by OL » Thu Jan 04, 2018 1:26 am
Like Mitts said, there's really nothing out there that's going to scratch that itch in any kind of precise manner; Shenmue is unique, and though it gets compared to it very often, so is Yakuza.
The best mention I've seen in this topic so far is Kenka Bancho. It definitely has a few things down pat; brawler mechanics (and customizable combos, which is a treat), an open-ish world to trounce around in, a uniquely-Japanese aesthetic and atmosphere. Takes a little while to level up though. At first, the combat seems really slow, but as you improve, so does your speed. It also has lots of options for customizing your clothes and hair. I'm a bit of a sucker for Japanes gang genre stuff, so it's got that appeal as well. In short, it ain't exactly Shenmue or Yakuza (and being a PSP release, you may have to excuse its slight clunkiness), but it's a really fun game to dive into regardless, and totally deserves to be played.
A much less-obvious one that people often forget is Bully.
No, it's not Japanese. And yes, it is by Rockstar, which means it lacks in subtlety, and has plenty of infantile jokes and gags. Not the most Shenmue-esque qualities in the world.
But it does have a prominent hand-to-hand combat system, which lacks much depth, but is still a lot of fun. It runs on a strict clock for every day as well, giving you a limited amount of time to do things during the day before you have to get back to bed (or collapse from exhaustion). Though it isn't Japanese, it does have a really good small-town atmosphere too, as well as a ton of side-activities to waste time with, including a riding mower minigame (may as well be comparable to forklift driving), newspaper delivery, and many others.
Not the most obvious game to recommend to a Shenmue/Yakuza fan, but when it comes right down to it, it still check more boxes than most other games would.
OL has received a thanks from: Truck_1_0_1_