The way Yu Suzuki created what felt like a real, living, breathing world is always what appealed to me. Since GTA3 happened, it seems like open world games have focused more and more on creating larger and larger worlds that act like playgrounds for the player to wonder from place to place to partake in missions and side quests, but nothing ever feels very realistic or detailed.
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This, GTA to me feels empty and fake, Shenmue felt real.
I've not played the GTA series much, I did start GTA5 though and I have to agree, the world seems huge, but there isn't any soul to it, you know? No open world has really ever come close to Shenmue's IMO.
I agree! In GTA, Saints Row and other huge open world games, after you've finished all activities and side stories, it's pretty much empty with nothing left to do. After all these years, players are still finding new things in Shenmue. On my latest playthrough of S2 I found a blue forklift toy hidden behind one of the mattresses in the Free Stay Lodge. Probably old news to many but to me it was something new. It's the little things that you discover for the first time that make you smile. Shenmue indeed has a soul and it never feels empty or lacking.