It's hard to believe that it's been close to 20 years since Shenmue released, and not far off that for the sequel, which released in 2001. It's also difficult to imagine, especially for younger gamers, how groundbreaking the first game was, with its relatively open-world and NPCs who all responded...

Positives + High level of charm + Gameplay loop is still satisfying + Huge amount of content

Negatives; Technical issues; Some patience-testing design decisions

As Sega readies the end of Ryo Hazuki's journey, it polishes up the first two games. Are the remasters worth your time Sometimes, the sky opens up, light glimmering its way to the surface majestically, and miracles happen.

His name is Ryo

Saving anywhere is great; Dialogue and language options improved; HD resolution is brilliant

Sound is poor

This isn't just a game, it's a piece of gaming history. This is the granddaddy of all open world games. It may have not aged well but it still is the best way to play both games and the price can't be beat!

For years, it has been rumoured that the beloved Shenmue and Shenmue II would be getting remastered. Then when Shenmue III was announced at E3 2015 with a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign, it was only a matter of time until the rumoured remaster become a reality.

World is just as immersive; Huge amount of depth; Still has that magical charm

Some odd technical issues

One of the most famous video games of all time finally receives a remaster on consoles and PC, but how does it play today

The size and intricacy of the game environments is still impressive today, as is the attention to detail and refusal to fill the game with needless action sequences; Good quality port

The pacing and progression is glacially slow; Weak dialogue and poor characterisation; Sloppy controls

Shenmue is more than just the name of a game franchise, it is also a state of mind that the game's protagonist, Ryo Hazuki, unknowingly experiences as he travels the world seeking revenge for his father's killer. And by the nature of the game's mechanics, so does the player. More about this later.

Still great looking games; Creates a living; breathing world full of quirky characters; Fun side activities to get lost in

Tank-like controls really show their age; Some events are annoyingly timed

(from my Dreamcast metacritic review) In this players humble opinion, the greatest video game ever created. Yu Suzuki's brainchild, Shenmue 1 and 2 was a work of art , and came very close to simulating a young Japanese man's life and struggles in the late 80's. The innovation was staggering...

Two decades ago Yu Suzuki's Shenmue had hype behind it almost comparable to that of Red Dead Redemption 2 today. The leader of Sega's AM2 division, creator of OutRun and Virtua Fighter, had spent years working on his epic masterpiece, first planned for Sega Saturn and later released on Sega's last...

"...this is still the same old Shenmue series you know and love, for better or worse. " © 2018 Sega, Sega AM2, D3T . All rights reserved.

Still the same old Shenmue; there's so much to do; upscaled character models look great; Japanese voice option included

Very few changes; sound issues from original release still present; clunky controls; the story isn't as good as you remember