Markies wrote:I beat Shenmue on the Dreamcast this evening!
It's...interesting.
My favorite part of the game is the setting. The 1980's is a really unique and favorite decade for me and I love being able to experience that decade in Japan. I love all of the fashion and the little town the game creates. I do love most of the characters. Some of them are pure caricatures and very annoying, but others are really interesting and very in depth for the game style. I do like the openess of the game as it is very unique compared to other games.
However, the game is incredibly slow and deliberate. It gets really repetitive after a while especially when you have to talk to the same people over and over again. I got used to the controls eventually, but they are very clunky. The fighting is not that enthralling as I seemed to use the same move over and over again.
Overall, I thought the game was pretty okay. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't very engaging or thrilling to say the least. However, I am interested in the sequel and I will be picking that up on the XBOX. It's fun, but I think the hype is a bit much for it.
Hey I am glad you enjoyed Shenmue to a degree and gave it an honest chance. Everything you say isn't wrong as Shenmue is one of those strange games where it is easy to fall into a routine and that is where the fun starts to fall off.
The combat system is a victim of that era of beat-em-ups. You can easily get by with simple combos and button mashing and getting into the routine of doing so mitigates the enjoyment of the combat system. You can spend time training, which is monotonous, but there are ways around it and training does change the moves you use and improves them in combat.
As for the controls, it really is at the fault of the dreamcast controller. I have played it emulated and changed the controls around and it vastly improves how things are controlled. It is a shame that the Dreamcast did not come with a second thumbstick.
It is important to try to push yourself to do different things and to talk to different people at different times. It is hard to notice some of the unique interactions Ryo can have with the community. Things like, helping a mother convince her daughter to stay away from a rough group of street thugs that, if you fail in helping will slit your throat, really offers some variety. Also, a lot of people don't notice some of the little things like the phone and using that to get some unique conversations and character development. Talking to Nozomi or Naoyuki on the phone can offer some really unique and interesting Dialog. Also, calling Ine-San from a pay phone while you are away can lead to some entertaining results.
There is a lot that can be missed and I do feel that there is little to encourage a player to explore those things more in depth unless encouraged by the community at large. I suggest looking back at Shenmue again after letting it sit for a long time. It is a game with depth that can intrigue you and is worth revisiting after completing Shenmue II.
Speaking of Shenmue II, it is vastly superior to the first. It is a much larger scale and can feel even more overwhelming in terms of detail and trust me when I say that you may spend a VERY long time playing that game and never fully experience it.
I highly encourage you to continue playing the series and giving Shenmue II a shot. Things do speed up a lot more and there is a much better pacing in terms of storytelling....and that ending!!!!
If ever you want to talk more about the series and give some more specifics about what you did and did not enjoy, please post it. I would love to talk about the series more.