"Shenmue's combat is boring"

[@danmann861]

It's the Virtua Fighter engine simplified....so anyone who says that is basically saying VF is garbage. To which I can only laugh in their face.

[@SURU_]

You and me both!

[@LAVATORR]

It's Virtua Fighter if it only had one playable character, was totally unbalanced, and only 10% of the gameplay involved fighting.

[@fahimabdul8733]

@@LAVATORR no

[@LAVATORR]

@@fahimabdul8733 sorry I forgot about all the tons of playable characters and challenging fights Shenmue is famous for

[@TheSoCalledZoner1]

@@LAVATORR nah

[@artimuos903]

1 minute of fighting and 1 hour of asking people about sailors.

[@SURU_]

Don't forget about working at the harbour for like a week, only to be robbed as soon as S2 starts 😂

[@ShadowBanned-o_O]

@@SURU_ I was so into Shenmue I called out sick to work so I could play more. Coincidentally, I made it to the harbor section of the game. Moving crates with a forklift for "days"... That was the first and last time I ever called out sick to play a game. lol

[@cagethelonewolf]

that's how it works in a realistic game this isn't yakuza you aren't fighting every minute for information

[@Dirtysanchez27]

​@@cagethelonewolf and that's why noone buys or plays these games, there's forklift simulators on steam. Minigames are fun when they're "mini" and relevant. I don't need to move that many crates to get the story's point. across.

[@cagethelonewolf]

thsts life@@Dirtysanchez27

[@mikekazz5353]

"Now then have you seen any sailors?"

[@robogamer0502]

GOD DAMN IT HOW DID YOU REACH INTO MY MIND AND FIND THE DAMN QUEST OF “Find the sailors” AND I COULD NECER FIND THEM!? Sadly never finished any of the games ;-;

[@xenobreak1160]

“Hey Mister! You wanna wrestle?”

[@sirdogith3783]

Credit to the first guy who got flipped over and just stayed down. He knew what was up

[@TheHirohikoAraki]

As a Yakuza fan, Shenmue deserves a happy ending where Ryo finally defeats Lan Di once and for all. Also he’s forklift certified, so that’s a plus.

[@bebopganymede]

And then goes back to Japan and marries the girl that waited for him, would be a romantic end. Still loving him for either killing Lan Di or abandoning the final blow and letting go of Revenge and just wanting to put him in his place in a beat down.

[@JosephAdams97]

@@bebopganymede The way I picture it playing out, Ryo will beat Lan Di to an inch of his life, and just before he lands the final blow, he remembers his father Iwao's letter, which is still my favorite moment in the ENTIRE series, and he'd realize how much he lost and how much more he was about to lose, if he had done what Lan Di did to his father... Exact revenge. He'd reflect on the bonds he COULD'VE had with Nozomi and Fang Mei, the latter of who had a VERY sweet moment where she confessed her feelings to Ryo, stating in a soft, girly voice after embracing him tightly, "I love you. " It would be really tough, but he'd let go of his want for revenge. He already beat Lan Di.

[@almightybree2779]

Seeing. Lan Di. Take off in the new one as my uncle finally believes he beat shenmue…. Was bittersweet gold not gonna lie

[@johntolbert7046]

@@bebopganymede I think he's pretty much destined to marry Ling Shenhua. Nozomi will probably travel abroad

[@ryanhernandez8324]

What's Yakuza got to to with Shenmue?

[@dragonandavatarfan8865]

I wouldn't say it was "boring" but it was definitely so goddamm rare that when it was actually time in the story for combat you would panic and button mash because you had no practice 😅 (that was the case with me at least).

[@SURU_]

I totally get it! You should've seen my first playthrough, it was nothing but Elbow Assaults 😂

[@petergriscom3431]

He didn't get sweaty 😓

[@dragonandavatarfan8865]

@@sridrawings4510 I don't follow fighting games but that's pretty weird if that's true, both Shenmue 1&2 and tekken have eerily similar fighting mechanics, as they were both first created with the Virtua fighter engine.

[@HerecomestheCalavera]

I was never a fan of fighting games so I had no interest in learning the moves in Shenmue. I didn't buy any move scrolls, I usually won fights by doing the same move over and over. Probably the elbow assault like @Suru_ mentioned

[@markula_4040]

It's probably why the Yakuza games have randos keep picking fights with you in the streets.

