Gamabunga

Beach Spikers

8 / 10

Formula One 2002

10 / 20

The Terminator : un autre futur

83%
N°130

The Terminator : un autre futur

3 / 10

Total Immersion Racing

7 / 10

Total Immersion Racing

11 / 20

Paris-Marseille Racing II

6 / 20

Total Immersion Racing

60%
N°142

Silent Scope 3

5 / 10

Shenmue II

8.3 / 10

XBOX
8.3 / 10
États-Unis

Shenmue was one of my favorite Dreamcast games, one I had trouble putting down. The sequel, while new to the US, feels almost outdated. The voice-acting is bad, the graphics are not on the level of other Xbox games, and Shenmue II never involved me as much as the original. In fact, a lot of the things set up in the original don't come to bear in Shenmue II until several hours into the game, leaving an odd disconnection from the first game for the first couple of hours. There's very little back story offered in the game itself, so anyone who hasn't played the original and doesn't watch the included Shenmue Movie may find themselves wondering what the big deal is. There's been no additional set-up added to the game. Where the original eased you into the fighting system, explaining moves to you, showing you you needed to practice regularly, and letting you get your feet wet before diving into serious battles, Shenmue II assumes that you've played the original. If you haven't, it may come off as a bit confusing, or more likely, a bit frustrating. Though some new graphical tweaks and cosmetic features have been added, the game is a relatively straight port from the Dreamcast version. Even though there's a lot more fighting and QTEs than in the original, Shenmue II suffers from a bit too much meandering. It would have been nice to see the story take off a bit quicker, because in all honesty, I really just wanted to learn more about Lan Di and the Phoenix Mirror. While you had to work at the docks driving forklifts in the original, it had a purpose -- you were trying to ferret out some baddies. But here, you work because you need the cash. To make a story strong and compelling, though, everything needs to be more directly tied into the main focus. Otherwise, it feels a bit pointless. Shenmue II is a good game and a definite pick-up for RPG fans, but more should have been done with this sequel to make it more accessible to those who never played the original. It has its faults, for sure, but it is a unique experience. It's certainly a love or hate type of game, which means that you should only buy it if slightly open-ended RPGs appeal to you. The only real bummer is that there seem to be no plans for a third installment, which could make this one heck of a long cliffhanger.