Why is Shenmue 1 so different to the sequel?

[Gen]

FREE music needs to make a comeback in Shen 3.

Also, one of you's say that Shenmue 1 had more creepy music that could of been in Kowloon well try competing that harbor track to this, although I say this is more relaxing.

phpBB [video]

That's a very nice track. Can't really compare it to the one I was reffering to, since they're completely different in style/mood. This is relaxing, soothing music with a bit of mystique to it.

[drunkensailor]

I find it amusing that in these kind of topics Shenmue II is always described as "shallow" in comparison.
I get the feeling that people don't look under the surface as much in II or simply forget all the stuff it has to offer.
Now this might not be a prime example right here but I just wanted to get this out.

couldn't agree more. also despite comparing this game is ridiculous as it's all part of one big thing. it's like saying the first part of once upon a time is boring. well then you didn't understand the whole movie. problem is. shenmue hasn't been finished yet in this regard.

must you compare them then just check average review ratings, shenmue 2 get's rated higher also by user ratings

[KiBa]

I don't think they are different at all. It just transitioned from a highly detailed small community to a much larger, less detailed metropolis, and thence to Guilin. Really, the only difference between 1 & 2 was the lack of consistently usable telephones and your portable cassette player in 2, which was a shame, but wasn't entirely unexpected since 2 was much larger and only barely able to function on the DC. I missed them as an after thought, but was too enthralled to notice during my first playthrough. Atmosphere-wise, it's identical, but again in the context of transitioning from home to an alien city.

[Spaghetti]

I personally find the original Shenmue to be a grand experiment gone mostly right. After all, they were treading a lot of new ground. As a result, there are sometimes things that work, and things that don't quite work. I think Shenmue is a fine game and a lot of people absolutely love it playing it for the first time even in 2015, but a lot of people can get turned off about how initially aimless it is. There's a lot of chaos in Shenmue's game design that really reflects throughout the whole thing. That's not a bad thing though, it's just that a lot of people don't really know what to do with a game like Shenmue laid open at their feet after the first cutscene.

I guess that's the point though, they wanted us to explore the world, and do stuff. Shenmue II is a refined iteration on that, it gives the player a sufficient funnelling towards objectives early on before opening up and becoming a broader adventure. Mechanically, narratively, and technically Shenmue II is a big improvement over the first game, but the original, I suppose, has a soul and feel entirely of its own developed through the chaos and its atmosphere.

Yokosuka has that great familiar feeling that develops as you spend the entire game within it, but Shenmue II takes you through many different environments as you progress geographically through China. You can get comfortable in an area, but to progress through the game you inevitably have to leave at some point and you don't really get the sense of attachment you got in the first game.

To really boil it down, nothing like Shenmue had been made before and with II they refined the formula in a way that made creative sense, but in doing so ordered the game in a way that rubbed a little bit of the uniqueness of the first off in the process.

[code l name]

I personally find the original Shenmue to be a grand experiment gone mostly right. After all, they were treading a lot of new ground. As a result, there are sometimes things that work, and things that don't quite work. I think Shenmue is a fine game and a lot of people absolutely love it playing it for the first time even in 2015, but a lot of people can get turned off about how initially aimless it is. There's a lot of chaos in Shenmue's game design that really reflects throughout the whole thing. That's not a bad thing though, it's just that a lot of people don't really know what to do with a game like Shenmue laid open at their feet after the first cutscene.

I guess that's the point though, they wanted us to explore the world, and do stuff. Shenmue II is a refined iteration on that, it gives the player a sufficient funnelling towards objectives early on before opening up and becoming a broader adventure. Mechanically, narratively, and technically Shenmue II is a big improvement over the first game, but the original, I suppose, has a soul and feel entirely of its own developed through the chaos and its atmosphere.

Yokosuka has that great familiar feeling that develops as you spend the entire game within it, but Shenmue II takes you through many different environments as you progress geographically through China. You can get comfortable in an area, but to progress through the game you inevitably have to leave at some point and you don't really get the sense of attachment you got in the first game.

To really boil it down, nothing like Shenmue had been made before and with II they refined the formula in a way that made creative sense, but in doing so ordered the game in a way that rubbed a little bit of the uniqueness of the first off in the process.

Fantastic post.