Shenmue for the Dreamcast is the first game of its kind. Billed as a game in the apparently new "FREE" genre, Shenmue for the Dreamcast gives you more freedom than any other game to date. In Shenmue you play the role of Ryo Hazuki, whose father gets murdered at the start of the game. Thus, it is your duty to find out why and avenge his death. Shenmue features a load of stuff to do and see. You can get a job (which is required to advance in this game), go to a local convenience store and get items (in addition to win stuff by playing a game at the store), meet a lot of people, ride a motorcycle (which, just like getting a job, is required to advance, although it's a one-time thing; I wish you could ride it again), search through hundreds of drawers, play pool, go to a tattoo parlor (although you can't actually get a tattoo), and plenty more. Overall, in Shenmue there is a lot of stuff to do. Shenmue's controls confuse me in that you can't use the analog stick to move Ryo. Yes, in a 3D adventure/RPG game, which takes place in a fully 3D world, you CANNOT use the analog stick to move Ryo. Why is that? I have absolutely no clue. You'll have to ask Yu Suzuki (who directed the game) about that one. Also, thanks to the lack of analog stick support, the use of the d-pad to move around sometimes can frustrate you as you'll run into walls and have trouble turning sometimes. Still, it doesn't really frustrate you to the point where you'll want to take your Dreamcast controller and throw it out the window. Graphics-wise, Shenmue looks amazing. When I first saw screens of this game (I think it was back in 1999, but I'm not completely sure on that), I was floored. It was probably the only game at the time that looked like real life. The characters look real (although they don't move in a "real life" type of way) and the world itself is VERY detailed. However, there are some issues with the game's graphics. The frame-rate is inconsistent at times (it mostly hovers around 30 fps, but can get lower depending on what is happening on the screen), and characters can just appear out of nowhere when you are walking the streets. Overall, however, Shenmue, at the time it was released, was easily the best-looking console game at the time. In terms of sound, Shenmue shines in that area as well. Beautifully-composed music compliment a great-looking and good enough in terms of gameplay game. For replay value, Shenmue is fine. You can collect a lot of capsule toys, practice your fighting moves til you've mastered them, play a game at the local convenience store til you win two Sega Saturn games (Hang-On and Space Harrier) to play on your Saturn at home (yes, Ryo has a Saturn in the 80's!), as well as some other things. In terms of length, Shenmue somewhat lengthy, although maybe not as lengthy as you'd expect of a game of this caliber. It'll probably take you 10-15 hours to complete the game if you aren't interested in starting your own collection of capsule toys or whatever. Overall, Shenmue is a game that must be played to experience. You cannot simply look at several screens or even a movie to REALLY get what this game is about. You must play it for yourself and fortunately, it's worth it.
Other Helpful Reviews for Shenmue: Isshou Yokosuka
there's no doubt of that shenmue is a great game and the game itself is a reason to buy the sega dreamcast . the story is very simple you are ryo hazuki ,a japanese young man that saw his life destroyed when his fa... Read Full Review
This game made me buy a DC When i first saw it i was AMAZING by the graphics, and the music and story drug me in This game is a real masterpiece, simple enough The only game you will ever find like this is Shenmue 2 ... Read Full Review
