Shenmue: The Movie
Written/Directed by Yu Suzuki
Published by Sega
Included with Shenmue II (Xbox, 2001)
Shenmue: The Movie was interesting enough that I felt it was worth dedicating a write-up for it. This was originally released in Japan in January 2001 and even showed on the big screen in select theaters. The movie wouldn't see a release in the US until it was bundled together with Shenmue II on the Xbox in October 2002. Featured on a second disc, the movie contains about 90 minutes worth of footage from Shenmue. It uses all of the important story sequences and then has expert players controlling the fight sequences to help make it more cinema-esque.
The optimal choice would have been to just port the first game over to the Xbox, but providing a movie that sums up the plot of the first game was a nice gesture from Sega. The graphics look great in the movie and the low-res textures don't stand out as much as they do in the 2018 re-release. Shenmue had a good story to tell, but just sitting back and watching it you'll miss out on much of what makes the game so great. Being able to explore, meet and converse with these characters by your control does wonders to immerse the player when compared to just sitting and watching it happen. For this reason alone, if your interested in the Shenmue games then do yourself a favor and actually play through them rather than watch them. However, Shenmue's open-world and exploration based gameplay isn't for everybody, so those just wanting to take in the story will appreciate this movie release.
Final Verdict: Shenmue: The Movie features about 90 minutes of cut-scenes and gameplay from the game that break down the main storyline. Shenmue has some solid storytelling worth a watch, but for those genuinely interested in the series I'd still recommend playing the game first.
Purchase Links:
Search Shenmue II - eBay
Purchase Links:
Search Shenmue II - eBay
Related Links:
Shenmue II - Xbox Overview
Shenmue II - Xbox Overview
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