Shenmue II

Overall, Shenmue II was an incredible experience for me, from start to finish. The core gameplay formula isn?t much different from the first game, just packed with more action and improvements. So many improvements, in fact, that I am confident about giving Shenmue II an ?A? score. It isn?t a game for everyone, but in my opinion, it?s one of the best gaming experiences out there. It?s a damn shame that so many will have to wait more than a year to play it.

Donc au final (et vous l'aurez compris), Shenmue est pour moi le meilleur jeu de la Dreamcast (et même toutes consoles confondues !) et il serait vraiment dommage de ne pas en profiter. Rien de ce jeu n'a été bâclé et j'attends avec impatience le 3ème chapitre. Pourvu qu'il sorte !

Buy this game. Collectors will surely gobble up the Japanese Limited Edition release. If you want to get somewhere within a reasonable time, however, then get the European version.

Best DC Game Ever? I would say, although Hundred Swords and the upcoming Ikaruga might qualify too. Despite the ending, I loved Yu Suzuki's 2nd Shenmue, a game that will most likely be seen as his best work until Shen III is released, at least by me. Don't wait for the Xbox version - import this on Dreamcast, if only for the collectors value of it. With the US one we'll likely get the bad ending taken out and another laughable voice translation, possibly sans the text. Of course, this is mere speculation on my part, I could be wrong, but... you know the rest.

Das besonders schöne ist an Shenmue2 ist, wie auch schon beim Vorgänger, der asiatische Flair der beim Spielen rüberkommt. So lernt man durchaus die ein oder andere Verhaltensregel oder auch ein paar chinesische Legenden. Die Atmosphäre des Spiel ist sogar so dicht, das man nach dem Spielen von Shenmue unbedingt auch mal im "Real-Life" nach China oder Japan fliegen möchte. Ebenbürtiger Nachfolger zum wahrscheinlich besten Spiel der Dreamcast!

Si Shenmue II se juega "a saco", yendo directamente a los objetivos, sin jugar a los minijuegos, explorando sólo lo imprescindible se le puede estimar una duración de unas 20 horas aproximadamente; pero así no es como se debe de jugar Shenmue II, si realmente se quiere apreciar completamente la magnitud del universo creado por Yu Suzuki, hay que jugarlo sin prisas, buscar secretos, escenas ocultas... sólo así se disfrutará completamente del mejor juego de Dreamcast, y de uno de los mejores juegos que Sega haya creado jamás.

Una obra maestra, firme candidato a juego del año por segunda vez consecutiva y sobre todo, y lo que lo hace especial es ese sabor a gran clásico, a juego 10 donde todos debemos dar las gracias al equipo formado por Suzuki que dan vida a un mundo de eterna fantasía digital.

So then. What Do I think of Shenmue II? Well, a little disappointed to tell you the truth. Don’t get me wrong it is an awesome game, one of the best on the Dreamcast. However I was expecting four sequels at the least. I feel slightly cheated by Yu Suzuki and Co, I wanted Shenmue to span huge boundaries, never crossed before… but alas it was not to be, the series moves ever onwards and upwards, now to be on the X-Box, leaving Dreamcast owners in the darkness thinking, “Why did we buy this, it’s the Saturn all over again!”. Well looks like Mr Gates will be receiving a visit from Ryo. By hell he better be ready...

I love Shenmue II, and it is easily my favorite game ever. However, I'm here to tell you if you should buy it. If you can handle a long, sometimes slow game with fantastic story elements and an unbelievable atmosphere, then yes, you should. I'm also the first person to admit that Shenmue II isn't for everybody, so if you aren't sure, you should probably give it a rental first. Regardless, do yourself a favor and at least try it. Games like this don't come along every day, or even every lifetime.

Niet alleen Metal Gear Solid krijgt deze maand zijn langverwachte opvolger, ook Shenmue's tweede deel ligt in de winkels en ik ben zwaar onder de indruk.

Overall, Shenmue II is for the fans, it’s not likely to attract new fans nor has it broken new ground in the genre but it’s undoubtedly a memorable and special experience. New to the series? Pick up the first game cheap. Loved that? Track down your own copy of this and get ready to be glued to your TV for days. Thunderbolt score: n

Shenmue II is… well, everything Shenmue II should be. It takes the original game, improves the portions that had problems, adds enhancements, and continues the story of Ryo Hazuki very effectively. The game is in no way perfect, and will still turn off fans of constant action because of its more slow paced, dialog driven gameplay. However, no one can deny what a wonderfully designed, well playing game it is. Sega, you gotta love ‘em.

For those RPGamers who enjoyed the original Shenmue, Shenmue 2 should come as a wonderful treat. For those who found the original too slow paced, it may come as a pleasant surprise. In either case, players will finally learn where that title comes from.

What it all comes down to is this: Is the game fun to play? The answer is "yes." It's a long and involving quest unlike anything before it (except Shenmue) that should appeal to both RPG and Adventure game fans. Though it would have been nice to see this game released in America, at least we now have an Xbox game to really look forward to. Sadly, this is the last new Dreamcast game I will ever play. But talk about going out with a bang... I couldn't have asked for anything more.

If you can't tell, I'm a big fan of this game. Suzuki and team are to be commended for vastly improving on nearly every aspect of game design, and seamlessly pulling it all off. If you didn't import the European version, be sure to pick up the Xbox title when it hits our stores sometime later this year, with even more enhancements thrown in. As for me, bring on Shenmue III.

Um es kurz zu machen: Shenmue 2 ist genial und muss sich im Besitz von jedem befinden, der einen Dreamcast oder Xbox besitzt.

