Why Sega’s $70 Million Flop Is the Best Game of All Time

At the end of 1999, having spent $70 million developing the most expensive game at that time, SEGA released Shenmue for Dreamcast. Although the world became a better place for her, the game did not recoup its development costs and did not reach the audience it deserved.

I'll be the first to admit that “best game of all time” sounds exaggerated and very subjective, but I'm going to make a case for it anyway.

Shenmue There was a revolution

Shenmue is an adventure game set in the 1980s from legendary Japanese designer Yu Suzuki, who previously made his reputation with hits such as Virtual fighter, Quit runningAnd Space Harrier. The game originally had the form Virtual fighter spin-off RPG for the SEGA Saturn, before development moved to the Dreamcast and established its own distinct identity.

The game was released in Japan on December 29, 1999, and arrived on North American and European shores in just under a year the following November (with a full English translation). The game received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with many reviewers praising the game for moving forward overall.

Credit: SEGA/AM2

The sequel appeared in late 2001 in the Japanese and European markets, but the US version was canceled due to the decline in popularity of the Dreamcast. Despite this, many US fans are devoted to the franchise and were able to play imported PAL copies with the necessary workarounds. Shenmue II was released in the US the following year on the original Xbox console.

The $70 million figure that is often quoted ShenmueThe development includes much of the technology and assets that were used in the sequel..Shenmue II it is nothing more than a continuation of the first game with minor changes, but ultimately just a continuation of the story. Shenmue II cut its costs by cutting the story down to size and shipping it without an English translation (although it was later added to the Xbox version).

Despite the enormous costs and the fact that the game was a commercial failure, Shenmue was still an iconic moment in the gaming industry. It's a game full of innovation and innovation, showcasing an open world that feels lived-in, populated by characters with jobs, homes, and daily routines that you can talk to at any time. For better or worse, the game adheres to a rigid day-night cycle (with no way to skip time).

Shenmue Hang-On game at You Arcade, Dobuita.

This gives meaning to even idle time, which is why the game is filled with so many seemingly meaningless distractions. It was the first game to remake entire arcade games such as Space Harrier and will allow you to play them through slot machines (along with a few original games). You'll receive a modest daily allowance, which you can spend here and on other “pointless” collectibles such as pod toys, cassette tapes, and lighters. Shenmue really wants you to feel part of his world.

The game is also notable for its combination of genres, whereas most games stuck rigidly to one. Not only is it an epic narrative adventure set in a immersive open world, but it's also a relaxing life simulation combat experience with mechanics taken straight from the game. Virtua Fighterand sometimes includes elements of puzzle solving, stealth, tracking and driving.

It is also the first game to introduce a Quick Timer Event (QTE) mechanic in which you will have to react to actions during cutscenes by pressing a button (or a combination). While the QTEs may not have aged as well as they could have, I don't “blame” Shenmue for this. Yu Suzuki and his team used these moments sparingly and to great effect. They managed to turn passive cutscenes into interactive episodes that bring plot points to unforgettable crescendos. QTE in Shenmue offer a change of pace when the game needs it most.

The day the snow turned to rain

Shenmue doesn't waste any time with slow progression, meaning the game manages to hook you from the first cutscene. A few minutes after you sit down to play, the player character Ryo Hazuki witnesses the murder of his father at the hands of a shadowy figure known only as Lan Di. The game begins on November 29, 1986, during a snowstorm, and you are thrown into the action just days after your father's passing.

From here you gradually become familiar with the world. You first explore the family residence before being able to go out and explore the small village you call home. These introductory areas serve as a gentle guide, introducing you to the communication, rejection, and spending that you will spend most of your time on. The game feeds you information that will keep you informed as the story changes over the course of about 20 hours in the first game and another 20 in the sequel (not including time spent playing). After the burner).

Although the story is based on realism, it also contains Eastern mysticism and prophecies. Breakthrough discoveries are balanced by setbacks that force you to go down new paths, into new areas, and back to old areas to explore them more thoroughly. That said, there is room for personal development and testing out how the events of the game affect the characters around you.