[@melayubenar3243]

The battle theme really shows his martial arts. Calm focused and accurate.

[@ShittyGamePrototypes]

I just wish it had more combat parts. It feels like the combat only comes up once every 8 hours.

[@GMoney88-x2]

Just play the endless battle mode lol.. I hope they revamp it in the remake

[@eddii4385]

@@GMoney88-x2are they remaking it?

[@GMoney88-x2]

@eddii4385 in the Sega remake trailer. I beleive it should be remade eventually

[@LeadMe2TheBliss]

That's not how reality works though. What makes Yakuza so boring is the repetitive fight scenes what makes Shenmue so amazing is the fight scenes feel more real like there is purpose behind the fights. In a game like Yakuza its just silly because it turns into a beat em up game and loses its realness and appeal.

[@asdlgvfrbadkhjaseygf]

Buddy are you good? Yakuza ‘s gameplay and story completely obliterated shenmue in every way. Yakuza’s gameplay is not boring and especially the old gameplay with its brutality and satisfying finishers.

[@Worzel200]

for the era this was in, I like how smoothly animated the moves are.

[@HeavyMetalMayhem]

What is more rare, seeing Big Foot or getting into combat in Shenmue??

[@Worzel200]

@@HeavyMetalMayhem I have not played Shenmue before but, given that the game is... "slow paced" if you will, I imagine combat

[@MikeTie-ne6tg]

Oh the animations are amazing!

[@GalaxyStandard77]

​@@HeavyMetalMayhem getting more then 1k bells in the original Animal Crossing

[@KenMasters.]

Fun Fact: The original protagonist was going to be Akira Yuki.

[@Darkchao_berserko22]

It make sense. I use to think this game was in the virtua fighter universe.

[@KenMasters.]

@@Darkchao_berserko22 It should've been, Ryo Hazuki would be a great addition to the rosters of Virtua Fighter 4 & 5.

[@BurnedNoodle]

this is because Shenmue was originally planned to be a Virtua Fighter RPG and that's why I think Ryo looks more like Akira from the CG Collection when Shenmue was being developed on Sega Saturn.

[@TehReasoning]

Shenmue combat was excellent you could feel the blows and impact of attacks and throws. You was rewarded by skill of player and there was add on button combination on skills that could furthered extend certain attacks or throws Shenmue 3 I'm guessing they couldn't use old combat because of Sega or money because it was just 10 steps back.

[@Kuhazan]

or they burned it on over promising mini-games because Shenmue III sure had those...

[@NickGoblin]

Yu Suzuki wanted to make Shenmue 3 as accessible to newcomers as possible and one of his big decisions in that regard was to neuter the combat.

[@BrendenHarley]

Yu Suzuki literally doesn't play any video games at all. You can certainly see how that affected Shenmue III.

[@Please_Stop_Me_Please_Kill_Me]

You were*

[@danmann861]

@@BrendenHarley I know it's gonna cop me a world of shit but I kind of appreciated how different Shenmue III was to the modern open world. Of course, I know that doesn't sell but being someone who is absolutely tired of generic open worlds that are all the same, going back to Shenmue's design was almost a breath of fresh air again. I know. It'll cop me a world of shit for saying but I am so tired of generic copy and paste open world games.

[@jpremier5743]

I remember when I had the game on Dreamcast and was surprised the combat was like this also as I thought the whole game was going to be QTE. This shit was awesome!

[@marinhoaraujo2794]

I thought the same too. There were some scenes in QTE and I thought "the game is cool but if it had free combat it would be perfect" so I played some more and the first free combat came in front of Arcade Games. Best game ever!!

[@Crusader-m8y]

Can't wait to play this,it looks really good for its time

[@Bebop_Elysium]

So much atmosphere. For its time it was a ground breaking piece of software. Playing games within a game blew my mind in 1999. What a Dreamcast essential.

[@LordBelial1978]

The game would have been up my alley if it had no hand to hand fighting.

[@joshliggins-lk8gj]

Really?? That's what enticed me in the first place.

[@kendavis6826]

The game's focus wasn't combat, it was exploration and interactions. At the time a game like this was considered massive, and in my opinion it still holds great weight.

