IGN:
"Shenmue fans have had a rough time over the past 15 years. A story that many of them love with great passion was left unfinished with no resolution in sight. Fast forward almost a decade and a half and surprise surprise, shenmue 3 was announced. Not only that, but SEGA pleased everyone with the announcement and subsequent release of a remastered version of the original game. The original game broke many records in it's day. Let's see how that effort has stood up to the test of time.
Gameplay:
Perhaps there is no better way to describe the gameplay other than "antiquated." Whilst combat controls remain responsive and intricate, hearkening back to the days of old school fighters, day to day movement feels stiff, heavy, and cumbersome. Ryo controls like a tank. The lack of support for the second analogue stick is a clear omission. Why Sega decided to not change this is beyond us. Doing something as simple as maneuvering inside a room can seem impossible at times. It's unacceptable in this day and age.
There are also QTE's (quick time events). It's basically the same contextual button pressing you've seen in other games. The difference here is that Shenmue is credited with inventing them. Nothing revolutionary at this point, but it's cool to see the earliest of interpretations.
Graphics:
Shenmue was a showcase when it was first released. It was the game that set the bar for years to come. We are glad to say that the graphics have managed to stand the test of time. SEGA did a decent job of improving texture resolution, though that's about all they did. The lighting is nothing to write home about (nor are the horrendous shadows), but overall the game retains that distinctive look that made it what it is. Still a very beautiful game.
Sound:
Voice acting...voice acting...voice acting. This one is hard to discuss. On the one hand, the original game was a pioneer in this regard. One of the first ever games to be fully voiced. The problem is that things have dramatically improved since then, and fully spoken dialogue is no longer enough of a novelty to excuse the horrible acting. Lines are spoken with little to no emotion. It seems to make some otherwise dramatic moments appear almost comical. The sound quality is also questionable. Not sure how SEGA could have fixed this other than recasting and re-recording everything...but unfortunately...that doesn't make it any less bad.
Overall:
Shenmue HD is a valiant effort that did not go far enough. Had SEGA worked hard to clean off some of the vestiges of 15 year old game design and polished the sound a little, things could look a little better. Unfortunately, some of the main problems with Shenmue is Shenmue itself. In today's world of sandbox games with unlimited freedom, it's hard to go back to such a slow and limited "open world." Yes, there are moments of action, but in today's world of instant gratification and fun you are going to have to dig deep and give lots of effort in order to let the story carry you through the game. Who knows, you may"
6/10
Of course, this is all a joke. I just wanted to see everyone's opinion if this is what we woke up to after the remaster release. Let's be honest. Shenmue was not hailed as a perfect game IN ITS DAY. What are the chances that reviews of it now will be much better?
I'm actually kind of afraid of the negativity that COULD come off of it.
Thoughts?