Shenmue II gameplay system details

Yu Suzuki has revealed some details on the gameplay systems being implemented in Shenmue II. One new system is tentatively called the waiting system, and it allows players to skip time if they are waiting for some particular event to happen. For example, if Ryo was told by someone to wait at the park at 3:00pm, and the current time is 12:00pm, once Ryo reaches the park, you can use the waiting system to cut the 3 hours of waiting time and jump right to the event.

Also new to the sequel is the action select system. With this system, players will have up to four choices when asking an NPC a question. Additionally, in Shenmue II, players will be spending more money than in Chapter 1. Using the "$" icon, players can acquire information relating to possible earnings sources, like where players can find a job. There is also a new option called the "lip" icon, but details regarding this are scarce at this time.

Finally, players now have to purchase maps for every area if they want to know their exact location. In the game, maps will generally be sold at the entrance to each new area. The maps will now appear on the bottom-left portion of the game screen, rather than opening as part of a menu screen.