open world is still unrivaled in depth and detail.

A carefully preserved milestone of this medium, inviting to start a fascinating journey through time to the beginnings of modern game design.

Shenmue occupies its own space and couldn’t care less if prospective players adjust to the rules. The result is something weird, ambitious, flawed, and endearingly unique. As someone who came to it decades after its initial release, I’m glad I won’t have to wait as long as everyone else did to jump back into this world.

Although Shenmue was initially released nearly two decades ago, the core open-world concept is still inspiring, and the unique art style still deeply expresses the aesthetics of eastern culture. However, as a remastered game released in 2018, Shenmue 1&2 actually made very little progress in terms of graphical performance. What's more, the battle system and mission mechanics are still struggling with tons of problems. It might be too difficult for the new generation of players to get used to it.

This HD remaster is mainly here to provide fans with a new way to play some of their favorite games. I can’t fault Sega too much for wanting to stick true to the original vision of Shenmue. If you were worried about compatibility issues or crashing, then you can rest easy. These ports are fine.