Shenmue I & II

 PC
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 115 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 84 out of 115
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 115
  3. Negative: 18 out of 115

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  1. Art_Connoisseur
    Aug 26, 2018
    10
    Modern gamers who give it a shot will be in for the ride of their life. Inspirational games at its finest.
  2. Fhhd
    Nov 19, 2019
    10
    Outstanding games then. Outstanding games still. There's so much atmosphere in these games. They have such a sense of place and scale from small details to big themes.
  3. Chiyou
    Aug 26, 2018
    10
    Not just a fundamental classic in any video game fan's library. This game caused a change in the way games were made. You play in a very real world in Yokosuka in the 1980's. searching every part of dubuita for the mystery of who was the man who killed your father. Along the way there are so many activities to do that you'll spend Ryo's allowance far too quickly. You'll need to get a jobNot just a fundamental classic in any video game fan's library. This game caused a change in the way games were made. You play in a very real world in Yokosuka in the 1980's. searching every part of dubuita for the mystery of who was the man who killed your father. Along the way there are so many activities to do that you'll spend Ryo's allowance far too quickly. You'll need to get a job at the harbor to replenish your habits of capsule toys, arcade machines, buying pointless snacks just for a chance to win a raffle, and gambling at the casino. If you want to have a lot of fun play with the english audio.. but if you want to take the story a little more serious try out the japanese audio.

    Now for the other part.. D3T did a decent job at porting the game to PC, XB1, and PS4... However they clearly had far too big of a job for the tiny company that they were. They shipped the game with quite a few bugs, Most of them don't break the game but they are annoyances for a superfan who wants to see everything run smoothly. It does however run smoothly, especially when comparing it to the dreamcast and xbox versions. However occasions do pop up where things that clearly should have been noticed by the developers will catch your eye. This game has 2 trophies on PS4 and some pretty easy trophies/achievements. I wish it was a little more of a challenge to be honest.

    In conclusion: this is a must own.    … Expand
  4. Dicimania
    Sep 22, 2018
    10
    for tme Shenmue is the best game ever, its actually not a game, its a masterpiece....
  5. Buzin
    Aug 25, 2018
    10
    I played Shenmue for the first time 15 Years ago and since then I`ve never seen another game so unique/special. This game is a true masterpiece!
  6. hoogafanter
    Oct 1, 2018
    6
    This is the single greatest gaming experience I have ever had. I was enthralled from start to finish, and the ending left me wanting more. The atmosphere is glorious, gameplay is solid, and story is phenomenal. Best game to ever grace this console easily...

    It's the software personification of the dreamcast IMO. Just as Dreamcast symbolizes the end of a hardcore gaming era whilst    This is the single greatest gaming experience I have ever had. I was enthralled from start to finish, and the ending left me wanting more. The atmosphere is glorious, gameplay is solid, and story is phenomenal. Best game to ever grace this console easily...

    It's the software personification of the dreamcast IMO. Just as Dreamcast symbolizes the end of a hardcore gaming era whilst trailblazing the future of the industry(for better or worse), Shenmue is the prime software example of this. A beautifully animated character driven narrative focused open world game, now of which are a dime a dozen, but with arcadish gameplay and a sense of immersion that still has yet to be matched 18 years later.

    Absolutely everything about Shenmue, just like the dreamcast itself, was painfully detailed and no effort was spared. It also pioneered and/or popularized so many common modern gaming tropes its astounding. So much that we take for granted today was absolutely breathtaking with the release of Shenmue...

    The above is my review for the Dreamcast versions... unfortunately these new ports suffer from awful glitches that really ruin the experience. Sega clearly rushed this out to capitalize on the hype and used a **** dev team with a horrible track record to do it...    … Expand
  7. NetL
    Sep 1, 2019
    8
    Great games, but a mediocre port. Problems with the camera (first game), image size in cut-scenes (second game), etc.
    Games: 10/10
    Port: 6/10
  8. Calculinho
    Oct 3, 2018
    8
    Un remaster mejorable con montones de problemas de salida como fallos gráficos o de sonido; pero que han ido arreglando en cada actualización. Por otro lado, se ha descartado incluir a modo de extra la información offline del disco Shenmue Passport que era bastante y muy útil para profundizar y conocer mejor el fondo de la historia.

    Por lo demás, es un remaster completamente válido para    Un remaster mejorable con montones de problemas de salida como fallos gráficos o de sonido; pero que han ido arreglando en cada actualización. Por otro lado, se ha descartado incluir a modo de extra la información offline del disco Shenmue Passport que era bastante y muy útil para profundizar y conocer mejor el fondo de la historia.

