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Customer reviews

Rating 4.6 out of 5 stars with 382 reviews

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93%
would recommend
to a friend

Customers are saying

Customers have good things to say about the remastered graphics, engaging story, and overall value for the price of Shenmue I & II. Many appreciate the game's place as a pioneer in the open-world genre, though some find the controls and voice acting to be dated. The HD upgrade is also frequently praised, enhancing the classic experience. However, a few players mention that the game's pacing may feel slow to modern players.

This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.

The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 382 reviews
  • Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    A Game Like no Other

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Shenmue is easily my favorite game of all time. I never grew up in the time when this game first came out in America in 2000 but first played it as a 15 year old back in 2009. Even at that young age emmeresed with games that are technically better looking, this old game on a system I never grew up with gripped me like no game has ever had and still never had to this day. Both of these games have stood the test of time with their deep level of immersion that I have not even felt with any game and with the care and craft that went into making the envoironments you explore. Shenmue 1 is easliy my favorite game of all time and 2 would easliy be in my top 10 and am definetly looking forward to 3 on August 27th 2019. Highly recommended if your tired of the same generic Sandbox games or Fortnight/PUBG clones that are the popular games out today.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Rated 1 out of 5 stars

    Shenmue 2 sucks. Shenmue 1 on Dreamcast was good.

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    Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    And they charge two different cards twice for 455 dollars and never sent my PlayStation 4 bundle with 3 games and they didn’t give me a refund . Don’t buy this game I don’t even trust Best Buy no more I use to love this store . I had to buy a whole nother PlayStation 4 from someone else.

    No, I would not recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Story
    Cons mentioned:
    Controls, Voice acting

    Rated 3 out of 5 stars

    Precursor to Yakuza series for better and worse.

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    First, I am a Dreamcast and Shenmue fan. I still own the originals of both. Here's the good and bad of the this updated compilation: THE GOOD: Classic tale of revenge. Wastes no time getting you roped into the story. The characters and environments are memorable. The story is engaging and it's easy to get sucked in for hours. The pacing is slow, but I find it as a comforting zen-like experience. I love that I can remote play on my Vita and enjoy it handheld throughout the house. The games don't seem to take too much HD space on my PS4 either, which is nice. THE BAD: In regards to the core game itself, the game and flow feels dated. Especially if you grew up on anything newer than PS2 era systems. These are basically just ports of a game engine that was released almost 20 years ago. Keep that in mind when it comes to graphics and textures. The controls pre-date the dual analog stick standard. So expect tank controls with minimal right analog support. The audio samples of the voice overs are not very good and you'll definitely notice it when you first play. The combat is based on old Virtua Fighter mechanics which are not great, but it gets the job done. There's not much combat anyway. In regards to the re-release efforts, I hit multiple cutscene glitches. During realtime cutscenes, the camera would change to some random static shot while the music and voiceovers play. Sometimes it's a static shot of a lamp or a static shot inches from a blank wall. I hit these bugs in less than an hour of play. I really hope they patch this soon. The main draw of the game is its ability to pull you in. But these cutscene glitches are immersion breaking. It's unfortunate because the original releases felt so polished. I think there's audio problems when running through the streets that was not present in the original. The sound of the foot steps randomly cuts out. I'm surprised they couldn't improve the NPC pop up. The popup may be worse than the original.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Cons mentioned:
    Pacing, Voice acting

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    A slightly flawed execution of a seminal classic

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    These are among my favorite games of all time, in fact Shenme II is number one on my list. I've played both games so much that I broke three Dreamcast GD-ROM drives. Needless to say, I am overjoyed that they received a re-release on modern console and PC systems. The design and aesthetics hold up well, even nearly 20 years after their initial releases. Anyone who has not played this franchise should know going in that the pacing is very slow. This is intentional. Yu Suzuki, the creator, wants the player to get immersed in the world, and few games have pulled this off so well. You truly feel like you are exploring real-life locations in the time period in which these games take place. This said, I have to be somewhat critical of this re-master. Despite a day-one patch, there are still many significant bugs. I've experienced glitched cutscenes where you cannot see the characters interacting. One of the QTE (quick time event) mini-games you can play refuses to register up on the directional pad, screwing me out of getting high scores. There is noticeable input lag when navigating some of the in-game menus. Some in-game sounds flat out refuse to play. I have my fingers crossed the developers will address these issues. One thing that cannot be fixed, however, is the quality of the audio. It sounds as low fidelity as it did on the Dreamcast. Unfortunately, the tracks could not be remastered without re-recording everything, so it's understandable. Just be prepared when you go in. Overall, the mere existence of this collection is a very positive thing. I just wish it had a little more "time in the oven" so players would have a more polished experience.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Graphics, Story
    Cons mentioned:
    Voice acting

