A fantastic, spectacular and incredible game I was hooked on for months. This truly is the best game I have ever played.
Shenmue II, Is quite possibly the best game I have ever played. I know I say that a lot but I really mean it with this game.
I mean, this game changed me as a person. I know it sounds cheesy but it did. 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 thing.
Shenmue II is basically an RPG that lives and breathes like the real world, with an incredible story to boot. Throughout the whole game you are constantly looking for the man who killed your father in the previous game; "Lan Di", and every little thing you do brings you just a little closer to getting to him, and truly makes you feel the same pain that the hero is feeling as you struggle for answers on what seems like an impossible mission. But 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, especially when it comes to this game. The journey in this game is just... Fantastic and should not be missed.
You'll travel all across Hong Kong, seeing amazing environments and beautiful scenery, as well as playing tons and tons of mini games.
You really will want to talk to every person, collect every item, train in every martial art you can, and it becomes highly addictive. Especially since you benefit from doing so.
When I first got this game, I knew the graphics were pretty outdated, but does it deserve a 7 for that? Heck 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 immersing experience and he didn't. Tough luck for him then.
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, QTE (Quick Time Events) to do and more.
The sound in this game is more than adequate, 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 ambient sounds are really spot on. The voices in this game sound fine, but I have to admit; the English voice-overs aren't so great, and sometimes feel a little emotionless. It's only when they really put an accent on or really express emotion where they feel truly 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. The 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. If you can't get a hold of it, I do believe it will one day appear on the XBOX Live Arcade.
Pros: Amazing storyline, beautiful environments, So much to do it becomes mind-boggling, Great character's, extremely long-lasting and fun.
Cons: Voice acting is sometimes flat, fighting scenes are far and few in between, graphics are dated.