DigitalFoundary looked at Sega's cancelled Shenmue remake.

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Aside from some bugs, Sega's Shenmue 1 and 2 HD remaster was a good release but originally, plans were afoot for an altogether more ambitious project - and you can see it right here.

Shenmue 1 & 2 has been reviewed by finder.

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Ultimately, Shenmue I & II is a bundle that's for a very specific target audience. Younger gamers will likely only see faults and boredom aplenty and will wonder what all the fuss is about (they may even cancel their Shenmue 3 pre-order because of it). Crusty old gamers like myself will purchase this reflexively and take a delightful, awkwardly animated stroll down memory lane. It'll be a walk filled with warm fuzzy feelings and many a question about sailors.

Thanks Farflame!

RPG Site reviewed the PC version of the JRPG Shenmue 1 & 2:

Shenmue I & II Review

I want to say at the very start of this review that Shenmue holds a very special place in my heart. Being a child of the 90s, I was able to witness first-hand the dramatic changes the gaming industry was going through. That began with the move from 2D pixel-based games to jaw-dropping 3D technology. Seeing a computer-generated FMV cinematic for the first time completely blew my young mind. As I got a little older and began discerning the quality of the games I was playing, I started to take note of any titles that tried to set itself apart from the herd.

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To me, both Shenmue 1 and Shenmue 2 are the epitome of what Japan was able to accomplish when publishers gave the developers under them very long leashes to just go out there and make whatever game they desired to. The industry was still in a growing stage, and that has all but evaporated in today's world. As a result, this is truly something that is well worth experiencing whether you're a newcomer or simply looking to find out whether that rose-tinted nostalgia you have still holds up. It may not be for everyone, but you shouldn't pass up Yu Suzuki's magnum opus.

Score: 8/10

The Adventure RPG Shenmue 1 & 2 is now available for the PC:

Shenmue 1 & 2

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The long wait is over! Shenmue I & II are now available on PS4, Xbox One and PC! Re-live the adventure of Ryo Hazuki as he embarks on a quest for revenge on those responsible for murdering his father in 1980s Japan.

Destructoid recommends the Shenmue remake:

Should you play Shenmue 1+2 Hd?

Should you give Shenmue your time in 2018? After the huge announcement of Shenmue 3 at the PlayStation E3 conference in 2015, Shenmue had a huge resurgence in popularity and many fans and newcomers alike began begging for a re-release in HD all over again, fans had asked for an HD collection ever since the release of Yakuza 2  in 2006 which featured a fighting system that was considered incredibly advanced for its time and was the first time Sega put a lot of attention into the audio production of one of their key video games.
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There are many reasons to be excited about Shenmue 1+2 HD whether you're a hardcore fan, a casual fan, or a Yakuza fan just looking to see where the series began since Yakuza is a spiritual successor to Shenmue and it's not unrealistic to think had the series continued under Sega that Ryo would've joined the Yakuza maybe even fight alongside Kazama Kiryu. My final verdict is Yes, You should absolutely play Shenmue 1+2 HD  and give Shenmue your time in 2018! It's also a much more affordable way to catch up on the Shenmue series before the release of the long-anticipated Shenmue 3 in 2019!

Monster wrote on why Shenmue 1&2 is still important today. Additionally Gearnuke report on a rumour that Denuvo has been removed from Shenmue 1&2

The first game is designed in such a way that you find yourself becoming accustomed to the town, the people and the setting. Finding shortcuts naturally and running into familiar faces becomes commonplace and you start to gain a real sense of belonging. You feel at home, while slowly unveiling a shadowy underworld that Ryo never knew about. The second game does the exact opposite. You feel lost, overwhelmed, and alone for a good portion of the game. Meeting new friends and getting help from strangers is your only lifeline in this new and dangerous place. The games are absolutely incredible at creating an atmosphere in line with the story, it’s truly a masterpiece of artistic design.

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Thanks Couchpotato!

@Gamingbolt Shenmue 1&2 used many real life locations which is explored and compared in this video. The game itself is releasing August 21st.

This trailer actually highlights one of the strengths of the Shenmue games- their almost discomfitting faithfulness to real life. For instance, this trailer compares locations of the real world Yokosuka with their analogs in game, and it is fascinating to see just what extent Yu Suzuki and his team went to to keep things as accurate as possible.

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A FAQ for Shenmue 1&2 has been provided by SEGA.

Which Features have we added?

As well as the herculean effort of porting the code to the new platforms, there is a huge number of things we have added:

• Choice of Japanese or English speech in both games
• Saves can be carried over from Shenmue into Shenmue II on all platforms
• Saving anywhere in both games
• HD resolution rendering
• Updated UI
• New post processing effects for both games
• Full controller support and configurable mouse and keyboard for PC users
• Full Achievement support for both games on all platforms

Which version of Shenmue 2 did we port?

For technical reasons we started with the Xbox source code and data. This has the advantage of some additional features missing from the Dreamcast version:

• Snapshots system
• Filters
• Texture mip-maps to improve anti-aliasing

As some community members will know, the Xbox does have some graphical differences to the DC version which will also be present in our version.

What does Modern Control Scheme mean?

Modern control scheme means we have enabled use of the analogue stick instead of the D-Pad for movement of Ryo, as well as adding full mouse and keyboard support for PC users.

Will the games run at 60hz?

Throughout the engine, game code and scripts there are hard coded assumptions about a fixed 30Hz frame update rate, so the game needs to run at 30Hz.

Is the game 4:3 or Widescreen?

Gameplay where the player can control the camera is 16:9.

Cutscenes are letterboxed in their original formats.

Can the emulated arcade games be played?

We are pleased to announce that all the arcade games in the original are fully playable in the new release!

Who do we thank for this?

The amazing team at d3t.

The Shenmue 1 and 2 remasters will be releasing next month according to PCGamesN.

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The listing on the Microsoft store says that the two games (which appear to be relatively simple ports of the original releases) will be available from Tuesday, August 21 in Europe (August 20 in America). The listing also confirms that the games will be bundled together for a release price of $29.99. Given that there's no official release date from SEGA, I'd remain slightly sceptical of that date, but the listing has stayed up for more than 12 hours at time of writing, and pre-orders appear to be live.

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