[@HARBRINGERZERO]

The worst part of Shenmue was getting to the fight. Asking questions around town and raising a large sum of money to buy some random thing to give to an old Master to teach you his move and then use it one time in that specific fight. Then you have to do it again for a new move.

[@Masterwar15]

That's the best part tough, I like how the game is mostly a detective slice of lifeish game.

[@KyokujiFGC]

Shenmue's combat isn't garbage. It's just way too rare.

[@hafirenggayuda]

Quite complicated mechanic for RPG-like game too. Also, old engine

[@Judgeman-f3q]

It's more realistic than newer games. New games are cringe. Press 1 button and the character will do 10 moves with auto lock on and fly at the same time. It's not even a game but an animation movie to watch. New games are for dumb people to play because they lack brain power.

[@yourfinestpillow1065]

Played this game as a kid Revisiting it today was the time of my life

[@chowdergum3d]

Damn Ryo with the EWHF at 0:17 Nice combo vid my man!

[@Froggo-up4wu]

bro took notes from jin himself lmfao

[@not_so_weird]

I love hearing a title of a probably made up complaint that no one has ever said ever about a game I've never seen in my life before I even see the game

[@solbadguy7771]

Yeah you’re spittin with this one

[@richardvlasek2445]

yeah like the combat is like the only part of shenmue people don't mercilessly shit on

[@tomjackjack960]

​@richardvlasek2445 Except for the third intry of course

[@HerecomestheCalavera]

What was great about the combat system is that if you were into fighting games and wanted to learn all the combos and buy the moves scrolls you could. But if you were more into the story and didn't care about the combat that was fine too. You could still win the battles without memorizing tons of combos.

[@kormaloid]

I still can't believe it was 1999 when this game dropped...

[@Please_Stop_Me_Please_Kill_Me]

You habitually burn calendars and never go outside?

[@Maximus20778]

Tekken is better

[@Please_Stop_Me_Please_Kill_Me]

@@Maximus20778 always will be too

[@mihaiyogerojiseku]

BELIEVE IT. 😎

[@cindy9881]

Came here on memory lane after finding out they animated it! Thought it would be too niche to be considered in todays time. Solid 😎

[@SURU_]

Glad you enjoyed it👍I've been watching the anime too! Made me want to revisit this amazing game haha

[@RegularGillian]

Yeah, now you only have to wait 8 real hours playing the game for the next encounter

[@g-ed0818]

For a 1999 interactive open world 3D game it was excellent, It was graphically impressive too on CRTs, also has great story line,,,

[@gotgunpowder]

I only learned recently that this game had actual combat segments and not just QTEs.

[@jellyotter420]

Nobody plays this game for the combat, they play it for that juicy voice acting and awkward story line that never ends.

[@NGAMAKANUI]

I play it because it’s a chill game.

[@megamanx1291]

"Awkward storyline"? You lost me there

[@cattysplat]

I played it because it was like a life simulator and that had never been done before at the time on a console. Even going to work to earn ingame money was fascinating.

[@madeuinheavan108]

@@megamanx1291bro thought it had a good plot 💀

[@AyoMousy]

It's pretty much one piece

[@RoflMaiWaffel]

When u beat up the bullies in the playground

[@jangv5000]

During 1999, it was pretty neat for a 3D fight.

[@lucascoval828]

Good enough for an adventure game.

[@xliven0m0rex]

Hands down one of my favorite games ever, lol.

[@YoungBlaze]

but that jacket is everything

[@kid--presentable]

Shenmue fighting system in 1 /2 is brilliant in my opinion

[@SURU_]

It really is.. Very accessible but has depth too, super underrated

[@Apanblod]

One of the best aspects of the game! What happened with the combat in 3.. 😑

[@anilMpradhan]

The idea to make it easier for most players to use, a button bashers dream. Completely ruined it for me.

[@kid--presentable]

@@anilMpradhan agreed

[@danmann861]

@@Apanblod budget. Much like most of Shenmue III, I think it was just effected by budget. They went too ambitious for the budget they had I feel. I like the game warts and all but yeah, the combat doesn't compare.

