[...] The original pales in comparison to the sequel in terms of clarity of story and mechanics, but good god, you'd think the game was a crazed fever dream the way things are playing out in there.
Shenmue I especially, requires patient attention (and it isn't about intelligence). Shenmue II has a more streamlined version of the F.R.E.E. formula, for sure. However, personally, the first time I played SII I got disappointed, because it felt like you are on rails; you're taken from event to event hastily. The change of pace from SI to SII makes you feel dizzy and lost. I wish I hadn't bought the maps the first time, because that altered negatively the sense of exploration. I appreciate, though, that this is a change in how you feel in a strange and threatening place (like how Ryo would feel).
For all that, this is what makes me to consider SI as a favourite compared to SII. Because, in the first, you are one with the world. The pace, atmosphere, all the audiovisual sensory, the small scale, the NPCs who are much more believable and lively etc, contribute way better to stay in the "zone", to be fully immersed in the surroundings. Let's not forget the level of deep detail, especially in the Hazuki residence (which has so much but not so fully utilized potential).
Gamers have all the rights to consider Shenmue as a bad/terrible game and the freedom to mock it, if that makes them feel better. They don't understand, then, why this series is so beloved. The easiest solution for them: consider fans as lunatics or assholes... But why they do that?
Let's put aside controls and voice acting, though. I never had a problem with either one of those. Controls need you, again, to apply effortful attention, especially in space orientation terms on a structured space; some gamers expect to move the joystick and just have the avatar slide through. Voice acting never bothered me, because 1) I am not a native English speaker, so the accent does not sound strange to my ears, 2) it really makes you laugh (euphoria feelings) and adds to the charm (such a cliche phrase, but true...) and it creates memorable lines.
They try to find fixed and trusted game elements in Shenmue. Pure gaming elements. But Shenmue, by definition, tried to overcome the taboos and the traditional, to transcend them. It seems to me that, their gaming backgrounds favour fast paced and GTA-like games ( eg ) and/or ones that favour action first (frequent fighting events). Also, they need the game to tell them what to do.
In Shenmue there's a linear storyline to follow, and then the freedom to proceed when you want. It favours culture representation and interaction with the world, with a quality that makes it feel real; earthly, grounded, rudimentary and with the everyday-realities (interactive lifelike audiovisual experience) . It's also pro-social; converse with anyone and be kind. And, at specific occasions, to act altruistically.
Yu Suzuki himself said (in the Project Berkley video) that he wanted to create a mind-calm, soothing gaming experience with Shenmue. To portray the romance and mystique of the cultures featured. A think-based approach, with expectations for your heart to be touched emotionally; feelings of warmth. How to explain it... a visceral/gut feeling that you are organically one with what is being shown on the screen.
We shouldn't expect to see the day when the vast majority of people will show respect for this series. It has a lot of idiosyncrasies that only certain people (but certainly not few, as it was believed some time ago) will relate to and be enchanted/entranced by.
The worst feeling, at the end of the day, when writing about Shenmue (and its acceptance or not by players), is that you haven't covered everything about all these...
In case someone thought about the following: What...? Pseudo-intellectual? Haha! Just writing out thoughts. I am not trying to deceive you; just trying to explain what I think.