Hello Ryo. (Shenmue (DC))

Member Name: bigbtommy

Product:	Shenmue (DC)
Date:	24/05/02 (66 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It's good

Disadvantages: There arent any.

After getting my hands on a Dreamcast (which I've documented in a previous review), I decided to grab a copy of Shenmue, an old DC action-RPG game, which I got off the second hand shelf at GAME. Now, when you read on about this game, you'll see how much of a bargain I got for £9.99!

The game is spread over 3 GD-ROM's, and comes with a 4th Disc, the Shenmue Passport. The basis of the game is that you play Ryo Hazuki, son of a martial arts master, who one day comes home to find his dad being murdered by a group of gangsters who steal a mirror from your fathers dojo. From then on you make it your duty to try and locate these gangsters and get revenge. Although this sounds quite tedious at the beggining, it gets more interesting as you go on.

The game is sprayed over numerous different locations, which are mirrored in full 3D. The towns include Yamanose, your local village, Sakuragaoka, a slightly bigger town with a convenience store and park, and Dobuita, a full town with lots of shops, businesses, restaurants and bars. Later you go to the Harbour. The game's graphics are pretty amazing, although more modern games have come out that simulate cities like Dobuita better (for example, GTA3's simulation of Liberty City is better graphically), but the graphics are a good foundation for the story.

The gameplay is different from most games because it uses a real time-scale. You have to go home and go to bed at the end of the day. The basis of society-impersonation is there: towns with roads, other people, a fully working currency system, domestic functions (and a full house to live in), a wide range of businesses and services to use.

The different modes of the game are split in to exploring, action, fights and special. The "exploring" mode is where you will spend most of your time, but occasionally you will be dragged in to action stages, which is where you need to push buttons to simulate or avoid the action.
For example, you could be chasing someone, and pushing the various buttons helps you avoid knocking people down. If you don't succeed in an action stage, you are taken back to the beggining to do it again. These are generally quite enjoyable, as the action is cinematic and fun to watch.

The fights are similar, but you have to learn a Tekken / Virtua Fighter style command system (with A, X, Y and B simulating kicks, punches and throws). Often you have to face numerous opponents. As with action stages, if you fail you can repeat them. You can train up at numeroous places, including your home (in the dojo), in Dobuita (the disused car park) and later on in the Harbour (Warehouse Four). People will also teach you moves, generally later on in the game.

Occasionally you get fun special stages, such as the "Daily Races" on Disc 3!!

Overall, Shenmue is a damn great game. I'd highly reccomend that you get yourself a copy of it. 2nd hand is good remember, kids.

Summary: