I honestly want to know what makes rabid Shenmue fans believe this an enduring classic today.
I honestly want to know what makes you think Shenmue fans believe it's an "enduring classic," because I don't think I've seen anyone make that claim. Most are pretty open about it being a hard sell today and not being for everyone even at the time. When there was no hope of a Shenmue 3 for many years, everyone knew exactly why. Even Shenmue 2 only came out because it was developed jointly with the first game.
The comments from every corner of the internet when the game gets mentioned since it first came out is what makes me think that, you only need to go as far as the YouTube comments for this video to see that (Which I wouldn't ever recommend actually doing). If most fans do believe the game to be a hard sell, they're certainly not the vocal ones, because the intensity and fervor that tends to come out over negative criticism of this game is second only to hardcore Metal Gear fans.
@white_lando: I've said before that Shenmue is ABOUT the periphery. It even provides gaps of time to kill, trying to nudge you in that direction. People keep mentioning a lack of encouragement to explore, but there it is, whether you think it's effective or not. It's a game that's actually made WORSE by mainlining.
I'm not making the argument that everyone is going to actually like the periphery stuff. From the start I've conceded that it's not for everyone. But they haven't even figured out how the game operates. They've assumed that this is it, that you're really suppose to just stand in the street. It doesn't help that Dan keeps affirming that "This is it, you just talk to people for the next clue, from what I remember." Shenmue is a 3D point and click adventure with action elements, and they haven't figured out how to point and click. It's maddening.
No one here is looking for complete redemption in their eyes. Comments from the GB staff post-recording make it pretty clear that this doesn't end on a positive note. But actually looking at the things that the game is known for and the occasional "Oh that's interesting and bonkers" would be nice. I want them to see the level of interactive fidelity in Ryo's house, 15 years before Gone Home. I want them to realize that the weather patterns are based on actual meteorological data from an almanac, and hear what they have to say about that. I want to hear reactions from them over some random YouTuber because they're the only game video people that I follow. That's the "fair light" I want to see, and it's completely separate from what their review score ultimately is.
I can't see how they can be faulted for overlooking the details like fiddling with stuff in Ryu's house or going shopping when the game sells itself as an epic revenge saga, and while there are gaps of time to kill there isn't the faintest suggestion there actually is more to do. Even something as little a line in the notebook that says "Well, I could go kill some time at x" would have made a world of difference, since it's the only guide the player is given. It's impossible to miss that stuff in Gone Home because that's literally the entire game. There's certainly an admirable level of attention to detail but honestly I can't imagine any of it getting literally anything more "Oh, that's interesting" out of them, what is there more to say? I remember reading a preview of Max Payne prior to release saying they implemented randomized muzzle flashes so they never look exactly the same, it's a neat detail, certainly, but ultimately does that make the game better? As far as going forward without the possibility of community feedback while it was on-going, I could be wrong, but I can't recall an ER where they actually did take feedback and alter their playstyle. My recollection is that they actively avoided comments so they would continue to present it as how they themselves would be playing the game even if they weren't recording it, and for better or worse, here it is.
@madbootsy: I could have left out the snark, but coming at my first comment by essentially saying "You don't understand, you can also pick things up" as though that were the actual crux of the game that brings it all together is a little silly. But you're here now, so try me, pretend you're Sega PR and you have to pitch a re-release of Shenmue. I honestly want to know what makes rabid Shenmue fans believe this an enduring classic today.
@gregalor: I know that stuff is there, but that in particular is in service of a game that has, what, six or seven actual, non-QTE fights in it? A lot of the things being mentioned about them overlooking are peripheral to the core of the game and I don't see how them discovering any of those elements would completely redeem the game in their eyes the way those who are saying the game's being shown in an unfair light seem to think it would.
@squirrelnacho: A thousand apologies, my memories since playing through this when it first came out are hazy. Can you help me out and remind me what the critical gameplay relevant items were that you could buy that made the game fun?
The Shenmue fans are right, if they knew they could zoom in on objects, go into random shops or feed the kitten they would have a total 180 on their opinion of the game. I know I can't think of anything more exciting. But just hold on, guys, once they get to spending half of every in-game day driving a forklift around surely they're going to go out of their fucking minds with how much fun they're having.
Yes, having played about half a dozen of the cases in Sherlock Holmes, go in with the mindset that if you can actually get a score higher than zero, you won. Some cases are better than others, more than once when we decided we had enough information to offer our solution found questions on a smaller side case we didn't even pick up on involving characters we never encountered.
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