Even skeptics of the original would find themselves enamored with Shenmue 2.
Because of the Dreamcast's downfall, Shenmue 2 was only released in Europe and Japan, never reaching American shores, nor the popularity it should have obtained. A great deal of fans imported the European version for this reason; some even going as far as to get the European version of the original as well to transfer their save between the two.
I'd like to stop for a moment and state that this review will be purely comparative. If you don't know about Shenmue 1, you won't have the slightest idea what I'm speaking about. Regardless, everyone should play Shenmue 1 through first before touching (or researching, for that matter) the sequel.
The main complaint of others is that Shenmue was "boring", meaning that little happened in a lot of time. This is because Shenmue only covered "chapter 1" of the story. Shenmue 2, on the other hand, covers 3 chapters. So, one could make the argument that it is 3 times more eventful. So eventful, in fact, that there were several moments when I said to myself, "If the game were to end right here and now, I would be satisfied", and I meant every word of it. This time, it doesn't take nearly as long to pick up, and will keep you going strong until the end. The plot is also much more engaging, and reveals many secrets. But, one who knows the series knows that one answer leads to three more questions.
There were many moments when Shenmue would merely make you wait for an appointment, leaving you with little to do, and ultimately, boredom. This is resolved with a "Wait" system, in which as soon as you reach the location of your appointment, you have the option to wait, which fast-forwards time to the point where the day will pass in a matter of seconds. Needless to say, it doesn't take long for you to reach the designated time.
This isn't to say that there aren't diversions. Of course, there are far more than the first, yet again. Along with the traditional toy capsules, you now have the option to gamble. This can be done in a variety of ways, including dice games, arm-wrestling, street fighting, slot machines, and a game called lucky hit. Most notable is street fighting, which provides players with much needed practice of the free-battle. Of course, if you're not a gambling man, you can work your part-time job lifting crates any time you feel like it, rather than having to wait until the third disc. Also notable is the arcade; Outrun and Afterburner 2 are welcome additions.
The dialogue is vastly improved. Players of the original may be surprised to hear that the voice acting is not only better, but some of the best. This is because the cutscenes and dialogue are in Japanese, with English subtitles. This means no more strange responses or bizarre voices. Ryo sounds much more natural in his native tongue.
Speaking of which, the lip syncing is made perfect. The original seemed to favour significant characters, giving them detailed mouth movements and facial expressions, and leaving others with mouths that simply opened and closed. This time, every character, every passer-by has lip-syncing that matches what is being said.
Shenmue 2's environment is gargantuan. It's one of these games where you keep saying to yourself, "Okay, it can't get much bigger than this", only to discover that you've only covered half of the entire area. Getting lost is far from difficult, which makes it a good thing that maps can be purchased.
Speaking of environments, they are absolutely gorgeous, just in case you didn't think so in the original. You'll see dozens of shops off to the sides, each with an interior of their own. Everything in Shenmue 2 is a lot more bright, cheery, and generally more fun to look at, unlike the various tones of grey in the original. This leads into the game's one and only flaw, which is that in busier areas, there is some slowdown.
Text simply cannot do Shenmue 2 any justice. At around $85 for the Dreamcast version, it's far underpriced. Maybe not for those who detested it, but even those people should not hesitate to play it if they have the chance.