Shen Mue is finally here and it rocks. Technically a year old, it still shows graphic
quality that no other game can match. I've been eagerly awaiting this game since I first
saw early glimpes of it in some magazines. It seemed pretty ambitious for a video game. But
something about it made me want to embrace the game. This game got me hooked and I never
even played it before. Just being in control of someone's life is really cool to do. You
can practically go anywhere in the game. But you have to complete some tasks first. As the
story goes, as it you haven't heard already before, Ryo, the main character wants to find
his father's killer. A man named Lan Di. He took a mysterious mirror and the hunt for Lan Di
begins. Or should I say, like on the back of the box, "The Experience Begins".
Godlike Graphics
Well maybe not Godlike graphics but it sure comes close. Everything in this game is so life
like it feels like you're actually at the locale your at. The textures on the buildings,
grass, cars, people, trees, heck even the sky looks great. There's even magic weather.
Meaning, based on the seasons it's rainy, snowy, sunny or the other conditions inbetween.
When it gets dark the stars show up in the sky and the lighting effects from the street
lights are fantastically amazing. The character models are the best. The face movements are
so real it looks like your watching a soap opera. Individual fingers move and you can even
see the veins on the hands. Just the technology to do this is incredible. Every person you
talk to is different and adds variety to the city. The graphics just make the city look and
feel alive. The harbor level is awesome too. The ships are gigantic and the water on the
docks have little ripples. The cities are just too huge. You practically take these graphics
for granted. My only gripe with the graphics is that sometime your walking down the street,
you stop for no apparent reason and as you turn a person is standing right in front of you
appearing from nowhere. It's just weird. But still this is the best looking game ever, period.
An Aural Masterpiece, or is it?
The music in this game is just plain awesome. If awesome was plain. It's like having an
orchestra right in your living room or where ever your playing at. Just try at least once
to play this game on your Dolby Surround Sound system. You'll be aurally amazed. The music
is on par with those in the theater. It sets the mood so good that my heart will beat
faster, and sometimes I'll shed a tear from my eye. For those of you who got the special
edition with the Shenmue soundtrack on it I bet your listening to it off and on. Great
bonus. Thanks Mr. Suzuki. My only problem is with the voice actors. Sure the main characters
involved in the story are great, like Ryo, Nozomi, and Lan Di. But the citizens in the city
aren't so awe inspiring. It's like they're reading from cue cards and it gets kind of annoying.
I spoke to four different kids who had the same voice. Sometimes I would have prefered the
Japanese language with the English subtitles. This is my only nitpick. But overall the voice
acting is above average. But it's no Metal Gear Solid quality.
Now the Gameplay
There are 3 different types of gameplay you'll encounter in the game. One is Quest, then
Free Battle, and then QTE or quick timer battle. Quest is what you'll be spending most of
your time in looking for facts and going about the city. Free Battle is like a simplified
Virtua Fighter engine. And QTE is like a Dragons Lair type thing, where a button on the
screen indicates what you press. These are all interwoven seamlessly into a great adventure.
Just when you're getting a little bored in quest mode, but who would be, here comes a QTE
and Ryo kicks some ass. These sequences just come at the right time to keep you on your toes
and adds variety. It just feels good to kick five guy's ass in the Free Battle mode. The
controls took a little while to get used to. You move with the D-pad not the analog and
run with the L trigger. After all the Sonic Adventure I've played I was getting used to
the analog, but using the D-pad becomes second nature. The only thing I changed on the
control scheme is where the run button was. I switched it to the R trigger, so it would
feel like I was driving. I mean running with the L trigger while using the D-pad made me
feel uncomfortable. Just a little suggestion.
Overall
This is a gaming experience no videogamer should miss. It's the first of it's kind and will
grow with the other chapters due out. Now I'm waiting for Shenmue 2. If it's anything like
Shenmue or better I'll be a Shenmue fan forever. And remember this is only the first chapter
of sixteen. Get ready for more of this. This game comes so close to perfect, but some things
drag the score down a bit. But still go out and get this game. It's not a really hyped game
over here in the U.S. as say Final Fantasy IX is, but I would like to see it hyped up a bit.
Oh well I can hype up Shenmue 2 can't I?
--Alvin
Graphics: 10
Sound: 8.9
Gameplay: 9.1
Satisfaction: 9.3
Overall: 9.8
