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Don't Believe the Hype

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 5 / 10
Date: April 28, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Shen Mue has received rave reviews from almost every on-line site and magazine that I have come across. But interestingly enough, almost every reader board I have seen on-line has expressed a very different opinion: This game was terribly disappointing. I'm an RPG fan, so I'm used to running around towns and talking to people, but when you're FORCED to do this for HOURS on end without any action, it gets tedious...and more tedious...and frustrating...and finally, you want to throw your Dreamcast out the window! I honestly think that the only reason this game received such great reviews was simply because it was one of the first RPGs on Dreamcast. Now that Grandia II, Phantasy Star, and Skies of Arcadia have been released, RPG-lovers have a MUCH better selection to choose from. Pick up one of those great games instead, and don't even bother with Shen Mue. From start to finish, it's just one big disappointment after another...

Boring! Little action, Why Bother?????

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 8
Date: September 07, 2001
Author: Amazon User

With all the hype I expected better. I'm 68 years old, and this is by far the most boring game I have ever taken on. Not enough action stuff. Walking down a street knocking on doors is NOT action!! In addition, it is difficult to play a half hour a day. I can't remember where I was or where I was going, and I'm too old to be continually taking notes for all that stuff. I spent more time messing with the records than playing the game. Graphics not as good as Skies of Arcadia, wow, that is a viewers delight! I never have been into this judo stuff, and the game reviews never mentioned that. Hit this button, that button, another button, up, down, over, back, over, back, and something good'll happen, maybe? Give me a good ol' game where I can press a spell button and some beast drops down and does the butt kickin' for me!! I hung my jock up on this one!! One Shenmue game for sale! Gonna find something more interesting and entertaining. And next time I'll wait and read the CUSTOMERS reviews first. Some gamers here have told it like it is.

Forklifting is My Top Priority

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 2 / 8
Date: August 04, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I am a black man who stars in this game. I am sensitive and I speak fluent Japanese. I manage the forklift operation day to day on Disc 3 (only). At a certain point, Ryo (of Shenmue) shows up for a job at my plant. He is a good driver of forklifts, but his skills do not surpass enough to qualify for number one forklifter. I have a hunch he will help me with my own brother's disappearance and the Long Jah (aka the secret trade of Mad Angels back by Pier 17). I am going to fire him this week.

Boring period.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 5
Date: January 04, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game after reading all the wonderful reviews it gets. Now I know I won't be very popular in saying this, but this game [is not very good]! It's true. I played it for a few hours the first day I got it and haven't played it since, I wish I rented it first. All you do is walk around and talk to people following a confusing story line. It made me get bored with the quickness. Where's the nearest pawn shop, cuz I gotta dump this [game]!

Stay away from this abysmal game.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 5
Date: May 28, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Shenmue is like an RPG with no battle system. I do not know what Yu Suzuki is thinking when producing this game because it's so darn boring. Sega's multimillion dollar disaster leaves the player sleeping through hours of asking people for clues about who killed the main character's father. To add some action to the game, Sega added a pathetic Budo fighting system that is similar to Virtua Fighter 3 but with an even worse animation. Please stay away from Shenmue, this game is the Weakest Link of RPGs.

BOOOOORING

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 11
Date: November 19, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Although it has amazing graphics and astounding detail, THe game is WAY too boring. The jist of the game is Ryo saying " Do you know where sailors hang out?' " No I don't" Then Ryo says " I see". I STRONGLY don't reccomend this game.

DO NOT GET!!!!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 4
Date: July 11, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Well when I saw this game it looked pretty cool. But once I started to play it, it was really boring. Yeah, it does have cool things like the graphics are awsome and they talk. The story line is pretty good. But still dont get this game, the only thing you do is talk to people the whole time. There isnt really lots of fighting, which is the funnest part of this game. You only fight like 10 time or somthin like that. At the end of the game you just leave for HONG KONG and that is it. Then you have to buy SHEnmue 2 and they don't have english versions only japanese. If you like talking only I recomend this game but if you like action DO NOT GET THIS.

