Finally after several weeks of play spent exploring the beautiful environments of Hong Kong, I've finished the game and can ow deliver the definitive review. As in Shenmue, each disc of Shenmue II is an experience surpassing most full games and differing hugely from the last, so they each get their own score in this spoiler-free review. Read on...
The situation with disc 1 of Shenmue II will be familiar to anyone who's played Shenmue. It's good, but not as good as the others. From the start there is some action but it soon slows down until the fights come very slowly with the majority of the disc taken up with collecting information from the local people. This is no problem if you speak Japanese, but without a walkthrough or any knowledge of Japanese this could prove trying for some import players.
The graphics, as you would expect, are amazing throughout and even some slowdown in certain areas is forgiveable when you look at what the DC is pushing around the screen here, all at an impressively high resolution.
Like in Shenmue, disc 2 is a huge improvement. There is possibly an over-use of the cup-arranging thing (you'll understand when you play it) but there's a lot of action both in the form of QTEs (note: this disc introduces the new-style Freeze QTEs) and as free-battles. If you struggled to make it through disc 1, this will change your whole perception of the game and shows that Yu Suzuki wasn't joking when he said that there was more action in this game than in the original. You have to do a small job in this disc (for no money!!!) that is kind of tedious but other than that this disc is great.
Disc 3 not only marks the beginning (and end) of Shenmue Chapter 3, it is also the pinnacle of the series' genius so far. It is set in Kowloon (discs 1 and 2 were in Aberdeen and Wan Chai) where Ryo and Ren get involved with mob kingpins, street fighting, and cold-blooded killers. Many will consider the end of this disc to be the games true ending because it's so incredibly cinematic and well-directed. When you don't want to follow the story you can gamble and street fight for cash as well as gamble and play pachinko like in the other discs. This is without a doubt my favourite section of the game.
After the incredible disc 3 this is a huge letdown. It can be completed within 2 hours and is very slow-moving indeed. The reason that it still scored well is that this disc probably reveals more about the story of Shenmue than any other disc in the entire Shenmue series so far.
