Shenmue Dojo

Hi Guys!

I've written an article about Shenmue at http://newbreview.com/?p=21991 that you guys and gals may be interested in.

I'm really interested in what you guys think as there'll obviously be some tough customers - I'd greatly appreciate any praise or criticism.

I realise that this post could be construed as 'plugging' but you have to admire my audacity at least, right?

Right?

Really good article. Written very well. I don't really agree with the QTE opinion personally. I think in Games like "Dragon's lair" they were the main game mechanics, but in Shenmue i always found them unfitting and especially the ones during or after a fight were pretty unfair and frustrating. Sucks if you spent 10 minutes to beat up dou niu and then got screwed by the QTE. Well in Shenmue 1 it was a bit less annoying as there were fewer, but still i never found them appropriate or well-implemented.

I found him rather easy to defeat with the "dodge and attack" tactics, but sucks when i had to fight him like 5 times because i failed the QTE 4 times.

Thank you very much!

I used to word tolerable, so I do agree with you on some points. I think AM2 had some strong cinematic ambition and wanted the player to be involved in things not possible under player control.

Now if Platinum Games had a shot at Shenmue 3 I could imagine a lot of the scenes working with full player control, and the thought is kind of blowing my mind! The thing is, I think QTE was built from design/hardware limitations.

I still think the QTE's had their moments though. I thought the motorcycle chase was just insane back in 2000 and I love the sound cue when you press the right button. It just feels good y'know!

It's a cracking article, chap! Very much pins down what the heart of Shenmue is all about. I especially agree with this last paragraph:

Home is where the heart of this often misunderstood game resides. Ryo can always regroup there and indulge in creature comforts after a rough day, he’ll have his friends and Nozomi to look out for him and a close-knit community besides, and a sense of familiarity. So when Ryo decides to depart for the sprawling, savage garden of Hong Kong, as a player living through Ryo’s experiences through the mundane and the extraordinary, you will never feel further from home.

I also agree that Shenmue's QTE's are some of the most tolerable, and dare I say even enjoyable on ocassion.

A fantastic write up. I've since shared it with fans who follow our Facebook and Twitter page.

Good article. Made me re-appreciate some things I might have been taking for granted about the first game. I still say S2 is better, though. Do a write-up on that game.

Superb article. More than any other I've read, I think yours truly explains the appeal of Shenmue to people who may not understand. You've acknowledged the mirth and minor criticisms it invites without giving in to any perceived peer pressure to make fun of it yourself. A lot of superficially supportive retrospectives take the low road of "Shenmue was a masterpiece but yeah lol sailors and boring (see I'm no acolyte honest)," coming across as apologetic and ashamed of their guilty pleasure. Your article defiantly demonstrates that the game's quirks summon no guilt when appreciated in their full, genuine context. Bravo.

The article sums up a significant fraction on why I love this series as well as my fellow fans on this respective forum. I proudly do own 2 copies of the game; a Japanese and American. If I had connections, I would write an article myself on why Shenmue is such an important game to me personally and to the industry as a whole.

I agree. Do a follow up with Shenmue 2 and also emphasize why SEGA needs to finish this series.

This is the kind of article that warms my heart.
Good you shared it.
Stick around, please.

Fun read, thank you for sharing.

As for QTEs - I don't think they are too unforgiving in the slightest. The ONLY ones that were a bit outrageous were the final 2 planks in Ghost Hall (trial and error, and now, the notes I jotted down 10 years ago and still retained helped me get through that part) and the Dou Niu one is challenging, only because they are quick and you have to fight him again. But even the Baihu fight, which contained the QTE sequence at the end of the second round, is forgiving enough in the sense you don't have to start the fight over if you fail the sequence.

And the level of difficulty of the first game's QTE is laughable at best. It only uses 2 buttons! Still, immensely satisfying, especially the chase QTE at the end of Disc 2 and the motorcycle QTE in Disc 3.

As far as upping the difficulty and level of action, Shenmue II did everything right when it comes to improving the formula to make a quicker paced game (despite the slow start). What I didn't like was the de-emphasis on learning moves (from other than Xuiying) and actually being able to practice, and improve. In addition, the gimmicks with buying and selling Zippo lighters and capsule toys was rather silly. Still an endearing touch.

Hi Jason. Your article inspired me to make this video

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsR_V6Q9LFo[/youtube]

edit-fucked up the link earlier

MiTT3NZ wrote: lol, innit. I never quite got my head around the Freeze-QTEs. Did you wait for the command to end before inputting, or did you have to do it as it went along? It always seemed like pure luck with me. Either way, we need to figure it out.

Depends on the QTE. Some you can watch the command then copy others like the last one in the Don fight and jumping the last set of rocks with Shenhua have to be done as it went along.