Is Shenmue 2 as good or better than 1?

Lindokuhle

Lindokuhle

Joined
Jan 15, 2022
Hi all, I'm asking because I started Shenmue 2 today and man, the first one was so amazing that I'm worried 2 won't reach its heights.

For starters, I'm currently at the Guesthouse. And secondly, the wider setting is... different. There are noticeably a lot more cut scenes. A LOT. And Joy is everywhere.

Is this just early game jitters on the game's part or does it improve as it goes on? I've heard some say that 2 is a masterpiece and better than 1. If so, then it could be the greatest game of all time because 1 immediately my top 5 games of all time.
 
Lindokuhle said:
Hi all, I'm asking because I started Shenmue 2 today and man, the first one was so amazing that I'm worried 2 won't reach its heights.

For starters, I'm currently at the Guesthouse. And secondly, the wider setting is... different. There are noticeably a lot more cut scenes. A LOT. And Joy is everywhere.

Is this just early game jitters on the game's part or does it improve as it goes on? I've heard some say that 2 is a masterpiece and better than 1. If so, then it could be the greatest game of all time because 1 immediately my top 5 games of all time.
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2 is the best shenmue game by far if you liked shenmue 1 you will love shenmue 2 no doubt about it
 
Funny you mention it, I remember thinking after the first 30 minutes or so that it wasn't as good as the first game, but by the time the credits were rolling it had cemented itself as my favourite game of all time and an experience unlike any other. I think you'll love it!
 
KiddMarine said:
Funny you mention it, I remember thinking after the first 30 minutes or so that it wasn't as good as the first game, but by the time the credits were rolling it had cemented itself as my favourite game of all time and an experience unlike any other. I think you'll love it!
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Ditto

Shenmue confession: I didn't like Shenmue 2 for the first hour and actually put down for a few days. Eventually I got through the first couple in-game days and everything clicked much better. General consensus says Shenmue 2 being better--but I never have been able to decide definitively between the two even now.
 
Lindokuhle said:
Hi all, I'm asking because I started Shenmue 2 today and man, the first one was so amazing that I'm worried 2 won't reach its heights.

For starters, I'm currently at the Guesthouse. And secondly, the wider setting is... different. There are noticeably a lot more cut scenes. A LOT. And Joy is everywhere.

Is this just early game jitters on the game's part or does it improve as it goes on? I've heard some say that 2 is a masterpiece and better than 1. If so, then it could be the greatest game of all time because 1 immediately my top 5 games of all time.
Click to expand...

Oh man it's a great game. I didn't mind the beginning but trust me it picks up soon. Personally I think Shenmue II is a vast improvement over Shenmue 1 and I loved that game. Don't want to hype it as experiences will be different but I think there's decent chance you'll at least enjoy II if you loved 1.
 
To me, is almost if are the same game. Is like a multi part movie saga, you can like more one movie or another, but all are part of the same story.

That said, Shenmue 2 is impressive, I envy to those who are going to play it for first time :ROFLMAO:.
 
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I think the general "consensus" I've noticed over the years of why people like S1 or S2 more can be boiled down to this:

Those who prefer Shenmue 1 like the feeling of having a smaller, intimate setting where they're familiar with every inch of the map and are more connected to the world. They like the feeling of existing within a small town and enjoy how much interactivity they have with the environment. It's much easier to notice details such as the same NPCs in different parts of the environment during different times of the day and in general there are a few more details that make it feel like a lived-in world. I think there's also the factor that it's the first game in the series and what it did was completely new, and that feeling of "newness" could never be replicated in a sequel.

Those who prefer Shenmue 2 tend to, of course, like all the same elements as Shenmue 1, but the feeling of a familiarity is lost since you travel to many new and unfamiliar locations. However, that familiarity is traded for a sense of unease and curiosity that's a reflection of where you are in the story. You can spend a lot of time exploring since the locations are much larger and there tends to be more payoff in finding a few shops or gambling locations off the beaten path. There's a much larger and ambitious story which moves at a faster pace along with an increased amount of combat encounters, branching QTE's, set pieces, and boss fights.

