| Shenmue | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genres | Action-adventure Interactive cinema Life simulation Social simulation |
| Developers |
|
| Publishers |
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| Creator | Yu Suzuki |
| Platforms | |
| First release | Shenmue December 29, 1999 |
| Latest release | Shenmue III November 19, 2019 |
Shenmue[a] is anaction-adventure game series created, produced and directed byYu Suzuki.Shenmue (1999) andShenmue II (2001) were developed bySega AM2 and published bySega for theDreamcast.Shenmue II was released in 2002 in Western markets on theXbox.Shenmue III, developed by Suzuki's company Ys Net, was released for thePlayStation 4 andWindows in 2019.
TheShenmue games consist of open-world3D environments interspersed withbrawler battles andquick time events. They include elements ofrole-playing,life simulation andsocial simulation games, such as aday-and-night system, variable weather effects,non-player characters with daily schedules and interactive elements, such as vending machines, arcades andminigames. The story follows the teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki as he travels through 1980s Japan and China in pursuit of his father's killer. The originalShenmue was themost expensive video game ever developed at the time, with an estimated production and marketing cost of US$47 to $70 million, though some of the development also coveredShenmue II.
Shenmue andShenmue II received mostly positive reviews. Critics praised their graphics, soundtrack, realism and ambition, but criticized their controls, slow pace and voice acting, and the focus on mundane detail divided players. The games attracted acult following, appearing in several lists of thegreatest video games of all time, and are credited for pioneering systems including quick time events and open worlds. However, they were commercial failures and further installments entereddevelopment hell.
In 2004, Sega announced amassively multiplayer online role-playing game,Shenmue Online, but it was not released. In 2010, asocial game,Shenmue City, was launched in Japan; it was discontinued a year later. In 2018, Sega released high-definition ports ofShenmue andShenmue II for multiple formats. Following a successfulcrowdfunding campaign, Suzuki developedShenmue III independently. It was released for the PlayStation 4 and Windows in 2019, and received mixed reviews for its similarity to the earlier games. Ananime adaptation ofShenmue, co-produced byCrunchyroll andAdult Swim, premiered in 2022. Suzuki has expressed his hope to developShenmue IV.
| 1999 | Shenmue |
|---|---|
| 2000 | |
| 2001 | Shenmue II |
| 2002–2009 | |
| 2010 | Shenmue City |
| 2011–2017 | |
| 2018 | Shenmue I & II |
| 2019 | Shenmue III |
The creator ofShenmue,Yu Suzuki, joined Sega in 1983 and created several successfularcade games, includingHang-On (1985),Out Run (1986) andVirtua Fighter (1993).[1] In comparison to arcade games, where the ideal experience was only a few minutes long, Suzuki wanted to make a longer experience.[1] In 1996, he andSega AM2 began developing aSaturn RPG based on theVirtua Fighter series.[1]
In 1997, development moved to Sega's upcoming console, theDreamcast,[2] and theVirtua Fighter connection was dropped.[2] By the time of the Dreamcast's release in Japan in November 1998, the game had been titledShenmue.[1] Sega advertisedShenmue as belonging to a new genre it termed "full reactive eyes entertainment" or "FREE".[3] It became themost expensive game ever developed at the time, reported to have cost US$70 million; in 2011, Suzuki said the figure was closer to $47 million including marketing.[4] The development also covered some ofShenmue II (2001), which was completed for a smaller figure,[5] and possibly groundwork for futureShenmue games.[6]
Shenmue was released on December 29, 1999, in Japan,[7] November 8, 2000 in North America,[8] and December 1, 2000, in Europe.[9]Shenmue II was released for Dreamcast in 2001 in Japan and Europe only. AnXbox port followed in 2002 in Europe and North America. Despite attracting positive reviews and acult following, the games were commercial failures andShenmue III entereddevelopment hell.[10]
AfterShenmue II, Suzuki worked on various projects which failed to see release,[11] includingShenmue Online, a PCMMORPG announced in 2004.[12][13][14] He established his own development company, Ys Net, in 2008[11] and left Sega in 2011.[11] In 2010, Sega announcedShenmue City, asocial game for theMobage service.[15] It was not released outside Japan and was shut down in December 2011.[16]
