New Shenmue II details

Sega of Japan and AM2 have released new information on and screenshots from its upcoming Dreamcast game, Shenmue II The developers are planning to introduce two new elements to the gameplay system, the tentatively titled icon selector and action selector. As reported previously, the icon selector shows four onscreen options that correspond to the buttons on the Dreamcast control pad. Different options appear based on the in-game situation, and they are primarily options for conversation and information-gathering. The action selector is a similar system--the only difference is that it's used to perform actions like giving money to a nonplayeable character (NPC).

As reported previously, another new option in Shenmue II is the ability to buy maps of each of the locations. Ryo can purchase a map and access it any time through the menu screen. The map is similar to the ones that were dispersed throughout some of the towns in the first game.

Shenmue II will be released this November for the Sega Dreamcast.