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After playing through the majority of the import version of Shenmue, and after listening to months of hype regarding the American release, I figured that I would be prepared for Yu Suzuki’s adventure masterpiece. I was wrong.

It seems that nothing can prepare one for brilliance such as this, and it must be simply experienced. Upon seeing the opening cinema, you just know that you’re in for something special, something above and beyond anything you’ve played before. Shenmue really does do everything right, and will likely have everyone reevaluating their standards for what they consider a great game.

Although it seems like most Dreamcast owners already know the basic storyline of Shenmue quite well, let’s run through the gist of it: Upon returning home one December night, Ryo Hazuki finds that there’s trouble afoot. The housekeeper is found lying on the ground, dazed, and a fellow martial arts student is quite forcibly ejected from the family dojo. Ryo barges inside just in time to see a violent confrontation between his father and a mysterious warrior. After his goons retrieve an ancient mirror from the estate, the warrior kills Ryo’s father before his very eyes and disappears. Ryo swears to avenge his father, and the search for the killer begins…

Visuals:: This is the best-looking game ever made, for any system, period. Shenmue simply one-ups every game I’ve ever seen in practically every department. The real-time environments surpass those of the seminal RE: Code Veronica, and the character models and animation are right up there with Soul Calibur. I have no idea how many polygons are onscreen at once in this game, but I know for damn sure that I’ve never seen this many used before. There is some downright complex geometry on display here, with every building, item, and person rendered with detail that simply hasn’t been seen before in a console game. To top it off, everything runs at a nice, high resolution and a silky framerate.

The town of Yokosuka is easily the most compelling environment ever realized in a video game. Sega even had a professional architect design the city to make it as realistic as possible. One stroll through town will prove that this was a success - the authentic Japanese architecture, the distances between buildings, and the overall layout of the town is just as you’d expect it to be. The sense of immersion in this setting is amazing, and aside from booking a flight to Japan, this is about as real as you’re gonna get. What’s more is that the majority of these buildings can be entered, and all have actual occupants to interact with. It’s sooooo reeeeal!

Speaking of Yokosuka’s occupants, there are over 300 different characters in the game, which I’m pretty sure has to be a world record of some sort. All of the models for these people are amazingly detailed, especially during close-ups. The facial detail on each is way beyond anything ever seen before in a game, and it goes a long way in suspending the player’s disbelief. There is a little seaming at the joints (shoulders, knees), but in most cases it’s barely noticeable at all. The animation for all of these is obviously motion-captured, and makes all of the people of Yokosuka completely believable. As if that weren’t enough, all of these people have their own little lives to live out. They have work or errands to run and schedules to keep, and may only be accessible to converse with at certain times. This really is the closest we’ve ever come to having a self-contained world in a video game. Man, I don’t even wanna think about the logistics involved in something like that…

The entire game looks damn near flawless from beginning to end, but there is one point that has already become a source of derision: the trees. Yup, in order to keep those super-high poly buildings and townsfolk, cuts had to be made somewhere, and it looks like it was in the flora. Trees in Shenmue are usually made up of a couple of intersecting, perpendicular textured polys of the sort that you’d see in a racing game. Since Ryo doesn’t run at 100 mph, the problem is a little more noticeable than in a racer, but really, if you’re gonna let a couple of bad-looking trees keep you from enjoying this masterpiece, then there really is no hope for you.

Audio:: Shenmue is also one of the best-sounding games ever made. The soundtrack is simply one of the greatest I’ve ever laid ears on, and is truly an epic score. From the dramatic opening scene to the closing credits, the tunes in this game are some of the best around. Hell, I’ve had the soundtrack since March, and this orchestrated goodness still impresses me. The sound effects are right up there, as well. It seems like the sound engineers sampled everything they could get their hands on, because every appliance and vehicle in the game sounds exactly as it should. Even the sound of falling rain is eerily realistic. It’s all quite remarkable, and further helps to immerse the player in the world of Shenmue.

The much touted voice acting is kinda a mixed bag, though. Granted, with over 300 characters to talk to, you gotta expect a few annoying ones, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Some of the townsfolk sound like they’re reading from cue cards, and a couple of the kids made me want to put my foot through the TV. You’ll also notice some lip-syncing issues, but that’s to be expected in an imported game, and it’s handled far better than most. Still, thank the gods, most of the main characters have been very well done, and Ryo’s voice work is much better than most have given it credit for. Basically, the voice-overs in Shenmue are better than 99% of the games out there, but it still falls just short of the standard set by Metal Gear Solid (although Fuku-san reminds me of Otacon for some reason).