During Sony's presentation at theE3 conference on June 15, 2015, Suzuki announced aKickstartercrowdfunding campaign forShenmue III, having licensed the series from Sega.Shenmue III became the fastest-funded and the highest-funded video game project in Kickstarter history, reaching its initial $2 million goal in just over nine hours,[17] and earning $6.3 million in total.[18] It was released on 19 November 2019 forPlayStation 4 andWindows.[19]
Sega began developing remasters ofShenmue I andII featuring new models, textures and lighting, but these were canceled in 2017. Sega said that "working with original animations and characters but meshing them with enhanced HD visuals gave us a game that we felt would not meet the standards thatShenmue fans expect and deserve".[20] Instead, in August 2018, Sega released high-definitionports for Windows, PlayStation 4 andXbox One.[21] The ports include new graphics and control options, improved user interfaces, and Japanese and English voices.[22] Some details, such asproduct placement, are omitted, and cutscenes are presented in their originalaspect ratio due to technical limitations.[23]
According to Suzuki, the threeShenmue games cover around 40% of the story he has planned.[24] In 2015, he said he hoped the series would cover four or five games.[25]Shenmue III includes a letter to fans from Suzuki expressing his hope to developShenmue IV.[26] In 2020, Suzuki toldIGN he had createdShenmue III "for the fans", and that he planned to giveShenmue IV more mainstream appeal.[27] In 2024, fans purchased a 15-second advertisement on aTimes Square video billboard to campaign forShenmue IV.[28]
The player controls the teenage martial arts pupil Ryo Hazuki as he investigates his father's murder. They explore the Yokosuka, Hong Kong and Guilinopen worlds, searching for clues, examining objects and talking tonon-player characters for information. The games feature a 3D fighting system similar to Sega'sVirtua Fighter series; Ryo can fight multiple opponents at once, and can practice moves to increase their power. Inquick time events, the player must press the right combination of buttons at the right moment to succeed.[4][29]Shenmue III introduces a stamina system, whereby Ryo'shit points (HP) gradually decline as the player explores. If his HP drops too low, he loses the ability to sprint while exploring. Ryo can restore HP through sleeping and eating.[30]
Shenmue I andShenmue II feature a level of detail considered unprecedented for games at the time of their release.[31] Shops open and close, buses run to timetables, and characters have their own routines, each in accordance with the game's persistent clock.[32][33] Ryo receives a daily allowance which can be spent on objects including food, raffle tickets, audio cassettes andcapsule toys. There are severalminigames; for example, Ryo can throw darts or play complete versions of Sega arcade games, or earn money fromminigames including drivingforklift trucks, gambling, arm wrestling, fishing and street fighting.[34][35][36] The Dreamcast version ofShenmue II allows the player to import their save data fromShenmue, carrying over money, inventory items and martial arts moves.[35]
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In 1986Yokosuka, Japan, the teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki returns to his familydojo to witness a confrontation between his father, Iwao, and a Chinese man, Lan Di. Lan Di demands Iwao give him a mysterious stone artifact, thedragon mirror. When he threatens to kill Ryo, Iwao tells him the mirror is buried under the cherry blossom tree outside. As Lan Di's men dig up the mirror, Lan Di mentions Zhao Sunming, whom Iwao allegedly killed inMengcun, China. Lan Di delivers a finishing blow and Iwao dies in Ryo's arms.
Ryo's investigation leads him to Master Chen in the Yokosuka harbor. Through Chen and his son Guizhang, Ryo learns that the dragon mirror taken by Lan Di is one of two mirrors. He locates the second, thephoenix mirror, in a basement hidden beneath his father's dojo. He defeats a local gang connected to Lan Di's organization, and Master Chen tells him to seek the aid of Master Xiuying in Hong Kong. Ryo boards a boat to China.
In Hong Kong, Ryo finds Master Xiuying Hong, but she refuses to help him, considering his quest for vengeance reckless. Ryo teams up with a gang leader, Wuying Ren, a free-spirited motorcyclist, Joy, and a street boy, Wong, to find Yuanda Zhu, who sent Ryo's father a letter warning him of Lan Di's intentions.