[@rollypollyguy3976]

Doing a little spring cleaning, I found this game in my linen closet. Now I know my phone is definitely listening to me

[@mohammedalabed1329]

only time i will ever say that shenmue's combat is boring, is when we are talking about shenmue 3

[@mihaiyogerojiseku]

HAI! 🤕

[@mechaishida7588]

For it’s time, Shenmue was pioneering and groundbreaking, and not only that, criminally under appreciated. The QTE system was immense, and the combat system was (as has been alluded to) a more rudimentary VF system. Shenmue II’s system obviously evolved greatly, but I was surprised by how engaging the combat was on 1. Every blow was felt. lol

[@SURU_]

Couldn't agree more. Even after all these years, I believe the Shenmue series has the best QTE system. Even short cutscenes have multiple outcomes that play out where you can still succeed depending if you miss one or more QTE, giving a unique experience for each player. Almost every other game's QTEs just has a "pass" or "fail" cutscene and sends you back to the beginning if you mess up. The amount of detail and love that went into the QTE system is second to none! Tbh, after playing a good amount of Shenmue 2 lately, I can't decide which game's combat is more enjoyable for me. S1 requires more execution with it's complex inputs, manual throw escapes, wacky combo system, etc. As a whole, S1's combat feels very satisfying once you get the hang of it and has a lot of depth.

[@ThePreciseClimber]

At the very least, when Famitsu readers chose their Top 100 games back in 2016, Shenmue 1 was #10 and Shenmue 2 was #12.

[@mucktown]

Man, it is so easy to miss this fight.....

[@hydlermccarlson5303]

0:16 Tekken combo be like:

[@FightCain]

“Bro did you get Street Fighter 6 or Tekken 8?” “Nah man, I’m busy labbing shenmue” (I play with a fight stick and it works surprisingly well) Also I spent HOURS trying to do the arm lock thing and the 100 man battle is still fun

[@peefmcgoose2908]

Stumbling on this video randomly is how I found out that shenmue has combat

[@bubblegumxo]

Let me tell you as a single digit year old kid playing Shenmue for the first time the year it came, it blew my mind when you get into your first fight after spending hours wandering/ messing around with money and all the little things. Up to that point i was unsure about all the game mechanics. This game is definitely a product of it's time, and sadly this along with the Dreamcast in general just had such a small window of time where it was in the spotlight and the "new best thing". Within a couple years or so the GameCube and PS2 blew up and nobody knew or cared what a Dreamcast was. I wouldn't change my childhood though, this game was the most impactful game on there and it led to so many good memories and inside jokes/references between my siblings to this day. I remember how horrified i was when i learned the sequel wouldn't be released on the Dreamcast in the US 😂.

[@Loih8]

I love this game aesthetic and songs

[@MisterRON]

Yo, the combat is actually this good?! I had no idea. Looks like I’m buying this on Steam.

[@enemybird]

A mechanic where you hurt certain enemies too much would be cool. It plays into the restraint trained fighters must have.

[@logandunlap9156]

that sounds fucking stupid

[@kokoroafterstorywhen7645]

That only side quest involed fighting

[@RecountDaFox1]

Nothing beats those early 90s-20s videogame Ost

[@hdips7081]

Anyone who mastered the move set will tell you that there is so much choice in how you customise the main characters strengths, I wasn't able to really get there as the only 10 year old I knew who had a dc. I played it again recently and despite the jankiness in the beginning once you get a hold of it it is actually amazing.

[@BigViskus]

bro really pulled a tekken combo on his ass

[@CenterSargE]

Now I understand why people say Yakuza is a spiritual successor to Shenmue

[@mukimuki4]

馬鹿にされがちなゲームだけど、あの時代にここまで作り込めたのはすごい。

[@idalow6993]

Enoki took that like a champ

[@AlPV_]

Yooo kyriu with the leather jacket is cool

[@ShiftNova]

I would rather have this combat system than Shenmue 3 any day.

