Are you looking for sailors? Black cars? Then look no further! (Shenmue (DC))

Member Name: sagat

Product:	Shenmue (DC)
Date:	16/02/09 (30 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Simply immense.

Disadvantages: Some aspects may not have aged well to newer audiences

Shenmue, much like the Dreamcast itself, is a product for those in the know. That statement may sound a little snobby, but any DC owner will tell you its the truth.

I recently spoke to a guy at work for the first time recently. Being guys, we spoke about computer games. We discussed favourite games and I mentioned the original Fallouts, Joust, Elite, Sunset Riders, he said the best game he had ever played was Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. I found this incredulous, and have not actually spoken to him since (not just because of that, but it definately flagged him as a 'tool')

I have heard many a gamer tell me how open GTA's world is, how excellent and varied the missions are and how it is lik nothing else ever made. To this I laugh and simply stroke my beard, whilst caressing my original release of Shemue.

Over the years, I have owned a BBC Micro, Megadrive, Saturn, Dreamcast, Xbox, Playstation 2 and Xbox 360 and I can safely say that Shenmue, is quite simply, a masterpiece. I have never finished it. I have never got past the second disc of it, yet no other game has kept me coming back in the same way that Shenmue has.

The graphics are fantastic. Even by modern standards, they stand up well as we travel from sleepy suburb to bustling industrial complexes and more. The missions are open ended, yes you need to find your father's killer and avenge him, but there is a hell of a lot that needs doing along the way. The dialogue is perhaps the only let down, but I love it as I love a bad B-Movie. You want to know why? Because yes, it did snow that day and yes, I am looking for some sailors!

The game just oozes charm. Ryo is a frustrating protagonist, but at least he isn't as whiney as some of his other friends. You want to slap him when he fails to ponce of his hot girlfriend, but again, that's how he operates! The dialogue is amusing and entertaining in equal measures, and the story moves along at a good pace.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the game is the fighting system. Having criticised GTA in other reviews, anyone who plays this game will understand why. Not only is it deep on a Virtua Fighter level, but it takes real effort to get good at it. You need to train on a regular basis to power up your moves and ensure you are strong enough to avenge your father. You have to perform a variety of combos and command moves in order to defeat your enemies who can often put up a decent challenge against you.

Another excellent inclusion with this game, are arcade perfect renditions of Super Harrier (Get Ready!!!) and Super Hang ON, although you have to use ingame currency to play them. Both are good for a giggle, as well as seeing just how badly they have aged!

Shenmue is an opus of a game. It pioneered ideas that other games still refuse to implement for fear of alienating their audience. Whilst some of its elements may have aged, there is no denying that this game is quite simply one of the all time greats. Essential

Summary: You need to own this game.