    Por lo demás, es un remaster completamente válido para conocer la saga y enganchar con la tercera parte.    … Expand
  9. wspark
    Feb 16, 2020
    8
    As some of the newcomers to the series have pointed out, as a game, this genre has been done better since the release of this game way back in the Dreamcast days. Current Metacritic scores for this collection hover around the mid-70s, and this is absolutely apt score, but I think it’s important to try to dig a little bit deeper into this score in trying to understand why this might be aAs some of the newcomers to the series have pointed out, as a game, this genre has been done better since the release of this game way back in the Dreamcast days. Current Metacritic scores for this collection hover around the mid-70s, and this is absolutely apt score, but I think it’s important to try to dig a little bit deeper into this score in trying to understand why this might be a “fair” score for such an acclaimed game.

    If you're only looking for pure entertainment value, better times can be had with number of other open-world games that’s bettered the concept since (e.g. Yakuza series, Sleeping Dogs, GTAs, etc.). However, what Shenmue absolutely has over its successors is in its pure artistic merit. This is really one of the crown jewels of what I’d consider video-game art, and one can really appreciate the passion and energy of Yu Suzuki and his team that went into creating this game several decades ago.

    The slow pace of the game certainly can be detracting at times when just trying to enjoy Shenmue as game, but this pacing allow you to be more intimately connected to the world and its characters. Just walking around the house/town/shopping district and exploring every little nook and cranny can actually tire and burn your out during periods of the game. But over time, I became more and more immersed in the world, and thus connected at a much deeper level to the setting and it characters. It really becomes more of an "experience" rather than just playing a game. It's this immersive quality of Shenmue - even at the expense of some amusement value - is why I consider Shenmue to be a real artistic video game.

    Hence, in wrapping up this review, in subjectively weighing the entertainment value and artistic value of the game, I’ll give it an overall score of an 8. But if you just tease out the artistic score for this game, Shenmue absolutlely deserves a 10 there – and this is why the original DC copy of this game continues to earn a space in my game-shelf space, even as I continue to trim my physical game collections.    … Expand
  10. Gaudy
    Jan 7, 2021
    8
    Hay que valorar estos juegos como clasicos que son y no con los ojos de la actualidad. Para su epoca son realmente excepcionales. Es increible la cantidad de NPCs que hay diferentes y como actuan. Las conversaciones son totalmente reales y el comportamiento es real, vana trabajar por la mañana, a dormir por la noche....

    Los escenarios estan increiblemente detallados, parece increible    Hay que valorar estos juegos como clasicos que son y no con los ojos de la actualidad. Para su epoca son realmente excepcionales. Es increible la cantidad de NPCs que hay diferentes y como actuan. Las conversaciones son totalmente reales y el comportamiento es real, vana trabajar por la mañana, a dormir por la noche....

    Los escenarios estan increiblemente detallados, parece increible que sean juegos del 2.000. Los personajes son carismaticos y muy cuidados. Los mini juegos son muy buenos y historia es de lo mejor que hay. Interesantisima y conun ritmo unico. Da gusto pasearse por los escenarios. Imprescindibe jugarlo. Ahora bien, podrían haber traducido al español el remaster....muy mal por SEGA ahi...    … Expand
  11. LMotta
    Jun 25, 2020
    10
    One of the best and one of the most epics games of all times ! masterpiece !
  12. Dokodemodoamike
    Oct 14, 2019
    10
    Patched version runs flawless now. A really good port of one of the best Games of all time.
  13. Sahhid
    Nov 19, 2019
    10
    This right here is my childhood. One of the most anticipated game was getting a HD remaster. Thanks Sega.
  14. 24Nathan
    Dec 26, 2019
    10
    Definitely recommend these classics. Shenmue I (Dreamcast) and Shenmue II (Dreamcast, Xbox, Xbox 360 backwards compatible), are now available on Steam, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4! These are my personal favorite games of all time. Don't forget to check out Shenmue III on PlayStation 4, Epic Games Store, and Steam (November 19th, 2020)! And then on to #SaveShenmueIV!
  15. segamaster
    Jul 26, 2020
    10
    Thank you Sega and Yu Suzuki.
    Greatest Game ever made.

    We lost so much without AM2 output through the years.
  16. Rezken
    Jan 6, 2023
    10
    I remember the first time playing Shenmue on Sega's Dreamcast back when I was a child. Never have we seen such an open-world in such detail as we did in Shenmue. I was blown away and this game became my favourite. More than 20 years later I was able to experience this masterpiece in polished graphics and man, I'm speechless again! 10/10, must-buy!

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 14
  3. Negative: 1 out of 14
  1. Cubed3
    Oct 10, 2018
    40
    If looking for a simple port, as well as a bundle of the Shenmue duology, you are in for a treat, despite the fact that the enhancements of this version are underwhelming. Those expecting an action-adventure that is as good as it is popular, though, get ready for a rude awakening, because, nostalgia, and pioneering innovations aside, this just isn't fun anymore.
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  2. Riot Pixels
    Oct 4, 2018
    85
    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.
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  3. GameCritics
    Oct 3, 2018
    70
    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.
    Read full review
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