Sega AM2
Publisher
Sega
A New Chapter
Shenmue 2 is probably the best swansong the Dreamcast could hope
for. The eagerly anticipated second chapter to Yu Suzuki's magnum
opus pushes Sega's final console to the very brink of its
capabilities. The most endearing thing about the Shenmue story, for
me at least, is the fact that you're never completely sure of your
position in the big picture. The beautifully rendered intro
sequence merely hints at the direction of the story, and the sense
of being led towards something bigger than what we're immediately
presented with is forever there.
Yes, Shenmue 2 is extremely impressive, at least technically, but
does it live up to the previous instalments ability to fascinate,
intrigue, and make off with our breath?
The game proper obviously picks up where the predecessor left off,
as Ryo arrives in Hong Kong in pursuit of his father's murderer and
the truth behind the events that led to his death. Your starting
task is to simply locate an address, and so as you begin to wander
about the harbour it becomes your primary objective to interrogate
as many locals as possible. So far, so familiar, apart from the
fact that the dialogue is in Japenese. Having English subtitles and
Japenese speech is far preferable to the mediocre job the Western
voice actors did in Shenmue, and it lends a tremendous amount to
the atmosphere.
It's All In The Details
Of course, Shenmue 2's basic mechanics are the same as its
predecessor and after all, we weren't expecting a first person
shooter. Graphically, the game surpassed my expectations right from
the very beginning. Everything is texturally sharper, characters,
buildings and props are more intricately modelled, and the
locations are astoundingly huge and complex. The markets are
buzzing with locals and the towns feel properly populated. AM2's
achievement here is just mind-blowing from the outset. The
improvements do take their toll on the Dreamcast and the framerate
can occasionally drop to a crawl for a moment, yet this is
forgivable due to the sheer scale and beauty you're presented with.
You can only begin to imagine what this will look like on the Xbox.
The control system and interface have undergone subtle changes.
Maps can be purchased and locations subsequently bookmarked in
order to aid your progression around the massive street networks.
The locals can also come in handy when trying to locate certain
destinations, and some will show you the way when quizzed. Gone is
the tedious wait for time-based events to happen as well. If you
have an appointment at a certain time and you arrive early, the
game will give the helpful option of skipping ahead to the
appropriate time, instead of having you spend your day wandering
the streets.
The game wastes no time in dropping you straight into the story,
but the overall progression is still very linear. Your main tasks
are usually split into smaller chunks, which almost feel like short
missions, and this gives you the impression of being occasionally
sidetracked from the main storyline, and lends an air of freedom
that was not generally apparent in Shenmue.
Snails Pace
Things start out extremely slowly, and remain that way for the
majority of the first disc. The original dragged its feet in a
similar fashion, but Shenmue 2 really is a toughie to get into, as
you'll spend the first day or so of gameplay time trudging about
asking questions and undoubtedly getting lost in the labyrinthine
streets. The snails pace is very occasionally peppered with short
bouts of action and Quick Timer Events, but these do little to
excite when contrasted against the drudgery you're forced to endure
for the most part.
While the action sequences are few and far between to start with,
when you do get to indulge in some button-bashing it can be
extremely good fun. The QTE's are a lot less forgiving this time
around and require some split-second timing on your part if you're
to succeed. Unlike last time, it's not essential that you complete
every QTE, and the failure of certain events means that instead of
retrying until you get it right, you're made to fulfil your task
through further investigation and interrogation.
You will, of course, be required to partake in some boisterous
fisticuffs at times and, as before, it's superb fun. The fighting
system is intuitive and easy to pick up, and with practice you can
usually dispatch miscreants with relative ease. However, a certain
level of character development is mandatory for later in the game,
and learning new moves (there are many ways to do this, including
learning them from other characters and purchasing move scrolls)
becomes essential.
A Tough Nut
Besides your main quest, there's plenty to keep you otherwise
occupied. Usually the extra-curricular activities involve either
losing or making money. You can gamble in street games, pawn off
your toy collection (Shenmue 2 even imports your collection from
the first game should you have your save file handy), enjoy a
relaxing spot of arm-wrestling and pay a visit to the arcade should
you ever get bored of, you know, avenging your father's death. It's
also advisable, but not essential, for you to find Ryo a job. There
are plenty of opportunities to make a steady wage during the game,
but none are quite as fun as the forklift driving in the first
chapter.
The problem is, nothing seems to be quite as special as it was the
first time around. That sense of awe and wonder just doesn't hit
you with Shenmue 2. Sure, it's an extremely technically impressive
game, and there's some decent advancements within the game dynamic,
but it's essentially just what we were expecting and secretly I
wish it wasn't. There's no surprise, no intrigue, and the
proceedings are slightly tainted with a 'here we go again'
atmosphere.
Have no doubt that once you're into Shenmue 2, you're going to be
in there for a good while. This game is absolutely enormous,
dwarfing the previous chapter beyond all possible comprehension,
and once it gets going it's a decent improvement. However, the
difficulty of actually getting into the game in the first place is
a concern, and newcomers will undoubtedly be completely turned off
from the start. Every Dreamcast owner should at least give it a
try, but just be prepared to make a commitment.
-
Shenmue review
8
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