Shenmue I & II (2018) review scores?

[Mittens2317]

I agree with most. Reviewers may be caught in a momentary dilemma where they think "The quality of the games probably deserves an 8, but the port itself is possibly a 6 at best" then just meet in the middle.

I expect to see some pretty high scores knockin about though, as it'll have some mythical charm to some who haven't previously played it, as if it's some ancient artefact that was pivotal to developing the world into what it is today.

Or maybe I've just played a litte too much Assassin's Creed lately... ?

 

[Shenmue AM2 Podcast]

We will discuss this on an upcoming episode of the podcast.

 

[BlueMue]

Not to just repeat what many have said already but 7 really seems to be the most likely outcome for what Shenmue is and what the port does.

 

[Henry Spencer]

Not to just repeat what many have said already but 7 really seems to be the most likely outcome for what Shenmue is and what the port does.

Yeah the general consensus is definitely aimed at 7, which I agree with personally as well. Their two of my favourite games ever, it's just the most realistic outcome. The reception of 3 is the one I'll be curious to see firsthand.

 

[Let's Get Sweaty]

Perhaps, but I think this thread is more asking what you yourself think is the right score.

Yes, to reiterate for anyone still unsure, the purpose of the poll is to gauge what we think will be the fairest score, not the most common score.

 

[David De ville]

I'd say 7/10 too. Lack of online feature and save transfer to Shenmue III is disappointing but overall, it looks good.

 

[Vivi-gamer]

I voted a 6... the games themselves are a 10/10 in my book! But d3t really has dropped the ball with the lack of effort put into a widescreen presentation with the cutscenes - Which if the game is going to be evaulated in a modern context as a HD Remaster, this is a big glaring stain acreoss the package.

While the voice acting is beloved in our hearts, I can see a newcomer listening to it can comparing it to screeches on a blackboard - The voice acting is immensely dated however the inclusion of Japanese voice overs does sort of pypass this :) Me I'll have them good ol' fashioned English voices anyway I also gather they haven't done much in regards to the remastering the quality of the mastering either.

That said i know some of the new features will be appreciated, they've apparently up the resolution on the textures, the faster loading is very appealing and I am still undecided in regards to the new 'Bloom' effect over Shenmue 1 in particular - have to wait till I try it I guess.

I personally hope the reviews and see Shenmue for how innovative it truly was - It's refined presentation of realism, the structure of the daily lief cycle you explore in is something I still have yet to see topped. As a Remaster though, I simply don't think this release does the game justice - Especially compared to previous HD Remasters of PS2 games on PS3. I just think with more refinment it could have been something much more special, I'm still going to play it and I am excited to but there is still part of me with is nauseous about the release in general.

 

[Reprise]

The thing is though, they're more enhanced ports than they are remasters in my opinion.

 

[Vivi-gamer]

Many people have defintions upon Remasters/Remake, I personally don't think a game has to have a complete graphics overhaul like Crash N.Sane Trilogy to be deemed a Remaster - Many of the PS3 Remasters like God of War Collection 1 & 2, Metal Gear Solid, Prince of Persia etc. All converted the material to 16:9 and boosted the resolution to HD. These are the type of ehancements worthy for a Remaster and beyond just a port. To me a port is something as simple as the releases you'd see on the Playstation Store - PS1 games on PS3 for example. I see this release to be more than that but lesser than the standard of the PS2 to PS3 remasters.

 

[reminisce]

We all know Shenmue is a 9-10 masterpiece, especially relatively speaking. Have you seen the games getting 10/10’s lately? Lol..

But unfortunately the “remasters” will be judged on what they could have been technically, rather than the revolutionary depth of Shenmue’s explorative experience.

 

[mue 26]

Yes, to reiterate for anyone still unsure, the purpose of the poll is to gauge what we think will be the fairest score, not the most common score.

So far the poll is suggesting that after the decades of campaigning and clamouring for it, now that the re-release is here, Shenmue fans are pretty lukewarm about it with the consensus being "it's a solid 7 out of 10 for sure".

Nothing wrong with a 7 out of 10 mind.

Also, can I ask what we know about the quality of the ports? I looked for a thread with general information but couldn't find one. Personally, I'd be happy with anything that isn't too different or worse than the originals. I'm 100% fine without enhancements, in fact I think I'd prefer it without as some remasters have botched things a bit for me, like for example the change to the faces of the character models in Final Fantasy X.

 

[Sappharad]

I voted a 6... the games themselves are a 10/10 in my book! But d3t really has dropped the ball with the lack of effort put into a widescreen presentation with the cutscenes - Which if the game is going to be evaulated in a modern context as a HD Remaster, this is a big glaring stain acreoss the package.

It's probably not d3t's fault though, they're not going to implement something unless asked & paid to do so. (Although the guy who heads up our QA testing at work attended a talk last year on something called "Pathetic Compliance" and now uses that phrase during QA rejection anytime one of our developers does something stupid and blames the requirements for not being specific.)