Ryo and his allies locate Zhu inKowloon Walled City, but are ambushed by the criminal Yellow Head organization and Zhu is kidnapped. Ryo rescues Zhu as Lan Di departs by helicopter. Zhu reveals that Lan Di killed Ryo's father because he believes Iwao killed his own father. Zhu also reveals that the mirrors will lead to the resurrection of theQing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China. Zhu advises Ryo to continue his search in the village of Bailu inGuilin, where Lan Di is also heading. There, Ryo meets a teenage girl, Shenhua Ling, whose family is connected to the legacy of the dragon and phoenix mirrors. She leads Ryo to a stone quarry on the village outskirts to meet her father, but discovers he is missing.
Ryo learns that Lan Di's father, Zhao Sunming, once visited Bailu with Ryo's father to train under the localgrandmaster. Zhao died under mysterious circumstances several years later. Ryo also discovers that the phoenix and dragon mirrors were created by Shenhua's great-grandfather at the request of the Chinese emperor.
Ryo and Shenhua learn that Shenhua's father, Yuan, has been kidnapped by a local gang looking for the phoenix mirror. Ryo defeats two of the thugs, but is defeated by their boss, Yanlang. He convinces Sun, a local martial arts master, to teach him a powerfulBajiquan move, and uses it to defeat Yanlang. A village elder helps them discover a map to the treasure connected to the mirrors. Ryo fends off an attack from Chai, who reveals that Yuan and Xu have been taken to the city of Niaowu.
In Niaowu, Ryo and Shenhua learn that a local gang, the Red Snakes, is holding Yuan and Xu hostage. Shenhua is tricked by a Chi You Men leader, Niao Sun. Ryo and his allies infiltrate the Chi You Men's castle and rescue Shenhua and her father. Ryo confronts Lan Di, but Lan Di easily defeats him. Niao Sun betrays Lan Di and has her men burn the castle. Ryo, Ren and Shenhua continue their journey along theGreat Wall of China.
| Game | Metacritic |
|---|---|
| Shenmue | (DC) 89%[37][b] |
| Shenmue II | (DC) 88/100[38] (Xbox) 80/100[39] |
| Shenmue III | (PC) 69/100[40] (PS4) 67/100[41] |
TheShenmue series has received mostly positive reviews and has attracted acult following, withShenmue I andII appearing in several lists of thegreatest video games.[42][43][44]Shenmue III, released almost two decades later, received mixed reviews for its similarity to the earlier games; some critics described it as outdated, while others praised its faithfulness to the franchise.[45] The series has received praise for its graphics, soundtrack, realism and ambition, but criticism for its controls, slow pace and voice acting; its realism and focus on mundane detail divided players.[46][47]
Shenmue is credited for pioneering several game technologies. Its large environments, wealth of options and level of detail have been compared to lateropen-world games including theGrand Theft Auto series, theYakuza series,Fallout 3 (2008), andDeadly Premonition (2010).[48][49][50][51]Shenmue is also credited for naming and popularizing thequick time event,[52][53] since used in series such asResident Evil,God of War, andTomb Raider.[54] In a 2025 public poll held by theBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts,Shenmue was voted the most influential game of all time.[55]
Shenmue: The Animation, an anime adaptation, was announced on September 4, 2020, at the virtualCrunchyroll Expo.[56] It premiered on simultaneously on February 6, 2022, on the U.S. networkAdult Swim'sToonami programming block and the streaming platform Crunchyroll in English dub and Japanese sub, respectively.[57] The series was directed by Sakurai Chikara, with Suzuki as executive producer, and adapts the first two games. It was animated byTelecom Animation Film, with production management by Sola Entertainment.[57]
SeveralShenmue soundtracks have been released. A promotional album,Shenmue Juke Box, was packaged with the limited edition of the original game in Japan and North America, containing ten select tracks from the in-game cassette tapes.[58] A soundtrack for the first game,Shenmue OST: Chapter 1: Yokosuka, was released in 2000.[59] In September 2015, Data Discs released theShenmue soundtrack on vinyl in three separate colored editions.[60] In March 2016, the music ofShenmue was voted into theClassic FM Hall of Fame in 144th place.[61]
Ryo Hazuki is a playable character in Sega's mascot racerSonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. Ryo rides Naoyuki's motorbike and his special move features him driving a forklift, referencing his job at the Yokosuka Harbor.[62]