[@TheKingOfRuckus]

*insert Lucky Hit joke here* .... *makes forklift sounds*

[@hodgeyfitness6058]

Shenmue is such an amazing game the only thing I don't like about 1 and 2 combat which I wish it had is a lock on target 3 has it but 1 and 2 don't you need it for 1 because you can't see the enemy's health bar or ring

[@SURU_]

So true! As a no damager, I couldn't tell ya how many times the auto lock on system's gotten me into trouble 🤣

[@hodgeyfitness6058]

@@SURU_ so I guess you prefer yakuza to shenmue me I'm shenmue all the way

[@SURU_]

Nope! Like a Dragon's super fun, but overall I enjoy Shenmue more. But if I had to choose a favorite, I'd honestly go with Bully 😅

[@DoubleN517]

That lil cawing sound in the background takes me back to my childhood. Was a kid driving virtual forklifts for hours lol

[@timwest277]

No, not boring at all. This game was an amazing game back when it was made years ago. Compared to games made years later I can see how it can be labeled as boring now. I know I had a lot of fun playing it when it first came out years ago.

[@sentero1856]

This is such a time capsule of a game. It was the peak of technical limitations in 2000, and portrayed 1980s japan in such a believable way.

[@umphreak9999]

i think most people were saying the whole game is boring

[@MBOmnis]

I see this game follows the Star Wars combat school of "If you fall to the ground, you're dead"

[@CharlieKelly-ub5qw]

98% is a storyline, and 2% are in combat. I like the storyline but it be nice to fight too.

[@retroryu]

It may be boring these days, but at the time it was amazing that all this was even in there.

[@superkittykiller2000]

I don't think anyone disliked the fighting in these games. It was pretty solid. The problem was the 2 hours of watching paint dry between the fights

[@mark-gj4mb]

0:17 bro did a Wind God Fist on this dude lmao

[@andikaputra4761]

I like it coz there's no too flashy effects like in yakuza. it makes more realistic for me]

[@p5rsona]

its the most incredible fighting i ever experienced in any game. it had so much depth, and unlocking new moves over time gave a very real sense of growth

[@P_D-px6iv]

Have you never played Sleeping Dogs?

[@Grandmastergav86]

Clunky nature aside, I do wish Yakuza's combat had the freedom of Shenmue's in terms of move learning/development. I wouldn't be averse to seeing a Ryo Hazuki goes down the dark path aspect to one of the Yakuza games. Imagine, a jaded older Ryo, consumed by hatred who just batters everyone lmao.

[@palmabolp]

Yakuza Kurhyou 1 and 2 on the PSP (or emulated on pc) is about the closest thing you can get to what you described

[@attherasco]

​@@palmabolp the first game has a fan translation patch btw. now is the perfect time to play it

[@Soulnado]

There was also Bully from Rockstar where the main character learn fighting moves from a crazy vietnam vet. I wish there were more games in that serie refining the combat system.

[@joesomenumbers]

I have to say, if someone elbowed me in the back of the head so hard that I flipped over, I simply would not get back up.

[@McJous]

its basically virtua fighter 2 meets yakuza 1

[@SpiderMike1991]

I love Ryo's jeans, so cool

[@wifesommelier4865]

Wtf, there’s is combat in shenmue? I realy had no ideia. Obviously, i’d never played, but i listen people talk about this game for like 10 years and no one talked about this. Looks good, though.

[@richardvlasek2445]

the amount of combat encounters in the first two games measures in the low double digit and out of that handful, most of them are so boring and easy you can get through them spamming the same two buttons over and over

[@AndreasKopp-c1s]

The trilogy needs a complete remake! This game was ahead it's time!

[@Vectormantudeoz]

A reboot

[@Leequidude]

I like the dynamic camera angle. Yakuza will definitely look good with that style.

[@ivangambino4135]

The psp games have a similar camera

[@Leequidude]

@@ivangambino4135 yep, i immediately recalled that as well when i typed that. I'm planning to revive my psp soon and play those Kurhyou games that i missed. I heard there's an english patch, i just don't know if it works on psp or just emulator.

[@bruhcmouth5494]

10 frame grab into death combo goes hard

[@damitosodapop]

Literally Like a Dragon before it was it's own thing

[@supercoolmaniajon265]

0:19 The curbstomp tho....

[@Themoonmainmoon]

Ikr

[@Gadoworld]

Well I actually don't like fighting in this game, I play it for the investigation.

