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Shenmue Preview

“ This isn’t a Revolution…this is Evolution!”

So like the rest of us, you have your copy of Shenmue pre-ordered! You have heard the hype again and again. Well, now it is time to wet your appetite more! This game is going to be impossible to explain. In actual fact, every review you have read is pretty much useless, that is because Shenmue is a game for YOU, and only YOU can decide what YOU like.

Basically the story evolves around a character by the name of Ryo. The opening sequence (which I have seen in full) is absolutely stunning. You see your father (yes, you will take this game personal) die in front of your very eyes and so you decide to take revenge. This is when you realise something…this game is unlike anything you have seen before. If you want to wander the streets then do so…don’t you want to get your father’s revenge…no? Then don’t! This is a game where you are truly in control.

My god.. the graphics look so real...

Yes!  The graphics from what I have seen so far seem too good to be true. I suggest showing this to a PS2 sheep and then ask them to kiss your shoes so they can play! It runs smooth and the colours look sharp and vibrant. The environments are awesome too, just looking at these screenshots and you will pick up the oriental Japan that the developers want you to experience. The speech that I have heard has been superb, yet I do hear that there maybe some annoying little gits out there! Finally, the sound is nothing short of crystal clarity. Brilliant!

“Unlike anything you have seen before…”

What does the game entail then?

Well first off it’s a whole new genre all together. FREE (Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment) is what many would argue to be an RPG with a twist. The game has its own internal clock. That means the sun will set and the moon will rise all in the space of an hour, people will go about their working day, they will sleep, shops will open and close, buses will run to a timetable and you better get to work on time! Yes, this is a very different game. However, this is where casual gamers will not enjoy, because if you are waiting for a bus then you gotta wait! Most will go about buying toys, food or playing at the arcades (with full arcade classics such as Hang On and Space Harrier) but casual gamers will get fed up!

Wow! Now I'm excited, gimme more!

Literally you can interact with anything! All of it in 3D! Then there are the Quick Time Events (QTE) much like the 'Die Hard Arcade' style where you have to press certain buttons in a short period of time to make your character do something. For instance, at the beginning a football will head straight for you. If you don’t press the ‘A’ button quickly it will smack you full on! However, do it in time and you will catch the ball and throw it back. I saw another great sequence in a pub brawl where our hero does the business! Another marvellous aspect is the ‘Magical weather’. Basically, the game will have seasons and the weather will affect the scenery and what happens in the story! It looks amazing and you begin to wonder, how did they keep the cost down to a mere $70 million dollars? Yes…that is correct!

 "Stunning…awesome…brilliant…"

We have all got something to look forward to, I don’t want to say to much at this point, but rest assured, a review will be up shortly and I will try and describe this wonderfully crafted game as best as I can. As one magazine wrote, the less you hear about Shenmue the better it will be when you play it! If the release date slips, I’ll might cut myself with razors, if it’s still on for December the 1^st then many of you, including myself are going to be very happy chappies this coming Christmas!

"You are truly in control"

Thanks to rpgfan for the pics!

Related:

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Previewer:

Craig

>>Download some exclusive Shenmue wallpapers!

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