Shenmue I & II

Sega have done these classic titles a service by re-releasing them in the original form and resisting the temptation to tamper. Surely as divisive now as they were nearly 20 years ago, Shenmue I & II are not just a great primer for the forthcoming threequel, but also a great opportunity to experience one of gaming's most pioneering series. Welcome back Shenmue, I have missed you dearly.

If nothing else, the simple reality that Shenmue is again a living franchise is, all by itself, something truly amazing.

Regarded by many as the pioneers for the modern open world, the re-release of Shenmue I and II is important, allowing many newcomers the chance to play games that still hold up today.

At this point it’s fair to say the HD port of Shenmue I & II is in better shape than its release and would now be considered acceptable to play. Save data transfer and cutscenes were a big problem, and major bugs seem to be patched out. Both games are here in all their glory and probably the best way to spend your time with Ryo as he follows his journey. Veterans will be happy with the ability to play on modern platforms and newcomers finally have a chance to experience what Shenmue has to offer while Yu Suzuki is hard at work on Shenmue 3.

Shenmue I & II is a masterpiece that is not for everyone. That’s a shame, because a more solid port with a few tweaks here and there could have made it a package to recommend to all.

With all its technical shortcomings that show the age of the originals, these adventures are a prime example for good story-telling and still show more atmosphere, character and soul than a lot of open world playgrounds in recent years.

Shenmue 1 & 2 are two of the most influential videogames ever. The new generations of post-millennial can now discover the origin of the myth.

With eclectic writing and characters in addition to things to do and places to explore, Shenmue 1 & 2 are brilliant. Very few older titles of that generation still hold up so immensely well today. A stone-cold classic.

Far from being a flawless gameplay experience, these two-sides remastered retains the spirit of the original Yu Suzuki masterpieces. Let it flow through your soul until Shenmue 3.

Shenmue is always Shenmue, a milestone in the video games history that deserves to be rediscovered, despite the original limits and those brought by the passage of time.

Shenmue I & II gives players the opportunity to experience slightly updated versions of two of the all-time greatest games. Even though we would have loved for Shenmue I and II to get real remakes, both games still have a lot to offer to 2018 gamers. Very few titles can claim to be as immersive as Shenmue I and II and it's great to be able to dive into its universe once more. What could have been if the port hadn't been so lazy.

It's great to have two games like these available on modern platforms, and that's the best part of this version. As a remaster, it doesn't do anything special, but the quality of both adventures still remains.

A no-brainer for fans of classic gaming. It hasn't aged well in some facets and the port is a bit lazy, but it still offers a unique experience.

Shenmue is still a niche game, now as it was then. It's the primordial soup of the modern games for gameplay and storytelling, but it still has the charm and magic of yore, delivered with high-level art direction.

The two remasters are done pretty well, they work and do not upset some or all of the originals, but the return of games like these had to be accompanied in another way: with extras, interviews, documentation that would help in a fun and informative way to understand what for many years, among other things, was the most expensive game ever, a big commercial flop, and one of the most fundamental titles for the modern videogame.

Playing Shenmue I & II is a treat for die-hard fans as well as an accessible way for newcomers to experience these renowned titles, though they won't be for everyone. Even though I enjoyed both games, I really struggled to look past the clunky dialogue or even fully invest in Ryu's story, and the controls sometimes made walking around a nightmare. They're seminal products of their time that deserve to be celebrated, and this port does a great job of delivering that authentic Shenmue experience.

Rising from its ashes, Yu Suzuki’s saga is still a legend and this amazing adventure hasn’t aged at all. Still, this port would have required a little more care.

Shenmue is back and that's always good news. The port is not as good as it should be, and there are many flaws that make the game seem unpolished, especially in Shenmue I. But, overall, it's the same masterpiece we all love and it should be played by everyone.

An couple of outstanding adventures almost 20 years ago that are coming back almost untouched... That's a good and a bad thing at the same time. If you are an old school gamer that's looking to relive the original experience it's perfect, but the games are getting old to be as entertaining as they were.

Shenmue is part of gaming history and there is a reason that it has continued to be revered all this time. But please remember what you are getting in to when buying this game. Yes, it looks a little shinier and it is of course the first time the two games have been available as a collection on a console that isn’t the Dreamcast (Shenmue II was ported to the original Xbox) but if you have never played these games before, expect a little resistance. It may also be worth holding on a little while and picking it up in an inevitable future sale.

Some aspects, like the tanky controls, definitely feel tired these days. But there’s still an undeniable charm to this low-key adventure that focuses on investigation rather than too many fights. There’s still nothing else quite like it, and this package makes it easier than ever to miss out no longer. [Issue#154, p.90]

Overall, the hours you want to spend in Shenmue I and Shenmue II will be there. The amount of patience you have with the controls and visuals will depend on your expectations of these releases. For me, it was nice seeing the games in full form on a modern system. I just wish there had been improvements to make it feel like a current generation release. As it stands, you get classics, and a hopeful outlook there is more to come in the third installment of the series.

These games are an acquired taste, but there’s nothing quite like them, and if you can overcome some of their more awkward idiosyncrasies, you’ll be rewarded with a set of revolutionary sandboxes that impress even today.

Shenmue I & II are still special games with very few, if any, modern equivalents. Certain elements are showing their age and there are some annoying bugs that should hopefully be patched out in time but both fans and possible fans will appreciate the chance to play both these titles in one package.

Let’s be honest, the remaster isn’t perfect and the versions that I played were before any patches had been issued. These are not remakes of the original Shenmue games. We accept these ports as they are, flaws and all, because they have a wonderful and engaging story that has kept fans wanting more for 18 years.

Whilst there are clear deficiencies in places, this is just due to the fact Shemue is an aged classic. But a classic it remains and whilst other games may have surpassed it from a open-world game point of view, there's never really been anything like Shenmue for nearly 20 years.

Quotation forthcoming.

Yu Suzuki’s classics remain as unique and fascinating today as they ever were, if you can tolerate the painfully slow pacing and wooden dialogue.

If Shenmue 1 & 2 are still great games, this so-called remaster is barely a lousy port, with plenty of bugs and and technical problems. The only improvement is 1080p display and a few new content, but overall, Shenmue 1 & 2 HD doesn't deserve your hard earned cash.

They’re titles that everyone should play to see (in the same game, no less) how this medium grew from short-burst coin-ops to something more expansive, grounded and mature, and onto the multifaceted, enveloping open-world experiences we love so much today.