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Great value for one who never played the originals

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    Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Just being able to pick up both Shenmue 1 and 2 both on disc for the PS4 at this price is a great value. As someone who never played the originals but always heard rave reviews about them, this was a great opportunity to affordably pick up and play a piece of gaming history. The games themselves still hold up today, graphically they look great in HD. There are some sound issues and bugs here and there but overall, I would say that Shenmue 1 and 2 are absolutely worth playing for the unique sandbox experience and amazing story that they both offer.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Cons mentioned:
    Voice acting

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Shenmue is ok

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I always herd this game was one of the greatest games on the Dreamcast and you just HAD to play it. So when they announced 1 and 2 would be coming to the PS4 I decided to give it a spin. What can I say about Shenmue it's a story of a boy who witnesses his father getting killed and tries to go about getting his revenge. It starts off well enough but is quickly halted by cheesy voice acting wonky camera a few glitches that were not in the Dreamcast version. I have only played the first game so far. But I can tell you if you are a gamer who started playing games in the last few generations and are used to the modern conenicens of video games like a mini map or a way point telling you where to go or being able to skip cutscenes then you may be put off by this. But if you are a Yakuza fan and want to see how that series got started then I'd recommend you play this as Shenmue is the father to the Yakuza series. This game was a technical marvel at the time it achieved many things that games were not doing back then. Like day and night cycles weather effect fully voice acted story intelligent AI that went about there day being able to go in almost every building and interacting with items. Mini games inside a video game. If you want to experience a piece of gaming culture give this a go but if you are impatient easily frustrated by not knowing what to do or where to go if you are used to having your hand held then this is not for you.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Graphics, Story
    Cons mentioned:
    Controls

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Classic Shenmue, classic gameplay!

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    Posted . Owned for 7 months when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This game graphics back then were just great and they even got better! For old school fans of those that have missed out on Shemue this is your chance to experience it! The controls may seem a bit outdated, but the story is a great experience!

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Price
    Cons mentioned:
    Voice acting

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Make sure to talk to Hot Dog Vendor Tom.

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    Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Very fun games that stand out as ahead of their time with their open area exploration and entertaining worlds. Some of the voice acting and other features to the games haven’t aged the greatest, as well as some of the more repetitive gameplay aspects, but they honestly added to the charm for me and I would still give them a whole-hearted recommendation to anyone interested. A great value too with both games in one disc for the price and the poster that comes with it is cool as well.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Graphics, Story

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great port of these classic games

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    Posted . Owned for 11 months when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    If you’re a Shenmue fan from the Dreamcast/XBox era, then you won’t be disappointed. Remastered graphics (textures, etc.) are beautiful and the game plays just the same as back then. Some of the licensed product names (that made Shenmue that much more immersive in its time) have been obviously omitted, but that doesn’t change what makes these games so great: the intriguing story. A great port of a very special game. Buy it and get ready for Shenmue III (unbelievable that this is on the horizon!!!)

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Cons mentioned:
    Controls

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    A cool trip down memory lane

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I loved these games when I first played them on Dreamcast/Xbox respectively, but in some ways these games haven't aged well. The graphics obviously are dated but I can live with that. What is less easy to forgive are the abysmal controls and camera. Yes you can fight through them and get through the games but upgrading the controls would have been very welcome indeed. Still, if you loved the original games like I did, they still have a lot of charm and will always have a special place in my heart. Definitely recommend for those who loved the originals.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Graphics, Story

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    A classic just in time for the 3rd Game

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    Posted . Owned for 5 months when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This is a classic game pack of two Dreamcast classics updated for modern consoles. Back when these games were new, they were ground breaking and very advanced in terms of story and gameplay. They have aged fairly well, and have been updated graphics wise. They will each take 20-40 hours to complete. The 3rd entry is coming out in November 2019, so this is a great way to get to know the series before the 3rd part arrives.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Graphics
    Cons mentioned:
    Controls

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Beautiful port brimming with nostalgia