Good Graphics, but they forgot the game!

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 14 / 22
Date: November 27, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This is a good game, but not a great one. I hate to say it (because I like the loose concept of the game), but I was disappointed with Shenmue. I have to give recognition to the fine artistry and graphical quality. However, herein lies the problem.

So much emphasis was put on the graphics that they forgot to add the game. Shenmue really isn't a video game at all. It is more like you are watching a movie and every once and awhile you have to pause it, do some tedious task, and then you get to watch a little more. You really don't feel like part of the game. It often felt to me that I was not playing at all, but watching someone else play. I kept waiting my turn, and before I got my turn the game was over. This problem was also exemplified by the fact that you can not die (lose, be killed, whatever you choose to call it). I don't know about you, but I like a bit of a challenge. Not even having Ryo's fate in my hands made me feel even more like a bystander.

One other problem I have (probably the most significant to me) is that after all that "playing" you find out that you are just going to have to wait for the next video game to see what happens. You can form your own opinions about that, but I have to admit that I felt a bit taken. I just wanted to play a game. I didn't sign up for some long-term deal where I would have to buy several sets of discs to find out what happens. They should call the game Shenmue: Chapter One. At least then you would know that your entire [money] is going to only one chapter and not an entire game.

If you want to see some great graphics and casually watch one chapter of a story unfold, then this game is for you. However, if you want a challenge, the possibility of losing, a game that may come out differently if you were to play it again, I don't think Shenmue is for you. I recommend Half-Life and Final Fantasy 9 for many hours of video game enjoyment. Happy gaming.

If you like PLAYING games, skip it.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 10
Date: December 03, 2000
Author: Amazon User

There's always going to be a group of people who love products simply because of the hype. Spice Girls, The Macarena, NSYNC, Shenmue...

This game reminds me of those rotten FMV "movie games" that were threatening to take over (and ruin) PC gaming a few year's back. 'Non-games' like Myst, etc. Personally, I play games to PLAY. I have a life, so petting a cat, going to sleep, and standing around waiting for a store to open in a game do not interest me. The main character, Ryo, is a stiff dope. There's a park scene with the mousey flower girl (his love dis-interest) that was pathetic. He could at least have tried to ... (he's a male teenager for God's sake!).

Every once in awhile you get to push a few buttons - the gameplay could have been done on the Atari 2600. It's sad when you keep going to the You Arcade (in the game) to play Space Harrier because it's more fun than the main "game".

I played for hours and I finally got to drive a forklift - Whoo Hoo! My real job is a lot more interesting than Ryo's. I guess if you are a shut-in, have no friends and need to live vicariously through a stiff friendless geek's life, this 'game' is for you. On the other hand, if game playing is part of an interesting life you are leading in the real world, pick up Jet Grind Radio, or one of several excellent Dreamcast games. I wanted Shenmue to be good, but it's just not much of a game. Maybe it would have been a decent anime (if they removed the poor voice acting, stiff characters and boring plot)...

I should have seen it coming when the "FREE: Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment" scrolled by onscreen. Talk about s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g for a cool acronym. Everything in this game is a stretch - in the wrong direction.

Don't Swallow The Hype

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 4 / 22
Date: November 16, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Well I have to tell you that I couldn't wait to get my hands on Shenmue. Then I did get my hands on it and I was quite disappointed. How long can you walk around and have the same people tell you that they will talk to you tomorrow? Don't get me wrong, the graphics are incredible on this game. Better than any of the current PS2 games that are out there, but it just didn't live up to all the hype given to it. Some people love it. Some people hate it. I found that it is a beautiful game and a kool concept, just not for everybody. And mine and my friends both started freezing up at load points. So, on a final note, I think that shenmue is a testimonial that game companies should stop worrying about how kool the games look, and focus on just giving us good games with good plots. Like how about some more F.F. games. PLEEEEEEASE!!!

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