And yes I know that I don't speak for everyone but those are the common thoughts I've noticed. Shenmue 2 is my favorite game of all time and while I really loved S1, I just think S2 is all-around better. I definitely appreciate the small town feel and attention to detail of S1, though.
 
Shenmue 2 takes every criticism I had of Shenmue 1 (which wasn't a lot) and fixes them. Ever get annoyed that Ryo won't ask NPCs the questions you want to ask? Well now there are dialogue options. Felt the pacing grinded to a halt at points? Shenmue 2 got you covered start to finish. Ever wished you could see how much health your enemy has? Well now ya can.
 
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The first time I played Shenmue II (back in 2002) I expected it to give me more of the same of the first game, and while I enjoyed it, I ended up thinking it was not as good as the first.

But from my second playthrough of both games onwards, after assuming it's something different, I strongly think it's the best game in the series. In particular, I appreciate the storyline and the secondary characters, which I find MUCH more interesting and much better written. There's no comparable character to Xiuying in I, Ren is much more interesting than Guizhang, and I'd also say Joy has a deeper personality than Nozomi, and the eventual friendship with Fangmei is more developed than the dynamic with Fuku-san.
 
'mue II is the greatest achievement in gaming (IE: the best game ever made), as every gaming element is perfect or near-perfect.

The writing is superb (the entire plot in general; a, "revenge plot," that explores so many different avenues of mythology, morality and history? Arguably the best revenge plot in almost any medium, ever and it written with fantastic pacing, stakes and the use of plot devices and characters is perfectly-textbook), the graphics were the best at time of release (and still look phenomenal today), soundtrack is expansive, grandiose and phenomenally-written, the added use of the analog makes the tank-ish controls no longer an issue and the incredibly-varied gameplay that is also perfect, makes it fairly easy to pick up and play (the plot, however, is not quite pick up and play friendly).

It's not my favourite game of all-time (Total Annihilation) nor is it my favourite console game of all-time (Final Fight CD), so I'm not even, "overrating it because it's my favourite," but it is the best thing ever made for the medium, I will defend that to the death and there is a shit-ton of evidence to back me up (as we all know).

Doesn't mean you'll LIKE IT better than 'mue; that's fine. But it is a superior game, period.
 
Tomato Convenience Store said:
I think the general "consensus" I've noticed over the years of why people like S1 or S2 more can be boiled down to this:

Those who prefer Shenmue 1 like the feeling of having a smaller, intimate setting where they're familiar with every inch of the map and are more connected to the world. They like the feeling of existing within a small town and enjoy how much interactivity they have with the environment. It's much easier to notice details such as the same NPCs in different parts of the environment during different times of the day and in general there are a few more details that make it feel like a lived-in world. I think there's also the factor that it's the first game in the series and what it did was completely new, and that feeling of "newness" could never be replicated in a sequel.

Those who prefer Shenmue 2 tend to, of course, like all the same elements as Shenmue 1, but the feeling of a familiarity is lost since you travel to many new and unfamiliar locations. However, that familiarity is traded for a sense of unease and curiosity that's a reflection of where you are in the story. You can spend a lot of time exploring since the locations are much larger and there tends to be more payoff in finding a few shops or gambling locations off the beaten path. There's a much larger and ambitious story which moves at a faster pace along with an increased amount of combat encounters, branching QTE's, set pieces, and boss fights.

And yes I know that I don't speak for everyone but those are the common thoughts I've noticed. Shenmue 2 is my favorite game of all time and while I really loved S1, I just think S2 is all-around better. I definitely appreciate the small town feel and attention to detail of S1, though.
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This is it, 100%. Before I would always say that I prefer Shenmue 1 to Shenmue 2, but the more I think about it, the more I actually think that the question "which one is better" doesn't even makes sense.

For me the absolute best thing about playing through Shenmue is how you go from the cosy, comfy, small-town-Japan setting of Shenmue 1, to the fast-paced, rough-and-tumble-everyone-is-out-to-get-you, fish out of water setting of Shenmue 2. It's that exact dynamic that makes the series so compelling to me, and you can't have one without the other.

No matter what, if you loved Shenmue 1, you're going to love Shenmue 2. For me, now, they're inseparable.
 
I prefer the first game but not by much. They're both awesome but for different reasons.

