A fantastic, spectacular and incredible game I was hooked on for months. This truly is the best game I have ever played.
I mean, this game changed me as a person. This is one of the games that got me interested in Japan. And when a game can change you or the way you think, you know what you have is an amazing game.
Shenmue II is basically a life and fighting simulator RPG with an incredible story. Throughout the whole game you are constantly looking for the man who killed your father "Lan Di", and every little thing brings you just a little closer to getting that evil man. And it never feels tiring. Someone once said "Even if you fail in your mission, the journey would have proved much richer." and I have to whole heartedly agree with this statement. The journey in this game is just.. fantastic.
You'll travel all across Hong Kong, seeing amazing environments and beautiful scenery, and playing tons and tons of mini games. Well, it is a life simulator after all.
You'll want to talk to every person, collect every item, train in every martial art you can, and it becomes a highly addictive second life for you.
When I first got this game, I knew the graphics were pretty awful, but does it deserve a 7 for that? Hell no. The gameplay more than makes up for it's graphical flaws. Trust me on this. I remember when this game came out my friend said he didn't want to get it because the graphics were past it's time. And now I laugh in his face for I managed to enjoy this truly rich and immersive experience and he didn't. Tough luck for him
If you can see past the graphics, you'll see there is an entire country waiting for you to explore, people to see, martial arts to be learnt and more.
The sound in this game is fine, you walk through the streets and hear the bustling street life during the day, and a few people talking in café's during the night. Every environment has some kind of sound with it. The voices in this game sound fine, but I have to admit; the English voice-overs aren't great, and sometimes feel a little emotionless. It's only when they really put an accent on or really express emotion where they feel human. But that's okay. The main character isn't so bad, and he's the one who does most of the talking in this game. This game really gives you gameplay for your dollar, or pound. This game is very long, and even playing non-stop for a few days wouldn't see an ending. It's just really that long.
All in all, Shenmue II is an amazing and immersing game that no XBOX or XBOX360 Owner should miss. Trust me, buy this game as soon as you can and experience this fantastic game before it's too late.
Pros: Amazing storyline, beautiful environments, So much to do it becomes mind-boggling, Great character's, extremely long-lasting, fun.
Cons: Voice acting is sometimes flat, fighting scenes are far and few in between.