Parfaitement à l'aise sur Xbox, Shenmue 2 est un titre incomparable qui séduit par son univers tantôt poétique tantôt violent, ses environnements asiatiques superbes, ses personnages irrésistibles, ses nombreuses références aux arts martiaux, et tout simplement cette quête passionnante qu'il propose. Un titre culte qui doit figurer dans toute ludothèque Xbox.

Une nouvelle page se tourne dans l'histoire de Shenmue. Ce second volet permet à la Dreamcast de terminer sa carrière sur un titre qui marquera à tout jamais les esprits de ceux qui s'y essaieront. L'ambitieux projet de Yu Suzuki est bien en train de se concrétiser avec ce titre qui ne constitue toujours que le commencement de cette saga démesurée.

Technically, the Xbox conversion of Shenmue 2 is a pot-pourri of highs and lows. Visually, it's two notches above its DC brother, but two notches below what the system is capable of.

The graphics have not been greatly revamped from their Dreamcast source, but they were groundbreaking a year ago and still stand out among the Xbox elite. Every nuance of town life seems to have been captured accurately, right down to behavior patterns of the populace.

With it’s mixing of genres and brilliant story, Shenmue II is an unforgettable experience gamers should not miss. Although far from perfect, the game’s lengthy quest is a worthwhile journey to take on even if you’ve never played the original.

It's a shame Shenmue II will never see the light of day on the Dreamcast in the US. Its level of polish, technical prowess, and creativity make it one of the DC's finest titles. Fans of the series owe it to themselves to track it down and play it via Japanese or European import. It's that good. Hopefully it will shine just as brightly when the Xbox version is released.

Shenmue II isn't just a game, it's an experience you'll never forget, and the inclusion of the Shenmue: The Movie DVD makes it that much easier to get on board. It's definitely an acquired taste, but if you don't mind the slow pace and poor voice acting, you'll discover one of the most amazing adventures ever to hit any video game console. I can't wait to see what Suzuki-san and company have in store for Ryo next.

Shenmue 2 is all about balance- between the beginning (Shenmue), and the end (the hopefully forthcoming Shenmue 3), quantity and quality (in terms of graphics and sounds), and action (Battle and QTE events) and inaction (gathering clues and asking questions). While the game may have it’s rough spots, Shenmue 2 is a must have for ANYONE who’s played through the first, and is still worth a look to newbs looking for an epic quest to dig into.

Shenmue II is a very good sequel to one of the most unique video games in town. Great storytelling combined with a variety of gameplay elements keep things interesting, though there are certainly a few pebbles this grasshopper fails to snatch.

Shenmue was one of my favorite Dreamcast games, one I had trouble putting down. The sequel, while new to the US, feels almost outdated. The voice-acting is bad, the graphics are not on the level of other Xbox games, and Shenmue II never involved me as much as the original. In fact, a lot of the things set up in the original don't come to bear in Shenmue II until several hours into the game, leaving an odd disconnection from the first game for the first couple of hours.

In spite of its flaws, Shenmue II is a great improvement over Shenmue I, and is a quality game with many highlights. It demonstrates that Suzuki's pioneering vision is feasible, but also that he must improve particular aspects of the game. Fortunately, the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts when it comes to Shenmue II. Many discount the story as cliché, and this does have a certain ring of truth. But as Shenmue fleshes out the hackneyed storyline via its visual realism, you become immersed in the world, and the result is anything but cliché. Wait for the XBOX version or import a copy for the Dreamcast UK, because Shenmue II is a stunningly immersive experience, the only of its kind. It is a wonderful testament to the creative power of Yu Suzuki and a fitting last big hurrah to the legacy of the Dreamcast.

As a final swansong for Sega’s last console, this is the perfect game. Not without it’s flaws, it manages still to be charming, original, full of character, and fun. Still, it isn’t worth the hassle I’ve put up with, but at least I can laugh back at my friends who laugh at me for owning a Region 2 PAL DC.

The game comes with a lot of bang for its $50 price tag. In anticipation that there may be newcomers to the series, Microsoft packaged "Shenmue: The Movie" with the game. The movie is actually a whole bunch of cut scenes from the previous Shenmue game on the Dreamcast, and was even shown in theatres in Japan as "Shenmue USA" (because they used English voice acting with Japanese subtitles). The movie lasts about an hour and a half, and while it is crudely done and the graphics may offend some of you who are used to DOA3-quality visuals, it gets the point across pretty well.

Ultimately, a variety of factors prevent Shenmue II from living up to its expectations. The Dreamcast game pushed the Power VR chipset in the console to its limits and beyond to churn out some of the finest visuals seen at the time, which contributed greatly to the game's impact on that system. On the other hand, the uneven graphical and audio presentation of the Xbox version don't do much to make a case for the console's proven graphical muscle. The inconsistencies in the audio further detract from experience, sending you to the options screen to turn off the character's voice rather than pulling you into the game.

The big question here, of course, is whether Shenmue II is worth buying. Well, if you've already played through the Dreamcast version, then no - there's virtually nothing on offer here that you haven't already seen. If, however, you haven`t played the game before, then it's something we heartily recommend.

Regardless of the dry voice acting and lack of Xbox graphical flair, Shenmue II has the story and atmosphere an adventure game needs to make it a worthwhile experience. Fans of Shenmue will no doubt be instantly hooked as Shenmue II surpasses the original in almost every regard. New players may find it a little difficult to be sucked in since they won't be as attached to the main character. Just as with the first game, you can't play for ten minutes and make a decision as to whether you like it or not, because as more and more of the first area opens up -- the living, breathing world will pull you in. Unfortunately, the game doesn't come to a complete conclusion, and will leave players anticipating the third installment in the series.

Shenmue II is a rare beast, somewhat of an experiment in game design. In an industry that rarely tries anything new, it’s pretty refreshing to see something so different. The result is a package will please some gamers and simply annoy others.