I only played 2 hours last night. Pretty much left it right where the Demo ended so everything from here on out is new to me.
Thoughts after the first two hours?
Positives:
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-- General exploration is very much what you would expect from Shenmue. This feels like Shenmue through and through and just as I was smiling with the demo, I was smiling while talking to random villagers last night. It's as charming as it ever was.
--Playing on PS4 Pro and I'm generally pretty impressed with how stable it is. Runs at a solid 30fps with occasional pop in, but nowhere near as buggy as I feared it may have been. Apart from some clipping here and there, it feels rather polished so far.
-- NPC's generally look pretty good. I think much like the first two games, there are three tiers of NPC. Some look better than others. But at the very least, they are all unique and have a life of their own.
-- Talking with Shenhua at the end of every day is charming as all. I can't wait to see some of the conversations we can have with her as the game goes on.
-- I still haven't ventured out of the bounds of the demo since the game locks you in and seems to reveal itself gradually, but I can't wait to see the full scope of Bailu. Can't wait to start fishing and what not. Picking herbs is fun.
Cons
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-- My general concerns from the demo still remain with the fighting. One of the things I noticed from the demo after playing it extensively was how easy it was to cheese the AI with a simple jab, jab, jab, kick combo. I'm hoping the full game isn't that easy to exploit but something tells me otherwise. I'm playing on Hard difficulty but I can't say I had much trouble taking down the bookie with that very simple combo. I hope that isn't an easy exploit for the entire game.
-- Speaking of combat. I do kind of miss throws and parries more than I expected. Coming from Shenmue II, I do kind of miss the simple joy of the Swallow flip. I miss some of the throws more than I expected I would. Again, it ties back to what I just mentioned...I'm worried it could become too easy to exploit that very simple combo in all battles.
-- There is a general inconsistency in NPC models. Some look rather detailed and true to life. And others, like the little girls father, just look downright cartoony. On the one hand, I kinda like the fact that the NPC's are unique, but at the same time, there is no denying there is a bit of inconsistency going on design wise that can be a little jarring.
-- I think the first day was a little rough in terms of plot setup. It felt like it was trying to find its footing. You literally jump out of the cave and into Bailu village. But along the way you are made privy to a bit of an exposition dump. The early going cut scenes are awkward in their staging. Less so in Japanese in terms of voice acting, but still, the way the game cuts between scenes is a little jarring. Especially during the early walk and talk segments. The early going is a bit jarring, but I felt it was settling into a groove during the 2nd day. The presentation is a little rough though and I could see that being a big complaint in most reviews.
Other than that, I'm still too early in to make any other real judgments. Will find out more this afternoon when I jump back in after work. But so far, I'm more impressed than not. It feels like Shenmue through and through.