Shenmue
| Shenmue | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Logo used for Shenmue's western publications | |||
| Original title | シ ェ ン ム ー | ||
| transcription | Shenmû | ||
| Studio |
 Sega AM2
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| Publisher |
Sega
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| Senior Developer | Yū Suzuki (Creative Director) | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
Sega Dreamcast: December 29, 1999 November 6, 2000 December 1, 2000 Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows: August 21, 2018  |
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| platform | Dreamcast , Xbox One , PlayStation 4 , Windows | ||
| genre | Action adventure , life simulation | ||
| Game mode | Single player | ||
| control | Gamepad , mouse , keyboard | ||
| medium | 4 GD-ROMs , Blu-ray Disc , download | ||
| language | English , Japanese | ||
| copy protection | Denuvo , Steamworks (Windows) | ||
| Age rating |
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Shenmue ( Japanese : シ ェ ン ム ー, Hepburn : Shenmû ) is a video game for Dreamcast . It was developed by Sega AM2 under the direction of Yū Suzuki .
The project was the most expensive video game production to date, with project manager Yu Suzuki originally putting it at $ 70 million, but later corrected that statement down to $ 47 million. The game was supposed to establish a new genre (called FREE ) (abbreviation full-reactive-eyes-entertainment), a mixture of adventure , action and life simulation . Originally, a total of 16 chapters, which should be processed in at least three separate games, were planned. Shenmue itself, also called Shenmue Chapter 1: Yokosuka , covers Chapter 1. Chapter 2, Ryo's voyage from Japan to Hong Kong, was only published as a comic. The successor Shenmue II , published in 2001, leads up to Chapter 5.
Chapter 5 tells us that Shenmue is an old, splendid tree. Although both Shenmue and its successor, Shenmue II, received critical acclaim, sales were sluggish. A Kickstarter campaign was launched on June 15, 2015 to fund Shenmue III . The funding goal of $ 2 million was reached after just a few hours. The crowdfunding campaign ended on July 18, 2015 with a total result of 6.33 million US dollars, making it the platform's most successfully funded game project to date. The campaign was initiated by Yū Suzuki .
On August 21, 2018 Sega will release the first and second parts as Shenmue I & II for the first time for Microsoft Windows , Xbox One and PlayStation 4 . The new editions are adapted to modern platforms and HD resolution and also contain innovations such as free storage , but still run at 30 frames per second . The ports were developed by the British studio d3t on behalf of Sega.
In November 2019, Shenmue III was the third part of the series.
action
The story begins on November 29, 1986. Ryo Hazuki (芭 月 涼, Hazuki Ryō) returns home and has to watch powerlessly in the dojo as his father Iwao Hazuki , a skilled and experienced martial artist, is told by a mysterious Chinese stranger Lan Di is killed by hand. He was there with his bodyguards looking for an ominous mirror and avenged his father, whom Iwao is said to have killed years ago. Recovered from this stroke of fate, the player in the role of Ryo goes on a search for the murderer of his father a few days later and learns more about the meaning of the Dragon Mirror and the existence of another mirror, the Phoenix Mirror . In the course of the game he finds him and learns that Lan Di is on his way to Hong Kong , whereupon Ryo follows him. To do this, he goes on a ship, with whose departure the game ends.
Gameplay
The player can move freely in the spacious, but not too big city. In the city, people walk on the streets, do things or work normally. Almost any of these people can be addressed by the player at the touch of a button to ask certain questions, the answers of which may be helpful. Ryo - the player - also has a small notebook in which all useful tips are automatically noted and can be looked up later. He usually gets these tips in the conversations. A beep sounds in the game and a small notebook lights up for a few seconds at the bottom right of the screen when he receives a hint.
The game is characterized by the most varied cutscenes that can appear at any time. These can also contain one of the so-called quick-time events , to which the player must react by pressing certain keys or key combinations as quickly as possible that trigger an action. If these buttons are pressed too late, incorrectly or not at all, the sequence of events can change slightly or the whole thing has to be repeated.
Also, money plays a role in this game, but for the game play usually not necessary. There aren't many ways to get money. On the one hand, Ryo gets something from the housekeeper every morning and, on the other hand, later in the game you take on a job with steadily rising wages.
Furthermore, there are a lot of sideline activities that the player can carry out, behind which there is not always something that is decisive for the game, but which can contribute a lot to the atmosphere . So there are z. For example, near the dojo a little girl who wants to feed a little homeless cat without her parents' knowledge. You can help her with this work by buying something to eat and drink in one of the shops and then giving it to the kitten. There is also an arcade where you can have fun with one of the slot machines for cash . These included real-world games, all also by Yu Suzuki, such as Space Harrier and Hang-On .
Also combat training must not be neglected. The more the player trains his skills, the better the player acts when it comes to a real fight. The dojo is available for training, where you can occasionally practice with the student Fukuhara. On the other hand, you can also train on your own in empty spaces. In combat in general there is the possibility of using feet and hands as well as performing various throws and evasive maneuvers.
graphic
Shenmue offers impressive graphics for the time . The figures do not appear angular, but look relatively realistic. In this way, detailed faces can occasionally be recognized where no crease has been left out.
music
Shenmue has a variety of orchestral pieces of music to accompany the game. The composer of the soundtrack is Yuzo Koshiro, who was already responsible for the soundtrack of various SEGA games such as The Story of Thor , the Streets-of-Rage series and Sonic the Hedgehog . In addition, the game was dubbed very laboriously in Japanese and English. A German version was originally planned, but was never implemented.