[@mushra50]

I wish we could have did more of this in the actual game

[@Skulls-for-Cats]

The problem, to me at least, isn't that it's "boring" it's that you spend more time doing investigative work rather than fighting, so it's difficult to come to grips with the controls and the flow of fights since there's hardly any chances to practice. So even though I am almost 6 hours in, I hardly have enough material to attest whether or not it's boring.

[@TheEarthRealm]

I loved the combat sequences, much better than the reaction command ones.

[@rimjobledouche5201]

Shenmue's combat was one of three things about the game that wasn't total dogshit, the others being the graphics and the soundtrack.

[@SURU_]

You didn't care for the story itself? Imo overall it's one of Shenmue's stronger aspects, especially the way it transitions into Shenmue 2

[@edgeworth097]

@@SURU_Honestly, I thought most of it was great. Voice acting obviously had issues, but I played Shenmue II with the Japanese voices, and they honestly weren't that bad. Aside from that, the actual gameplay, while dated, for it's time was revolutionary, and even now I still enjoy it

[@SamHammoudeh]

Earth and Sea is probably one of the best fighting songs ever made.

[@RanOutOfSpac]

The shit you can do in the combat sections were so freaking cool.

[@KuroParasite]

people who said that are just lucky that the combat is just forgiving. if the devs didn’t modified the engine’s combat, it’ll be dark souls in 2000.

[@SURU_]

Exactly! The closest we've gotten to souls like difficulty is the Izumi fight in Shenmue 2. She's basically Sarah on steroids haha

[@Kalloth]

Its funny how much you can see what they did with Yakuza's combat here. The foundation is there, Shenmue was ahead of its time.

[@Segaton]

Shenmue 1 and 2 were divine. 3 I had a hard time enjoying.

[@supermandem]

Does anyone else get goosebumps when they hear those echoed hits?

[@Comkill117]

The only time Shenmue combat wasn’t hype was 3. 1&2’s it was always a highlight getting into a fight.

[@kelimetre]

Better than all android game

[@Leon_S._Kennedy]

This game is still ahead of its time

[@Peplumintoa]

I hope they do Shenmue 4 good

[@SURU_]

Here's hoping they will 🤞

[@hmnanda]

After shenmue 3 aka filler episode and that steam debacle, i highly doubt suzuki will finish the series in his lifetime

[@alexeiharp7676]

If it ever gets released

[@gr8gmr]

​@@hmnandaTo me, he sounds determined.

[@PerroTrotavidas]

They meant Shenmue III, most likely. What a massacre that was.

[@teamhebi13]

i play it and after that i stop playing it after 5mins

[@alexeiharp7676]

I still haven't played a better adventure game than S1&2 regarding fighting system, both intuitive and rewarding Some talk about Yakuza, imo it's really leagues behind

[@Mari_Izu]

Yakuza's combat is based on Spikeout, which it's creator worked on (it even reuses some fighting animations), it's a different approach, more beat'em up.

[@MatthiasSoriano-f2c]

This game was truly ahead of its time

[@morgueblack]

If only Yakuza has the very same fighting system that Shenmue has, that would be a blast to play.

[@jessetheanimenerd3304]

Yakuza has a pretty good fighting system too, just not as complex. The real fun of that series is in the side missions and main story though.

[@hurykles99]

Even tho it's simplified a bit it doesn't mean it is bad Especially when you can do some ridiculous shit in some yakuza games

[@palmabolp]

I think the closest you will get to Shenmue combat in the Yakuza games is with Kurohyou 1 and 2. They are Japanese exclusives for the PSP, but you can emulate them on PC and the first one has an english patch.

[@morgueblack]

@@palmabolp Not really willing to go through all the work of setting up an emulator but thanks though.

[@BryanDeadly]

@@morgueblackPPSSPP is practically set up for you. You dont even need to "dump" a bios or anything it works straight out of the box.

[@eneseusm459]

The first guy. That body shot must've been real hard

[@allythepingu4629]

Great fighting system 👏 shame you rarely fight tho😂

[@PBEcotaku]

Those were some sick OTG combos.

[@lucidvalidity7056]

When you play games cinematically like this it really goes to show how satisfying and fun you can make moments for yourself the dodging look and feel makes me wish they ported this on modern consoles already

[@snailvevo]

shenmue did walk so Like a dragon can fly