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Shenmue |
Shenmue is an adventure game released on Dreamcast on 1 December 2000, developed by Sega-AM2 and published by Sega. This is the first chapter of an ambitious and exciting adventure created by Yu Suzuki, who will perhaps never have an ending. Indeed, a second episode was released, but does not conclude the story of the game, which is held in abeyance, and there is no prequel on development.
The story of the game began in November 1986 in Japan, more precisely in the city of Yokosuka. After helping his childhood friend Nozomi, who was facing thugs in the Sakuragaoka Park, Ryo Hazuki, a young man of 18 years returned home. Then he discovered the dojo plate of his father split in two. Worried, he entered in the garden and found his adoptive mother Ine. She taught him that his father Iwao Hazuki, manager of a martial arts dojo, is in great danger. He rushed to the dojo and found his father face to face with a mysterious figure dressed in green named Lan Di. The latter seems to want a mirror that Iwao did not want to give to him. A struggle then began between the two men. Ryo wanted to help his father and threw himself in the battle but was soon knocked down carpet. Lan Di then used him to make Iwao confess the position of the mirror. Then Iwao told him where it was, and the henchmen of the aggressor rushed to retrieve it. Lan Di then raised a painful memory from the past of Iwao Hazuki and the fight restarted. The battle turned in favor of Lan Di, who inflicted a mortal blow to the father of Ryo. The man in green, having found what he came for, left the dojo with his henchmen. Ryo then swear to avenge his father's death by tracking and eliminating the murderer. Then he will begin by investigating about the mysterious stolen mirror, in order to trace Lan Di.
Shenmue proposed a revolutionary concept at that time, called FREE. The player moves in the vast city of Yokosuka. There is an impressive freedom of action allows to the players, never seen before. Ryo can, for example, buy food in supermarkets, play Space Harrier and some other games in arcades or at his home on Saturn, participate in lotteries, play pachinko, or discuss with absolutely everyone who he meets in the game in order to gather various information. The catchword of the game seems to be the interactivity. There was no game before Shenmue that proposed such a variety of interactions with an incredibly living environment.
The game also takes into account the time and a calendar. The time passes slowly, almost as in the real world and Ryo has to manage his schedule. So he has to be punctual in order to not miss a specific event taking place at a defined date, in a defined place. The pnjs also have specific activities according to the time of the day. For example, it is impossible to visit someone in the middle of the night, or go buy food during the closing time of shops.
In parallel with this exploration and slice of life aspects, we must fulfill some goals throughout the game in order to advance the story. We have to follow all the tracks that could provide information concerning the mirror and Lan Di. The player will also have to face many opponents in battles. The combat system is very close to that of Virtua Fighter, a series of fighting games created by the same developer. To expand its range of martial arts techniques, Ryu can learn new moves and special blows with masters or by visiting various place where he can train.
Shenmue is also the first game to have introduced the so-called QTE (Quick Time Events). These are special events during which we have to press the buttons that appeared on the screen in order to properly react to a situation. This system can intervene at any time, and the player must have good reflexes in order to not fail.
Shemnue marked the history of video game with a freedom of action and interactions with the environment pushed to their peak.
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