Appreciating Disc 4/Guilin

Birty

Birty

Joined: 2002
Joined
Jul 27, 2018
Location
Manchester, UK
PSN
Birty2k
XBL
Birty2k
I just want to say due to not having as much time as I would have liked recently I have finally made it to Guilin in my play through. And I just feel like saying how much more you can appreciate it now especially knowing it will continue, the scenery and music is breathtaking, the nature and the butterflies and everything else, and I love how Yu Suzuki really does want you to take your time with it, all the villagers are telling me to go at my own pace. Even just chatting to a little kid about japan, telling him about arcades, capsule toys, promising him a baseball game if we make it back. I love it, I’m literally walking through the entire area at the minute, I love it!2386
 
I really gotta take more time and enjoy the first area you land in. I love disk 4 but I've never really thought to spend a good amount of time there. Now that 3 is coming, I feel like that's a good idea...
 
For me I never really appreciated the Guilin section of Shenmue 2 unitl i hit my late teens/early 20's. In fact I'd happily finish Disc 3 and then leave Shenmue 2, though I also think part of that was at the time I didn't think we would get 3.

As I've gotten older I got to understand this section more. The change of pace, the meeting with Shenhua & the feel of the envrionments. One thing the re-releases got right for me was this section. They are full of colour and really capture what Yu was going for.
 
I think the main reason people don't like Guilin is because its pace is kinda forced on you.

It's not a problem for me, if you watch one of my proper playthroughs the game speeds up on this section.
 
Woulda preferred it to be part of Shenmue III tbh. Ending the second with Disc 3 would’ve been fucking epic (though it would’ve made the wait even more of a killer)
 
Mittens2317 said:
Woulda preferred it to be part of Shenmue III tbh. Ending the second with Disc 3 would’ve been fucking epic (though it would’ve made the wait even more of a killer)
Click to expand...

There was an interview with Yu where he said Shenmue II was to end with Disc 3, but he added the Guilin section when he knew there wasn't going to be a third game on the Dreamcast.

I think that was absolutely the right decision - without Disc 4 I don't think there'd be nearly as much "WE NEED A SHENMUE III" as there is; while it's complete as a game at Disc 3, the cliffhanger is what got us a third game.
 
DigitalDuck said:
There was an interview with Yu where he said Shenmue II was to end with Disc 3, but he added the Guilin section when he knew there wasn't going to be a third game on the Dreamcast.

I think that was absolutely the right decision - without Disc 4 I don't think there'd be nearly as much "WE NEED A SHENMUE III" as there is; while it's complete as a game at Disc 3, the cliffhanger is what got us a third game.
Click to expand...

I thought Disc 3 would’ve been more of a cliffhanger. Disc 4 was more a case of “Right, big mirrors, missing dad. And?”
 
Disc 3 seemed like more of a natural end. However disc 4 just got things moving to ask the questions around the mirrors and meeting Shenhua.
 
I can't wait to play through that part again as I've forgotten so much about it. I must admit I've been going through Shenmue 1 at a snails pace, mainly due to me not having the time and just wanting to take it all in again really. I always get to the same place each time I try and replay it, just before you get to the harbor. I'm happy and sad that my time in Yokoska harbor is almost at an end, but I finally get to experience Shenmue 2 for the first time in ages. I'll tell you now that Guilin part is going to be so alien to me. I'm hoping I'll be done in time for Shenmue 3!
 
DigitalDuck said:
There was an interview with Yu where he said Shenmue II was to end with Disc 3, but he added the Guilin section when he knew there wasn't going to be a third game on the Dreamcast.

I think that was absolutely the right decision - without Disc 4 I don't think there'd be nearly as much "WE NEED A SHENMUE III" as there is; while it's complete as a game at Disc 3, the cliffhanger is what got us a third game.
Click to expand...

Also, presumably, why he was non-plussed about skipping the boat section from Yokosuka to Hong Kong. Guilin was much more important and 4 discs was the limit. Good choice in my eyes! Always loved Guilin the best--so gorgeous!
 
I was particularly fond of Guilin when younger; in fact, it helped open my eyes to the nature around me in real life (sorry, Thoreau; it took Shenhua). I don't play it as much as I used to, but it really is a unique part of the game that was rightly added. It's a nice cool down after the action.