To keep you on track, you have a notepad that is automatically filled with tips and information you've learned. You will rarely feel “stuck” in Shenmue outside of the weird difficult combat sequence or QTE that repeats until you get it right. The biggest obstacle you'll face is screwing up the timing and finding yourself with a few (in-game) hours to kill.

Master class in the atmosphere

What made me spend so much time playing? Shenmue this is the atmosphere of the game. Central to the game's genius is the powerful orchestral score, which intensifies and highlights some of the story's most important moments. This soundtrack easily stands up to the best the genre has to offer thanks to its incredibly talented composers.

Even though I fell in love with the main score, it's not the orchestra that keeps me coming back all these years later. Each venue in the first game has its own original music, and there's something absolutely captivating about these playful backing tracks that embody Shenmuepersonality is so good. Call me weird, but I'm listening to this all the timeI even have local copies.

Intricate classical music plays in restaurants and antique shops. This is what you hear when you visit Ajiichi Restaurant, a Chinese eatery:

Corny J-pop is annoying when you're buying tapes and milk at the Tomato Convenience Store or spending money on the arcade. At this point it's essentially a meme:

And the smoky jazz that plays in bars and lounges makes up some of the best music in gaming:

There is a sense of unity between these tracks, and I'm not ashamed to admit that when I first fell in love with Shenmue that I would spend time wandering the world just to listen to them (we have better means these days catchy video game soundtracks).

This music is made even more fun by the fact that many of these establishments serve no purpose in the game; they are simply fragrance to the world. The second game expands the world considerably, with some tracks being reused in regular establishments, but each area having its own background music, many of which have both night and day versions.

Again, these compositions absorb and reflect the feeling of the world around them. Run-down areas such as South Carmain Qr have a corresponding sullen hum:

Compare this to the background music in an electrical store where you can beat the game without even going there:

This is where the budget came in. This kind of absurd attention to detail and desire to build a world where you can buy a bag of potato chips, pick up a vase and move it, or drink a can of soda in about 15 seconds just to see an animation is what makes Shenmue so captivating beyond its technical and narrative achievements.

Is it worth playing? Shenmue?

I'm not going to pretend that most of my love for this game isn't based on cold, hard nostalgia. I was 14 when I first played it, and at the time, everything from the graphics to the gameplay was revolutionary. I happily overlooked some of the game's rougher aspects, and am still unabashedly more tolerant of some of them than someone who has never touched the game before.

The English voice acting has its moments. I find Ryo's awkward behavior endearing, but you'll hear him say things like “is that so?” and many times during your playthrough you will find yourself caught up in some unintentional comedy. The other characters are simply annoying, although there are plenty of good performances from key opponents and more important links in the chain that you discover along the way.

There is also a time aspect. While modern games allow you to skip the wait, Shenmue doesn't give you that luxury. If you need to meet someone at 10am and you're late, you'll have to wait. You can play arcade games or stand in the corner of your bedroom until the game lets you fall asleep, but there are no time progression mechanics.

There is also a slight closure issue. The game is still not finished, and even after a surprise return for fans Shenmue 3you won't see the end of Ryo's story yet. Fans are eagerly awaiting the fourth game, but considering how difficult it was to get the third game, I'm not holding my breath. Even the anime was cancelled.

This in itself is not a reason to avoid Shenmueand the first two games are very accessible thanks to Shenmue I and II collection (available at SteamPS4 and PS5, as well as Xbox consoles). This remaster updates the user interface and graphics scaling, and gives you the option to play in both Japanese and English.

As fans of the classics love Super Metroid, Final Fantasy VIIor Chrono trigger I strongly advise you to try these games now, I will say the same about Shenmue.

It's an important part of gaming history, helping to refine the open world formula and introducing many concepts that are truly alive today in games like Yakuza (Like a dragon).