It's been mentioned already multiple times by myself and other people that these are basically $15USD each, which is mostly equivalent to the price and effort of previous Dreamcast ports on x360 & PS3. Sega lost a lot of money on the series the last time around and couldn't really guarantee from a business standpoint if they put money into enhancing these that it would sell well enough this time to make that back. The $30 price point for the collection is great. I've seen comments elsewhere (ResetEra for example) from people who said they're picking it up to give it a chance simply because the price is so low. It's both a lesser risk to Sega and to customers who want to give it a try as an impulse buy. From a logical perspective I agree with their decisions and think it was the best choice, even though like many others I would've wanted more done and paid more for it.


As far as reviews go, I'd say 7 out of 10 when rounded. They're going to take a hit on the disadvantages and any reviewer who is used to modern games and completely new to this may not enjoy the pacing of the first one.

 

[Reprise]

So far the poll is suggesting that after the decades of campaigning and clamouring for it, now that the re-release is here, Shenmue fans are pretty lukewarm about it with the consensus being "it's a solid 7 out of 10 for sure".

Haha yeah, it's interesting.

*Original Shenmue games on original hardware with no bells or whistles*

Shenmue fans: "Oh my god, what a masterpiece! 10/10"

*Both Shenmue games on one disc, 1080p HD resolution, widescreen gameplay, dual audio, playable on modern hardware, save anywhere in Shenmue 1. Budget price point*

Shenmue fans: "7/10. Could have been better. Not enough new features"

 

[Mittens2317]

When I think of scoring a game I reckon there should be two: from a technical standpoint and enjoyability. I mean, look at Skyrim. Broken as fuck but one of the best video game experiences I've ever had.

Comparing what we've seen to other re-releases, I'd seen at seven is about right. There isn't much to it. This is the problem with them though, do you rate it as the game it was or rate the re-release itself?

 

[Reprise]

I always review games (not that I'm a critic or a reviewer) based on my enjoyment and how I feel they hold up today. But when I say 'how they hold up', I mean whether I can still enjoy them today or if there are any archaic and/or clunky mechanics or technical problems that we were more forgiven of back in the day, not whether enough fancy new features have been added to it.

The original Shenmue games are still 9/10s for me (at least!), therefore regardless of what Sega do with these releases, unless they pull a Silent Hill Collection and actually make these ports inherently worse than the originals, I will score these re-releases as 9/10s too.

 

[ShenBlue92]

What we really need is a polished experience.
We have new controls, gameplay in widescreen, hd resolution, dual audio, very fast loading times, steady framerate and some lighting enhancements and post processing.
One thing I’m a bit worried about (and I’m surprised no one mentioned this) is the pop up effect that still seems to be there in one of the last trailer. It shows Ryo running around Kowloon.
I sincerely hope we have no pop up and a solid framerate. I don’t really care about cutscenes being 4:3

 

[Technophilz]

The 2018 me voted 4/10 for obvious reasons, although the 2000 me would've easily voted 9/10.
I don't think younger reviewers will appreciate this lazy flawed port based on how innovative and groundbreaking Shenmue and Shenmue II were back in 1999 - 2000.
This was supposed to be one of the most requested "modern" "HD" remasters ever, and it ended up being far below what's expected from a remaster of this generation. Plus, the horrible marketing approach Sega Europe has taken to "promote" it has simply added insult to injury. Sega knew that we in the west are the true fans who kept this series alive, and yet they thank us by releasing the Limited Edition only in Japan, and by forcing a bearded douche into the noses of every Shenmue fan and his "I can finally talk about this" BS.
Unfortunately, it is what it is and we have no other option than to buy it, play it and support it despite its' overall 4/10 quality.

 

[reminisce]

We have to realize that $ega isn't what it once was...

They didn't care about us for nearly two decades...

Until we funded Shenmue III...

$ega is different now...



There is a reason $ega and Yu-sama went separate ways....

If you know, you know...

4,5,6,7,8,9,10...it doesn't matter...

Shenmue is moving on...

And that's long overdue...

 

[Reprise]

I think you're being way too harsh and way over the top. In my opinion, it's ridiculous to suggest the port is flawed or lazy. It's not being marketed as a full blown remaster and its price point is quite clearly at the budget release level, all for good reason.

To suggest that taking the source code and adding a modern interface, upping the resolution to 1080p, implementing modern controls, dual audio, widescreen gameplay and adding a new save feature to the first game (meaning that these releases essentially add to, embellish and improve upon the original releases) is disastrous, lazy or flawed, is nothing short of hyperbolic and puerile.

 

[spud1897]

I think you're being way too harsh and way over the top. In my opinion, it's ridiculous to suggest the port is flawed or lazy. It's not being marketed as a full blown remaster and its price point is quite clearly at the budget release level, all for good reason.

To suggest that taking the source code and adding a modern interface, upping the resolution to 1080p, implementing modern controls, dual audio, widescreen gameplay and adding a new save feature to the first game (meaning that these releases essentially add to, embellish and improve upon the original releases) is disastrous, lazy or flawed, is nothing short of hyperbolic and puerile.

Also when you listen to people talk about the code they say the screen-sizing for example is fixed within the code. Changing it would require time and money, which may impact on the pricing of the final product. £25 is very reasonable but say they spent a load of time and money fixing everything it could well increase that to £35 or more and then people will be saying it is overpriced. They have a delicate balance to maintain.

On top of that I'm sure Adam Koralik and James Reiner discussed this in a video they did and basically the code is held together with the digital version of duck tape. Adam said it's a miracle it works and functions with all the complexities behind it.