Despite being over twenty years old, Shenmue I is still a unique, feature-rich, incredibly detailed, and enjoyable game. Whether it's the arcade games, the solid story, or the atmosphere, there is a lot to like about Shenmue I. However, Shenmue I is absolutely a product of its time and isn't for everyone. For example, especially in the first half of the game, there is a lot of waiting around the player has to do: wandering the city until you can complete the next objective. While this waiting period isn't necessarily bad since there are plenty of things to keep yourself occupied, it does get annoying quickly. Besides having to wait around, the forklift section of the game is incredibly boring and repetitive. In fact, I would say that it is easily the worst part of Shenmue I. Yet, even though Shenmue I has some annoying moments and questionable design choices, it's still an excellent and innovative game. For those who want to be immersed in an atmospheric world with a solid story, I'd highly suggest giving Shenmue I a try.

Shenmue II is an improvement over its predecessor in nearly every single way. With a more fleshed-out story, more interesting characters, a drastically larger world, more streamlined gameplay, and an even better soundtrack, Shenmue II manages to be an improvement in nearly every way. Along with this, some of the annoying aspects of Shenmue I, such as having to wait around, have been fixed in a way that doesn't detract from the immersion. With that being said, Shenmue II is still not a game for everyone. Whether it's the drawn-out section in the Yellow Building or the slow pace of the last two hours, Shenmue II is by no means a flawless game. Yet, in some ways, these annoying qualities are what make Shenmue II so interesting: there aren't many other games that force this level of immersion on the player, for better or worse. Overall, while Shenmue II is just as much a product of its time as its predecessor was, it's still a game that everyone should try at least once. For those looking for a game with a great story, a detailed world, and an incredible atmosphere, I'd highly suggest giving this a try.

While the port of Shenmue I and II does some things right, for the most part, it leaves a bit to be desired. Whether it's the awful frame times, the compressed audio, or the removal of licensed items, this port does fall flat in a few ways. Thankfully, though, all of these issues can be fixed with a few simple mods. For my playthrough, I used the "Shenmue Audio Restoration Project," "New Coke Vending Machine," "Original Dreamcast Textures," "16:9 Cutscene Fix," and "Redreamcasted." As for fixing the frame pacing, all I needed to do was cap the frame rate through the Nvidia Control Panel. Once I had installed these mods and capped the frame rate, I had a near-flawless experience during my playthrough. In fact, with these fixes, I believe that this is the definitive way to play Shenmue I and II.