Shenmue I & II Launch Edition - Xbox One

I can still remember playing shenmue 1 & 2 back in highschool and enjoying every bit of it. It does start a bit slow and the voice acting a bit cheesy but now we have the option of jap voice with subtitles. If you enjoy story games and exploring this game is a must for you. Cant wait to jump back in. Lets get sweaty (all shenmue fans will understand that quote)

In 2018, I would have never imagined that I'd have the chance to play both of the Shenmue titles on a platform other than my original XBOX. The first two games in the trilogy have been remastered, and I'm incredibly excited to finally play these games, in lieu of Shenmue 3 which I backed on Kickstarter and am also looking forward to play. (I purchased this game on both PS4 and XBOX One, and copied the review I wrote for the PS4 version here.)

Shenmue and its sequel were groundbreaking games on the Dreamcast back when they first released. This compilation/rerelease for modern consoles is worthy of your time. If you have ever wanted to know where to find sailors, race forklifts, complete a capsule toy collection, play Space Harrier & Hang On, or experience what are the first open-world games look no further. The story is can be mundane/predictable compared today’s video game storytelling, but if you can look past that you will enjoy experiencing the daily life of Ryo Hazuki. Go back to that day the snow turned to rain and avenge your father!

This is a franchise that I wish had been kept up more than it has. These games were ahead of their time. You can feel the Shenmue DNA in the Yakuza franchise. The game wasn’t redone so it does will feel dated. The fmv will look older than other modern games and the controls may feel a little sluggish. The game was made based on controllers that only had one analog stick. If you have never played the game it might not be great for you but if you are a fan of the franchise it will be nice to replay on your HD TV.

Played these games when they first came out and was surprised to see them being released on the newer generation systems. They were fun when they were first released and I had a blast from the past experience playing them again. For first time players they might find the games a little slow and boring.

I gave these games 5 stars because they are a great set of games that brought me back to my youthful days as a gamer. Do keep in mind tho these games are not a super jump up in graphics from when they where first released. I would recommend them to either people who played them in the past and would love to play them again on modern consoles and/or retro gamers. For its time, these games are amazing and helped pioneer great stories in today's games.

Definitely recommend these classics. Shenmue I (Dreamcast) and Shenmue II (Dreamcast, Xbox, Xbox 360 backwards compatible), are now available on Steam, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4! These are my personal favorite games of all time. Don't forget to check out Shenmue III on PlayStation 4, Epic Games Store, and Steam (November 19th, 2020)! And then on to #SaveShenmueIV!

Now I may be showing my age a little but I couldn't get enough of this game especially Shenmue 1. I had that Dreamcast. Part 2 came out on Xbox 360 & it definitely was a must have especially after playing part 1. I'm still looking forward to get Shenmue 3 after I beat Shenmue 2 to see where else the story takes me