• Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Nov 7, 2000
User Score
9.7 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 69 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 67 out of 69
  2. Negative: 0 out of 69

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  1. Mar 26, 2011
    10
    Quite simply the greatest game ever made. Amazing story, amazing characters, great gameplay and graphics. Something truly special. Worth buying a Dreamcast just for this one game.
  2. Tekke
    Jun 22, 2005
    10
    Shenmue-step into another reality!
  3. IanS.
    Apr 7, 2003
    10
    F..k all those bitches who hate Shenmue. I found it to be orgasmic.
  4. XISMZERO
    Jul 13, 2003
    9
    Incredible game - still has too many annoyances from the original Shenmue - and I wish it had English voice acting since the original did...
  5. DavidD.
    Jun 5, 2006
    10
    Nothing compares to shenmue, It's the pinnacle of gaming. An Instant classic, and woe be the competitor games that fall terribly short of yu suzuki's eternal mark on the world of gaming.
  6. TimG.
    Jan 6, 2008
    9
    Great sequal but not as good as the first
  7. MikeT.
    Feb 4, 2002
    10
    It's too good to be on the x-box!!!
  8. NeofitosO
    Jun 8, 2009
    10
    Brilliant from start to finish.I Play many games and this game is my best i ever play is like adream is fantastic.I buy XBOX only for this game and i am happy to make that because SHENMUE 2 is brilliant game that i would never forget.10/10
  9. AdamE.
    Nov 20, 2002
    10
    Shenmue 2 is without a shadow of a doubt the best game ever made. Shenmue 1 was easier and shorter but it had its charm. Shenmue2 has more action and a fourth CD that is just brilliantly made.
  10. R.Gibbons
    Feb 22, 2002
    9
    If you've never imported a game before, this is the reason to learn the trade. Great story and the only thing that keeps it from getting a ten is the minor slowdown you may encounter. You may not even notice unless you are looking for it.
  11. [Anonymous]
    Mar 20, 2002
    10
    Radical!!! 100% awsome!!!! Nothing wrong about it!!!
  12. ScottK.
    Mar 29, 2002
    10
    Shenmue 1 was the best Dreamcast game ever with the exception of Fire Pro Wrestling D. Shenmue 2 leaps ahead of Shenmue 1 and improves on everything that was ever (wrongly stated) wrong with the game and is polished with an essence of greatness and perfection in mind. There is nothing wrong with Shenmue 2 except for some minor gliches so get out and import it to make your best investment in video gaming history. Expand
  13. PeetC.
    Nov 21, 2006
    10
    Despite the someimes odd dialogue and constant load time, it is the most immersive, entertaining experience in gaming.
  14. HuguesB.
    Feb 3, 2006
    10
    Really good sequel, if you loved the first one you won't be desapointed. If dreamcast version is hard to find, Xbox got it.
  15. DustyDonotworry
    May 21, 2003
    10
    I have it for the xbox and part 1 for th DC. I have not found a game that comes close to how fun and great Shenmue games are. I can't wait for part 3.
  16. PeterW.
    Oct 27, 2004
    10
    Awesome,one of the greatest games i have ever played.....a masterpeice.cant wait for the third instalment, if it ever comes.
  17. DanielC.
    Feb 11, 2006
    10
    The best foreign game that i have played.
  18. BrianM.
    Nov 9, 2007
    10
    The second best game ever made, the first being Shenmue. Absolutely amazing. Words can't describe it.
  19. BobMarley
    Dec 15, 2001
    10
    This game was awesome... i loved it man!
  20. Jun 26, 2011
    9
    shenmue is a very inovative and fresh new typ of game . you cant compare it to any thing els out there even though this game is 10 years old there still isnt any thing since then thats remotely like this game. you play as Ryu in 1980s japan who's father is murdered by a myserous man named lan di. your goal is to find out about this man . the game play is hard to sum up . its abit being a detective questioning people for info , fighting people in a Virtau fighter style combat , some dragons lair QTE , open world exploration with lots of side stuff to do like playing in a arcade ,collecting toys and more . the fighting controls are pretty solid . the controls when walking around are stiff and the camera fights you alot in small area's . the voice acting can be pretty bad. in some cases laughably bad but this game came out in a day when good voice acting in games still wasnt seen to often . you also can get a job as a fork lift driver which for some reason i just had alot of fun driving it around delivering crates to the ware houses tryin to make that $. i also had alot of fun in the arcade playing darts and hang on. this game to me is a step in the right direction for new and innovating games and i wish we could see more games like this it may not be polished to perfection but it does enough right to get a 9 in my book. Expand
  21. Sep 18, 2011
    10
    easily the best game ever produced. even though it had its flaws, it was simply revolutionary in many aspects. most importantly of course the back then STUNNING graphics. i remember when i was watching one of those 320x240 clips of the intro before it was released and somebody was standing a couple of feet away and asked "what movie is that?". i watched that clip again and again for probably half an hour, drooling.
    and then the open world concept, the overall cinematic feeling, all the little things one could do, the epic feeling of the story, the incredibly well-done fighting system (i was skeptical whether it would work well at first but it really did...), the music which was just as beautiful as the graphics...
    it was just amazing and i'm afraid i will never experience anything like it ever again in my lifetime. graphics these days suck in comparison (obviously always in respect to current times) and the scope of games is fairly minuscule. from a pure conceptual point of view, i guess one could compare GTA to it. but there, the graphics and story are lacking.
    Expand
  22. Apr 19, 2013
    10
    Overall, Shenmue is without doubt in my opinion the finest game ever made. Quite how Shenmue 1 and 2 stack up to one another is unclear to me, as they are both breathtaking and outstanding in their own ways.

