Aberdeen, Wan Chai, Kowloon, or Guilin?

Favorite Area of Shenmue 2?

  • Total voters
    36
Dietsoap

Dietsoap

Joined
Aug 18, 2018
Stupid question but I want to see your opinions. Aberdeen is obviously the smallest, but it does include Beverly Hills Wharf which, at least for me, is easy to forget.
 
Wan Chai. Once I got past the first-time sense of "This is so different from Yokosuka! How do I find my way around this huge place??" then it become kinda cozy in a weird way. It's not Yokosuka cozy, but I liked the vibes you get from each district, I like having to pay rent, etc. It's still a slice of life, but the approach to it is different and interesting in a way that Kowloon didn't really manage for me, not helped by Kowloon having smaller quarters that all felt pretty similar.

Aberdeen is small, I'm not as fond of the music there, and I'm not as taken by the architecture. As for Guilin, I like it, but obviously the game handles Guilin very differently than any other area in the game, and it isn't visually impressive in the same way it was at release. Guilin's aesthetic holds up fairly well, but is undermined by dated visuals that look worse there than anywhere else in the game.
 
I struggled to decide between Kowloon and Guilin. On one hand, I feel like I had the most fun in Kowloon. But on the other, Guilin felt magical.
 
Though I voted for Kowloon, some brief thoughts (here he goes...):

Aberdeen/Wan Chai is nice for stressing the busyness and confusion Ryo experiences. The young man thinks he has it all figured out, but he couldn't find a place to stay if his life depended on it. Barry Jones is the perfect analogy for the area: people soft ball him, but will kill him if suitable.
As you separated Aberdeen and Wan Chai, I'd think it fair to note that Aberdeen on its own feels like a frantic Dobuita.

Kowloon ironically underwhelms in representing vastness-- it's empty for what it's supposed to portray-- but I value it as the place in which Ryo seems to grow most so far. There's no "introduction letter" in Kowloon: we hope Ren is a safe Come Over Guest House owner, and we hope we're really going to make it rather than be chainsawed.

Guilin is magnificent artistry, but-- and the key but-- as our trust in the legacy of the franchise payed off, I don't think its the best part of Shenmue II; I think it's the best part of where we're going.

(usual edits for overwhelming typos &c)
 
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Nigel said:
Kowloon ironically fails in representing vastness-- it's empty for what it's supposed to portray
Click to expand...
I know what you mean, but like 70% of the vastness is in the floors of the buildings. I've never fully explored them.
 
Dietsoap said:
I know what you mean, but like 70% of the vastness is in the floors of the buildings. I've never fully explored them.
Click to expand...

Totally fair, your point. Only on a recent play did I explore the rooms: resident dwellings are always the same on each floor, although differing among buildings. I think that's exactly what made it somewhat small for me, although I can't overlook the fullness of the crowds in the quarters.
 
As much as I love all the areas in Shenmue 2, for some reason I always look forward to and get the most excited thinking about Guilin. It's landscapes, the sheer size of the journey from boat to Shenhua's house, back in the day on the Dreamcast, blew me away - it still does! The calm relaxing journey through lush forest, cliff paths, and stone pit cave, along with in my opinion, the greatest music of the series make this my pick in this vote :)
 
I'm quite fond of Aberdeen. The red stone buildings, the harbor, the cafe, beer garden and tackle shop, the fountain and the view of the sea. Just something about it feels nice. Also the music there is great!
 
Kowloon for me. I like the atmosphere it has - this destroyed city, buildings that are almost impossible to traverse which clash with some of the busy shopping streets and floors you can explore. And I loved exploring them - especially with little hidden extras like the Dural room or the hidden move scroll lucky hit stand.

Plus I absolutely loved the focus on the street fights in this bit. Just really appealed to me in every sense. And plot wise, that last couple of hours... its so darn epic.
 
Wan Chai for me. There's a lot to explore and some great background music. Kowloon always felt too dull and austere for me and you don't really get to see much of Guilin beyond the mountains and that small village, while Aberdeen is basically a smaller Wan Chai.
 
Guilin. Every area is amazing, but the stark difference between Guilin and everything else really accentuates the tranquil yet mysterious qualities of the mountain journey. Every time I go there I still feel like I'm getting close the next game or at least on the verge of uncovering another one of its secrets. Like Nigel said Guilin feels like its just the beginning of something bigger and perhaps better. Guilin really is like the waiting room for Shenmue 3, which I guess is why many of us like hanging out there so much :LOL:
 
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