What's your favorite location in Shenmue II

Favorite location in Shenmue II

  • Wan Chai

    Votes: 8 33.3%

  • Kowloon

    Votes: 8 33.3%

  • Guilin

    Votes: 8 33.3%
  • Total voters
    24
Nice thread. 😊 I love all the locations in Shenmue II but my favorite is Guilin. The arrival in Guilin, Ryo meeting Shenhua and walking with her, the soundtrack in Guilin, Ryo arriving in Shenhua's house and seeing the Shenmue tree, the cave part and much more. I love everything about Guilin. Guilin is special, unique and unforgettable.
 
Hiki said:
Nice thread. 😊 I love all the locations in Shenmue II but my favorite is Guilin. The arrival in Guilin, Ryo meeting Shenhua and walking with her, the soundtrack in Guilin, Ryo arriving in Shenhua's house and seeing the Shenmue tree, the cave part and much more. I love everything about Guilin. Guilin is special, unique and unforgettable.
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Yeah I love the Guilin section especially the atmosphere, but I think I have to go with Kowloon as I think all the old and destroyed buildings just have such a uniqueness to it.
 
I really love Wan Chai, just remember getting off the boat and being lost in the city, challenging everyone I can in darts, finding the secret medal, meeting Eileen in Pidgen Park, gambling in secret alley's. Triggering different scenes by different cup patterns. I love the aesthetic of the apartment buildings.
 
Oh that's a tough one, so i'm going to have to abstein.

Wan Chai for giving me the feeling of virtual homesickness and - 20 years on - still having a sense of depth and expansion that still can feel overwhelming.

Kowloon as it felt like the stakes were getting higher. I also loved the tall buildings and that there was so much tension.

Guilin has a sense of tranquility that has rarely been equalled to this day. It still blows my mind what a switcharoo Guilin was compared to Kowloon.
 
Very interesting (and awesome!) the answers thus far; I assumed it would be 50/50 Kowloon/Guilin lol.

For me, it's Kowloon 100%. The amount of things to do, things to see, the buildings, the horrible voice acting, the legendary status of a city that no longer exists, it is just all FANTASTIC.

Bonus points for 5 Stars Corp being my absolute favourite point in the series thus far and the Yellowhead Building Being the best hour (and a bit) in gaming history; never has so much varied gameplay been packed into an hour and a bit, that looks good, plays well and most-importantly, WORKS and is plot-relevant.

Kowloon forever.
 
The fact I am having such a difficult time choosing really is a testament to how wonderfully realized and varied the environments of Shenmue 2 are. That’s not even factoring in how different the pace, tone and content really varies from each location.

Let’s break it down-

Hong Kong
The first environment sets the tone for the sequel by introducing what felt like this huge, sprawling environment especially as most players knew Yokosuka‘s map intimately by that point. You immediately feel like a stranger. In terms of content it introduced you to Xuixing and I think probably the best pairing of thematic elements interwoven into gameplay with the 4 Wudu.

Kowloon
The word that immediately comes to mind when I think of Kowloon is; escalation. Escalation in terms of size, scope and danger. It contains one of my favourite cinematics introducing you to the walled city. You spend large chunks of time with Ren, which is an awesome dynamic leading to beating the three street fighters and the amazing ascent up to the top of the Yellowhead building. The later in terms of sheer set pieces blew my mind away, as I had never experienced such sustained action like that culminating in an epic rooftop boss fight, few will forget.

Gulin
If Kowloon felt like escalation, Guilin with its rural environments and lone traveling companion felt like the antithesis of everything that came before it. A huge change in tone and rhythm yet a vital one, which leads to a lot of introspection from main character and arguably the player. The introduction of Shenhua really sets into motion this powerful dynamic which seems to be at the core of what this series is about.

Again each environment has its pluses and minus but in terms of impact and what I most fondly recall I would have to vote Kowloon.
 
Kowloon. The scale still blows me away. To think they pulled off a location so detailed, varied and vast on the Dreamcast is utterly bonkers.

I know the samey "magic room" buildings have the potential to confuse and frustrate, and the general grimey and run-down appearance isn't to everyone's tastes, but I love it, and I think they do a good job of pointing you in the right direction so you don't get lost -- you've just gotta pay attention.

Yes, the Ghost Hall planks are very bad (tolerable with save-scumming). And the first-person fighting and stealth segments in the Yellow Head building aren't what I'd call "good", but the overall experience and vibe of Kowloon as a whole...I love it. It really does feel like you've found the seedy underbelly of HK, and you're ready to take it on single-handedly...with the help of Ren :p
 
No love for Aberdeen? Not that I want to pick that but still, kinda odd that it's omitted.

Younger me would've probably said Kowloon. All those delapidated buildings freakishly connected with each other with countless floors giving off just the right amount of creepiness... Great stuff. But I've come to like Wan Chai just that bit more, especially the Wise Mens Qr.

That quarter alone has it all. Countless shops on the bustling streets, the stairs with the airplane, the little off track route over the bridge, the pawn shops, tucked away capsule toy machines, martial arts shops, restaurants and the Man Mo Park. Oh this park alone... All the people practicing Tai Chi around that tree, the cats in the bedding and that sitting corner under the overgrown pergola. I wish there was an option to just make Ryo sit there.
 
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