3.5/5 ★ – ElementaryGaming's review of Shenmue II.

An absolutely fascinating game whose influence can be felt to this day. There's still nothing quite like it. The detail found in the environments and even the dated face designs contain levels of detail still often not found in modern games. The fact that there's a song for almost every location in the game, including each little shop (most of which you don't even need to step foot in to advance the plot), is insane. The addition of a map is welcome, but the way you still need to look at and remember other world maps in order to find specific shops is cool. This game isn't always "fun" in the traditional sense of the word, as it makes you perform menial tasks, but these tasks do somehow add up to a more immersive experience in a very odd way. The mystery unravels slowly and the plot is definitely more about the journey than the destination, and exploring the world is almost always interesting. However, some of "take a few steps, then trigger a lengthy cutscene" repetition can feel grating after a while, especially given the slow pace of many of the cutscenes. The liked the first game better for its overall more memorable soundtrack, and because you were able to really get to know the few towns that you spent the entire game in. With Shenmue 2, there are multiple places you visit, all of which are more difficult to "get to know". While I prefer the original Shenmue for its smaller, more intimate world, the sequel is great and it irons out many of the annoyances present in the first. The detailed cities and mountains are something to behold.