ShenMue for DC: Any thoughts?

[TAsunder]

I just picked the game up myself, but have only played for about 30 minutes. Thus far I'd have to say that I am VERY impressed. I typically do not like adventure games, but Shenmue seems to have everything going for it. Are these graphics for real??

Anyone who has played it a lot who has an opinion (no spoilers please)?

 

I picked it up this weekend ($13 brand new!!!) but have yet to play it. I will have to check it out tonight.

 

I checked it out last night. Very nice graphics. It looks very involved. I may not have enough free time to mess with it this year. I am waiting for my copy of "Dead or Alive 2: Booby Fighter" to ship so I can have another mindless game to play with with no concern over plot/missions.

 

[Total Refected Power]

Dwell:

Were did you get for $13?

 

[PistachioByAzul]

Just beat it a few days ago. Best game I ever played

 

[Raspewtin]

Graphics are incredible. I wish I had a Dreamcast.

 

[Stifko]

yeah where did you get the $13 hook up?

 

Not a hot deal, just used some Best Buy certs toward it. It was like 49.99 originally.

 

[blurredvision]

On the second disc right now, sort of stuck. Awesome game though. I've had a couple of friends watch me play it, and now everytime they come over, they want me to play it so they can watch. It's an awesome game. Of course, I bought it and Tony Hawk 2 at the same time, so I've had to split my time.....

 

[Optimus]

Its like playing a Kung-Fu movie.

Like Metal Gear Solid was like playing an action movie.

The grahpics are such an incredible leap. I just keep running around looking at stuff.

 

[Ultima200]

I want to get this game...been waiting along time for it. I am glad that you guys say that it is good or else i would be mad

 

[geoff2k]

Can one of you folks who have played it describe it more? Is it Grim-Fandango/Monkey Island type of adventure or are there more RPG elements thrown in?

 

[blurredvision]

The game is more like an adventure game to put it in common genres. Most of the game is spent walking around, finding clues, and going to bed to start again the next day. I'm not sure if you've read about the QTE(Quick Timer Events), but they require you to press a button within about a second to do certain things, mostly fighting, but is used for a few other things as you'll find out. These sequences are really quite amazing, and are awesome to watch, provided you make sure you hit the right buttons. Then there is the free fighting, which I'm not too big of a fan, but is pretty sharp in it's own right. Very fun when you get surrounded by 5 guys in an empty parking lot, only to kick each and everyone's ass, then MAKE one tell you what you want to know. Then there is the "metal gear solid" scene. That's pretty cool.

Everything blends together, and even though I'm only through half of the game, it's already one of the better games I've ever played. The time element makes the game though, as you have to watch the time to do certain things, and shops and bars only open at certain times. That's the most awesome part of the game. It makes it more 'real'.

It really can't be described as a Grim Fandango game, nor can it be described as an RPG, because it's just not. It really has succeeded in creating it's own genre.

 

[geoff2k]

WoodchuckCharlie: Thanks for the mini-review! Definitely sounds like one to pick up, thought it would probably take me months to get through it (at the rate of 2-3 hours per week). Maybe I'll stick it on my Christmas wishlist and see if Santa is feeling generous this year.

 

Dwell's gf here: Remember those Best Buy online GC's we all got when they launched their site? Dwell and I both got one ($20 each), and then a coupla months ago there was another deal for free stackable $5 BB GC's (one of those hot deals that I never thought it would come thru)--Dwell and I each got one of those, and I redeemed all the GC's for $55 worth of B&M gift cards.

This week BB is having a sale, so we got a blue VMU, Toy Commander, and Shenmue using our GC's, and ended up paying about $36 out of pocket.

I am the adventure gamer of our household, but I've been watching Dwell play. It doesn't really look/feel like a traditional adventure game (a la Monkey Island or Grim Fandango--both really great games) b/c it's not cartoon-y. However, so far Dwell is doing a lot of walking around, talking to ppl, finding clues, etc. The graphics are pretty ass-kickin', but I still don't understand the whole press-the-A-button-at-the-right-time part of the game. Can someone explain?

Dwell hates adventure games, doesn't have the patience for them, but he's enjoying Shenmue, so I guess it has cross-genre appeal. I would say definitely worth the $$$.

 

[FrontlineWarrior]

i personally think this game sucks snail jizz

 

[uncouth]

alright then, back to playing ALICE....

 

[konichiwa]

dwell's gf :

The "pressing-a-button-at-the-right-time" thing is, well...hard to explain. I have actually never played the game myself but I think I have a pretty good idea of what it is. Sometimes in the game it will say "push A!" and you have to do it within a couple seconds, while you watch your character run across the screen towards something. If you press it, he does whatever he's trying to do just fine (IE, kick someone, jump over a car, etc) but if you press the wrong button or don't press it fast enough he doesn't do it.

Sorta like that Die Hard: Trilogy arcade game.