Shenmue 1 has a smaller world but it is more detailed. The NPC's that populate the world have a lot of depth and you feel connected to them (if you make the effort to talk with them throughout the game). They all have their own stories while you advance yours. Kurita and Yuriko's relationship develops as the game progresses, the gambler working two jobs to feed his habit, Eri's growing disdain for Ryo, etc.

Shenmue 2 is more story-driven, has more (and probably better), fights and moves, adding to the replay value for people who love the combat system. You could dive back into the game to play it like a VFRPG if you wanted, especially since 2 resolves a lot of the pacing issues, meaning you can get to the meaty parts of the game faster. We don't have the same connection to the world as Ryo in Shenmue 2, NPC's that aren't part of story are (for the most part) not as interesting. This could be completely intentional, though. Ryo is, after all, a fish out of water in a foreign land, so it makes sense that NPC's are much more generic.
 
Shenmue I means more to me, but Shenmue II is arguably the better game.

I distincly remember excitingly putting Shenmue II in my Dreamcast, Christmas 2001 and after a few hours I felt kinda sad. Don't get me wrong, I loved it, but I was struggling with lucky hit and feeling like something wasn't right. I then went to my Grandma's house that evening (she lived across the road from me) and took the game with me. It then twigged that I was virtually homesick for Yokosuka! Once I twigged that, I thought "Goodness, this is an emotion i've never felt in a game before!" I missed Nozomi, Fuku-san, Ine-san...everyone. It was a masterstroke.

Once I twigged that and got my bearings, I adored the game. I played it again last year and 20 years on am still impressed at how much action and quiet moments there are. By the time I got to Guilin, I just thought "this is art".

In real life, I struggle with new places as I get homesick and love the comfort of familarity. When I feel sad, I think back to when I played Shenmue II and that the next day, I felt stronger and more confident as every day i'm in a new place, i'm more familiar.

For that - as well as the quality of the game - Shenmue II is arguably better.
 
That's the genius of Shenmue II, it perfectly encapsulates the fish out of water, stranger in a strange land feeling when you leave your comfortable home town for places unknown.

That's why the first few hours are so bewildering and seem almost rapid fire, everything is new, nothing is familiar and danger is all around. Even going to sleep in the guest house, your like damn I miss the coziness of the Hazuki homestead.

As far as adventure games go I think it's the absolute gold standard.
 
The beginning of II is a bit ponderous but it quickly improves. The increase in scope (over the first game) brings with it some negatives, but they're mostly outweighed by a sense of place, scale, an impressive diversity of environments, etc.

Shenmue II is a great game. I don't think it's so much better than the first, nor do I think it's a flawless masterpiece. I prefer the original for many reasons, but they're essentially one package and compliment each other perfectly.
 
Tomato Convenience Store said:
I think the general "consensus" I've noticed over the years of why people like S1 or S2 more can be boiled down to this:

Those who prefer Shenmue 1 like the feeling of having a smaller, intimate setting where they're familiar with every inch of the map and are more connected to the world. They like the feeling of existing within a small town and enjoy how much interactivity they have with the environment. It's much easier to notice details such as the same NPCs in different parts of the environment during different times of the day and in general there are a few more details that make it feel like a lived-in world. I think there's also the factor that it's the first game in the series and what it did was completely new, and that feeling of "newness" could never be replicated in a sequel.

Those who prefer Shenmue 2 tend to, of course, like all the same elements as Shenmue 1, but the feeling of a familiarity is lost since you travel to many new and unfamiliar locations. However, that familiarity is traded for a sense of unease and curiosity that's a reflection of where you are in the story. You can spend a lot of time exploring since the locations are much larger and there tends to be more payoff in finding a few shops or gambling locations off the beaten path. There's a much larger and ambitious story which moves at a faster pace along with an increased amount of combat encounters, branching QTE's, set pieces, and boss fights.

And yes I know that I don't speak for everyone but those are the common thoughts I've noticed. Shenmue 2 is my favorite game of all time and while I really loved S1, I just think S2 is all-around better. I definitely appreciate the small town feel and attention to detail of S1, though.
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I find myself in this description :)

I prefer the first part but I also love the second but its gives me a bit more stress playing it because the setting is huge :D
 
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