Gameplay/Control:: Although an adventure game at heart, Shenmue packs in a few different modes of gameplay. First is the Free Quest mode, which is where Ryo will do most of his exploring. The D-pad is used for movement in this mode, and while somewhat stiff, the control is overall very good. The analog stick is used for looking around, and the triggers are used to run and to zoom in on any points of interest. The “A” button initiates actions, and by using it in conjunction with the zoom, Ryo can inspect any little thing he likes. Ryo also has access to a notebook in this mode, which keeps track of clues, phone numbers, and other little bits of info. It’s all pretty intuitive, and definitely gets the job done.

An integral part of the Free Quest is the passage of time. Certain people and events can only be seen at certain times of the day. Ryo can make appointments and take part-time jobs that are all dependant on the ticking of the clock. Ryo even has a friggin’ curfew, and has to hit the sheets by 11:30. There is also a “time limit” to the game, as you’re expected to finish this first chapter of the Shenmue saga by the following spring. That’s a whole lotta game time, though, so I wouldn’t feel too rushed.

There is also a Free Battle mode, which is highly reminiscent of Suzuki’s legendary Virtua Fighter series. The fighting engine in Shenmue is actually a lot more complex than I expected, with literally dozens of punch and kick combos, throws, and counters. Many of these combos can be learned by studying scrolls or by training with the various martial artists living in Yokosuka. The Free Battle mode will kick in during various events integral to the storyline, and Ryo will often find himself outnumbered. Be prepared to lay the smack down on entire armies of foes if the situation demands it.

Finally, we have the much-maligned Quick Timer Events, or QTE’s. The control set-up is, as ever so many have pointed out, much like that of Dragon’s Lair. The player must press various button combinations corresponding to the onscreen prompts, all as quickly as possible. These are actually pretty cool, and very cinematic, and mainly serve to mix things up a bit. They usually involve chase or fight scenes, and can be retried if you happen to make a mistake. These are mainly used to progress the story in a both cinematic and interactive way, and they’re just another gameplay convention in an already solid package.

Extras:: Oh, man, literally too many to mention here. While the focus of the game is on Ryo’s quest for bloody, violent revenge, there are all kinds of distractions on-hand to keep him busy. The local arcade has full versions of Hang On and Space Harrier, and Ryo can even get his hands on copies of these games for his Saturn at home (although what he’s doing with a Saturn in 1986 is anyone’s guess). He can also play darts, billiards, and slots, and if you fancy the QTE stuff, there are a few mini-games in that vein. Ryo can race forklifts at the local docks, collect all manner of trinkets and doo-dads (music cassettes, pop cans, figurines, etc.), and listen to tunes on the jukebox. There really is almost too much stuff for a player to see on a single trip through the game.

Shenmue also comes packed with the Passport disc, which has a bunch of its own extras. There is a theater mode that allows you to playback any movies you’ve already seen in the game (and you’ll want to, trust me), as well as a music player that contains over 30 tracks from the Shenmue soundtrack. You can also get online with this disc and check out mini-game rankings, an online manual, and even trade the virtual collectables with other players over the ‘Net. And, if you managed to get your hands on the Limited Edition package, you’ll also receive a disc of additional tunes from the game. Well, that disc kinda sucks (mostly tunes from the jukebox), but ya gotta admit, this game’s got a whole lotta meat on it.

Overall:: I’ve been gaming for 20 years now, and I have never seen anything quite like Shenmue. The combination of excellent storytelling, amazing visuals, and wonderfully orchestrated soundtrack result in what is simply the greatest game ever made. Nitpickers may come up with one or two little foibles in order to dog on the game, but seriously, you really have to go out of your way to find any flaws in Yu Suzuki’s magnum opus. I seriously considered risking the wrath of JB by giving the game an “11”, but calmer heads prevailed, and instead Shenmue will receive the first perfect “10” score I’ve handed out to a Dreamcast game since beginning my tour of duty here at the Dojo. This masterpiece needs to be experienced by every gamer out there, so if you buy one game this year, make sure it’s Shenmue.

Score:: 10/10