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Was a huge fan of the originals but not so much of hauling out my old consoles to replay them every few years. Sooo glad I picked this up! The graphics and gameplay were improved just so much as to make the game playable on modern devices (looks great even on a 65" 4K T.V.) without sacrificing a thing - the controls and voice-overs are just as clunky as ever... and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Cons mentioned:
    Pacing

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Good, but would have preferred a full remaster

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This game really brings me back. Loved it on the Dreamcast all those years ago and it's even better now because of the better resolution and super quick load times! Yet, its not perfect...I would have preferred Sega do a remaster like what was done with Yakuza (0, Kiwami 1 & 2, 6). The pacing on both games can seem very slow compared to today's modern games and the audio is atrocious, but it still has its charm. Good to replay both 1 & 2 and get ready for Shenmue 3 next year.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Graphics

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    An interesting, unique experience

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    For those not in the know, the Shenmue series began way back on the Sega Dreamcast, where it basically combined the elements of RPGs and fighting games, with a lot of the focus on simply running around the town and seeing what was going on, while looking for clues into the whereabouts of your father's murderer. The second game would come a couple of years later, but US folks had to wait for an Xbox release, unlike the Dreamcast release other countries got. A third and supposedly final game in the series is finally releasing this year, and if you're interested in that, you should probably pick this up to get yourself up to speed. This release contains both of the existing games, as promised, with graphics that, while aged, don't look the absolute worst by today's standards. It's best to keep in mind that these are some very experimental games that may not hook everyone. The action takes a backseat to the overall atmosphere of these games, so you'll be doing a lot of walking around, initiating conversations with NPCs, playing mini-games, and putting together the pieces to find out how to trigger the next progression in the story. It's definitely something interesting to experience, especially since all the NPCs have stories of their own, each with their own name and daily routine. Some might find it boring, but if you're curious and want to experience some games like no others out there, give this a try.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Graphics
    Cons mentioned:
    Voice acting

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Love it

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This is a perfect example of how to bring the game back to life with a little bit better graphics. The storyline for the time period that it actually released was way ahead of its time. The storyline right now and still captivating even though the voice acting is a little off based off of what we're used to down. A great buy for anyone though.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Open world, Story

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    This is a masterpiece

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    Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Shenmue is one of the most important games in video game history. Some say it was a success and others call it a failure. None can deny it is the first game to ever present an open world map. The story is as finely crafted as they come. This game pushed the limits of what a game could be.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Graphics
    Cons mentioned:
    Controls

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Retro goodness

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This Shenmue collection is great for those who loved the originals and want to relive the experience with MUCH better load times. The visuals were slightly improved and the cheesey voice acting remains. Shenmue was ahead of its time on the Dreamcast and is still a good time today. Controls and camera angles take a bit of getting used to.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Cons mentioned:
    Controls

    Rated 3 out of 5 stars

    Slow Burn

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    When this title was initially released on the Dreamcast I thought it was the greatest game of all time. Playing through it now I see how far games have come since then. It is a very slow day. In between tasks you frequently need to waste time wandering around, playing arcade games, drinking a soda, listen to the same few people say the same few things, etc. The combat is terrible! As are the controls. I barely remember not having 2 joysticks to use. The 3 stars comes from the nostalgia and terrible voice acting known from Japanese titles at this time. If you never played this you will hate it. If you played it before and remember it, you will likely enjoy some reminiscing.

    No, I would not recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Open world, Story

    Rated 3 out of 5 stars

    Dreamcast Game

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I didn't play this during the Sega DreamCast era, but I heard so much praise being given to it from peers and gamer's from the internet I decided to give it a look. During the PlayStation E3 press conference they announced that part III of Shenmue would be coming soon and a re-release of 1-2 would come to give players a chance to play the originals. This game is an up-convert of the originals, it is fine to me, I would have rather them remaster than to just throw something out there. This is for nostalgia for old players. I would recommend this if you want to see a great story, the origins of open world gaming and to be ready when the 3rd one comes out. CONS: Up-convert, no new bells and whistles. Graphics look the same with a newish coat to it. PROS: DreamCast nostalgia and origins of open worlds and quick time events

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Graphics, Open world

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Shenmue

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    Posted . Owned for 6 months when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This game is one of the first open-world games. It was revolutionary on Dreamcast, I even imported the sequel. There is a quality about this game that you see very seldom in modern titles. Please experience this for yourself and buy a copy.

    I would recommend this to a friend
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