    It's simply magical. It's hard to truly do this game justice with words, but it is an immersive, exciting, poetic and captivating experience that you will most likely remember and t
    ake with you forever.

    Do yourself a favour and play Shenmue, you won't regret it!
    Expand
  23. Mar 19, 2012
    10
    unique, a masterpiece of gaming
  24. Jun 28, 2012
    10
    This game brings me back. The dreamcast was such a great little console and this game is true the consoles defining gem. The game world is highly interactive and oozes atmosphere. The storyline and music and top quality. The acting and dialog is a bit campy, but done in true Sega spirit. This game needs to get remastered on HD consoles. Along with Shenmue II.
  25. Oct 27, 2012
    10
    I'm keeping this one short,I can sum this game up in 3 words,BEST GAME....EVER!!!From the moment I started playing this gem at 1st the visuals blew me away,then it went on to have the most ingrossing storys in gaming,& the fact that you could just pop into your local arcade & actually play arcade perfect versions of Outrun,Space Harrier & Afterburner 2 was just showing off!Every gamer worth thier salt needs to experience Shenmue,simple as that. Expand
  26. Nov 13, 2012
    10
    Shenmue 1 is at the top of my favourite games of all time. Once I picked the controller up, I couldn't put it down until the game ended. There is so much to do, I used to spend hours upon hours in the YOU Arcade, collecting toys, buying sodas trying to get a winning can.. Ah, memories. The story is extremely engaging & immersive, the world is absolutely stunning and it's the first game to use dynamic-weather in a 3D world. This game was ahead of it's time, and laid the foundation for many current-gen games. If you love video games, japanese culture, or just love an adventure, don't look any further than Shenmue. Expand
  27. Feb 8, 2013
    9
    Crazy depth to this game, great story, stunning graphics for it's time and amazing attention to detail. In my opinion, one of the more overlooked classics of all-time.
  28. Apr 6, 2013
    9
    Shenmue is an amazing game with great potential and there has to be a Shenmue 3!! its been so long since i last played this game it was awesome great story but its spiritual successor Yakuza is probably better than because it had a better character and a emotional story
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. The big improvement for me is that everything is a lot less linear then before; it really does feel that your actions directly influence Ryo’s progress through the adventure.
  2. I loved Shenmue. But as great as I thought that game was, nothing could have prepared me for Shenmue II.
  3. Shenmue II is so much better than its predecessor, refining nearly every aspect of the original. It's a polished game that serves as a showcase for the DC and the evolution of the RPG genre, and fans should definitely find a way to play it.