Online function
- It was possible to publish his high scores on the internet . So you could compare your performance with that of other players around the world.
- Tips and an online manual could be accessed via the additional DG “Shenmue Passport”.
- Furthermore, some items that can be found in the game could be exchanged for others that can not be found in the game.
Development history
Yu Suzuki wanted to create a game in which the player can interactively take part in the action and influence it. The whole thing should stay as close to reality as possible. The times of day should also have a significant influence on the behavior of the characters and their environment. Yu Suzuki described the project itself as his life's work. In 1996 Sega announced that AM2 was working on a home console game for the Sega Saturn . The game should be a kind of "Virtua Fighter RPG". The main character was Akira , a fighter from his Virtua Fighter series . In mid-1998 it was clear that the game would be developed for the upcoming Dreamcast game console . At a press conference in Japan on October 6, 1998, Yu Suzuki announced that he was working on a game called Project Berkley. Sega's Dreamcast was released in Japan on November 27, 1998. The simultaneously released game, Virtua Fighter TB , also by Yu Suzuki, had an additional GD-ROM with a preview of Project Berkley developed by Suzuki and AM2 - now under the official name Shenmue. In 1999 the game finally appeared under the full name Shenmue Chapter I: Yokosuka exclusively for the Dreamcast game console.
reception
- Bravo Screenfun : Grade 1 (Edition 12/2000)
- Computer picture games : Note 1.78 (03/2002)
- 4players: 95%
- gamezone.de: 9.5 / 10
- spieletipps.de: 90%
"Monumental adventure masterpiece: Playing detective has never been so much fun!"
Shenmue Online
On August 3, 2004, Shenmue Online was announced. Thousands of players should experience online adventures in virtual Asia (in addition to Japan and China for the first time also Korea) The protagonist Ryo Hazuki, together with old friends like Joy, Ren, Lan Di etc., could no longer be controlled and was supposed to take over the function of a game director. The players, on the other hand, should slip into the roles of unprecedented characters, divided into three warrior classes with different skills - partly mystical, partly consisting of traditional martial arts based on unarmed combat, but also with the use of weapons. 6000 cut-scenes, 1300 human models and different fighting styles should be integrated into the game. In late 2004 / early 2005 Korean PC gamers were able to conduct private beta tests and a playable version of Shenmue Online was even presented at Kamex 2004, the Korean game expo.
On August 4, 2005, Sega Japan announced to the Japanese website 4Gamer.net that JC Entertainment had stopped developing Shenmue Online. Since Sega no longer checked the development in March 2005 and a statement would have been written about it, which would say that the project would have been transferred to an unnamed developer in Taiwan, work at JC Entertainment would have been completely stopped two months later. A former contributor to Shenmue Online also confirmed that the project was abandoned in May or June 2005. Although Sega did not officially confirm that the development had been transferred to another company, it was at least known that JC Entertainment had stopped development.
At the beginning of November 2005, however, Yu Suzuki contradicted all reports about the discontinuation of the project and stated that development was making good progress. A publication is expected for spring 2006.
At the China Joy 2006, the creator Yu Suzuki went public and spoke up. In the 12 minute long video, which was shown in front of the audience, the latest developments and some environments of the online role-playing game are shown. Mini-games will still be available and the gameplay will be explained more clearly. So far, however, confirmation has only been given for the Asian market.
In September 2008 it was announced by Yū Suzuki that the development of the game had been stopped. However, it was emphasized that this should not be equated with discontinuing the project, as work on it may be continued later.
Cameo
Ryo appears as a playable character in the fun racer video game Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing and also in the Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed .
Web links
- Official website
- Shenmue at MobyGames (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Most Expensive Video Game. October 9, 2006, accessed March 4, 2011 .
- ↑ Peer Kröger: Shenmue 3 - Yu Suzuki: I want to do it! IGN Entertainment , March 3, 2011, accessed March 4, 2011 .
- ↑ ign.com : Shenmue, the History, July 13, 1999 (accessed August 21, 2015)
- ↑ 2000 Japan Media Arts Festival Digital Art (Interactive Art) Excellence Prize Shenmue. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007 ; Retrieved August 28, 2007 .
- ^ Nathanial Noname: Gaming Target Review of "Shenmue". In: Gaming Target . Retrieved July 12, 2006 .
- ↑ Hazuki Dojo: List of 'Shenmue' Ratings. In: Hazuki Dojo . Archived from the original on September 28, 2007 ; Retrieved May 19, 2007 .
- ↑ Shenmue 3 by Ys Net on Kickstarter.com , accessed July 20, 2015.
- ↑ Shenmue I & II: Further details: 30fps, Denuvo, 16: 9, free storage and code basis on 4players.de (accessed on July 17, 2018)
- ↑ Shenmue: d3t on d3tltd.com (accessed July 20, 2018)
- ^ Provo, Frank. (2000). "Shenmue for Dreamcast Review" GameSpot: CNET, - " November 29, 1986: Ryo Hazuki comes home to witness a gang leader beating his father to death. "
- ^ IGN.com: Shenmue, the History (July 13, 1999). Found May 24, 2008.
- ↑ Spieletipps.de : Shenmue tests
- ↑ 4players.de
- ↑ gamezone.de
- ↑ spieletipps.de
- ↑ playm.de
- ↑ kotaku.com