I agree that II could have ended with Kowloon but, in retrospect, it may be more beneficial that this part of Guilin was already covered: it'd be a somewhat awkward (potentially boring, especially for new players) way to begin the next game. Better to already be in Bailu Village and return to traditional Shenmue gameplay.
 
I adored Guilin. That's when I knew the game was a masterpiece. Usually the end of a game is some huge monster or facing overwhelming odds, but Shenmue II does the opposite. I thought it was incredibly brave and even as a 16 year old I loved it. I think it was because I was so happy to finally meet Shenhua and I just wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.

Being in the cave and reminiscing about Nozomi, Goro etc was beautiful. When I played it again recently for the first time in over a decade, I found it even more moving. Life is moving too fast and it's just lovely to see and play something at a gentle pace (even if it is forced on you).
 
Loved Guilin. After the adrenaline charge of ascending to the top of the Yellow Head Building, it was nice to just chill and take a stroll through some beautiful village scenery. I loved getting to know Shenhua during that walk. Plus it gave us the reveal of the Shenmue tree. The cave sequence is still one of my favorite moments in both games (reminiscing about Yokosuka and Shenhua's song)

It was incredibly brave for it's time (and still is) to simply ask the player to take a knee, chill and take in your surroundings on the long walk to your next destination. Even at the age of 14 when I first played it, it captivated me and instantly became one of my favorite moments in both games.
 
After the QTE insanity and fight infestation that is the Yellow Head Building, the Guilin disc was a very welcome experience.

Also I agree that without disc 4 the thirst for Shenmue 3 probably isn't as strong if it ended with disc 3. Think of all the things Guilin accomplished. It's the part of the game that greatly expanded the world building for the Shenmue lore by introducing mystic elements, the appearance of Shenhua & her mysterious upbringing, the Shenmue tree and the increased stakes involving the mirrors. It also felt like a prologue more than an epilogue which felt like we only played a demo of a new game.

I think my only critique was that they should've tried to build more interactive elements for Ryo to mess around with in Guilin considering how little to no action there is, however it was a last minute addition to the game so I get it.
 
Disc 4 is brilliant. In this Disc the character development of Ryo starts. His interactions which Shenhua are nice to watch. It seems that Shenhua helps Ryo to open up a bit. That is remarkable because even Nozomi could not achieve that.

The gameplay might be a bit slow, but Disc 4 is Story ark after all so the slow peace is perfect.

After the fighting intense Disc 3 and the Showdown with Dou Niu the slower paced Disc 4 is a welcome Change.
 
Disc4 is objectively superb, but subjectively speaking I'm too much of a dickhead and my preference steers towards the urban chaos and artificial light pollution from the other discs. :eek:

Let's see what Shenmue III offers on the matter. :unsure:
 
DigitalDuck said:
There was an interview with Yu where he said Shenmue II was to end with Disc 3, but he added the Guilin section when he knew there wasn't going to be a third game on the Dreamcast.
Click to expand...

I don't know if I fully believe this. Considering the fact that the Guilin section seemed to be up and running on the Saturn version.
 
I'd believe it. Saturn Shenmue had a much shorter Yokosuka and most likely shorter everything. DIsc 4 Guilin, which is only a portion of Chapter 5(?), was surely suppose to be entirely in a Dreamcast Shenmue 3 if Sega hadn't pulled the plug after only ~2 years.
 
Yesterday I finished Shenmue II HD 16 years after played on my Dreamcast. Now I am 33 years and I have a two weeks year old son. At that time my english was very very limited, so, the only thing I knew was about to revenge my dad.


Man, I need to say that: you need maturity to really appreciate Shenmue. It's a experience beyond "punch or kill to win". It's an experience about amazing cultures and the disc 4 part its the apogee of that because it's so interesting the culture shock between Ryo, a Japanese boy, and Shenhua, a Chinese girl that lives in a totally isolated village.


Yu Suzuki is really a master, we was always beyond is own time. Two (or more) years ago I played games two games that have made me remember about Disc 4:


- Everybody's gone to the rapture

- Three Fourths Home


Both games are able to capture the player attention by putting you deeper in the story sometimes with some simple question (TFH) or just showing to you some peculiar details on the game levels (EGTR).


I am very happy that now I was really able to appreciate (and understanding) every detail of Disc 4.


Now I am f**ing anxious to play Shenmue 3!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top