The Raven Remastered
The Raven Remastered
Game
Game2018
Shenmue I & II
Developer D3T
Shenmue is a 1999 action-adventure game created by Yu Suzuki and developed and published by Sega for the Dreamcast. It follows the teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki as he sets out in revenge for the murder of his father in 1980s Yokosuka, Japan. The player explores an open world, fighting opponents in brawler battles and encountering quick-time events. The environmental detail was considered unprecedented, with… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
187 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy) · newest Nov 1, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
84
LovedLoved
147 positive · 29 negative
95% range 77–88%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 147 | 29 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
1,718 of 1,953 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
85% recommend · 147 yes, 26 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 173 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (2,905 of 3,272 positive).
Many note the game's dated mechanics and clunky controls, but find them charming. [1][2][3]
Representative posts
- [9]
It was fun until the novelty wore off. And then it --really-- wasn't fun. The game is mostly down time. You talk to people. You talk to a lot of people. You talk until you find the right person or until someone can point you to the right person. I did enjoy it though -- for a time. I'd spend each in game day talking to people, exploring, and slowly advancing the story while learning the city layout and about the …
- [10]
I don’t think younger generations can fully grasp how pivotal Shenmue was for modern gaming. It may feel dated today, but it remains a monument, way ahead of its time. Thank you, Suzuki-san, for Shenmue. It will always hold a special place in my heart.
- [1]
Shenmue sucks and Shenmue is amazing. Both of these things are true. If you meet Shenmue on it's level, and treat it like a playable life sim that happens to have part of martial arts story in it, it becomes one of the most unique experiences in gaming. also the voice acting and lines are really funny. also you drive a forklift
- [5]
There are games that you play, and then there are games that you remember. Shenmue I & II is one of those games that feels like stepping back into a memory. It's not just about the revenge story; it's about the quiet moments in between. Walking through the streets, talking to people, hearing the music, and discovering small details made the world feel real. It's definitely showing its age, but that's part of its …
- [2]
Shenmue I & II pulled me in way more than I expected. The games are a bit clunky here and there, but it somehow adds to the charm. I ended up wandering around Yokosuka, wasting money on capsule toys and chatting with NPCs for no real reason, just like I used to. It gave me that early 2000s feeling I didn’t even realize I missed. If you played these on the Dreamcast or just want a nostalgia hit that actually lands, …
Summarised from 34 of the 184 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
85% of the 173 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Shenmue I & II. The complaint that keeps coming up: dated graphics and clunky mechanics. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Shenmue held an average aggregate score of 89% on GameRankings. Critics praised its graphics, realism, soundtrack and ambition. IGN called it "a gaming experience that no one, casual to hardcore gamer, can miss", and Eurogamer called it "one of the most compelling and unusual gaming experiences ever created". GameSpot wrote that though Shenmue is "far from perfect" it was "revolutionary" and "worth experiencing—provided you have the time to invest". Edge initially called the Japanese version a "landmark"; they later said the English version was not the "milestone" they had hoped for, but was "involving, and ultimately rewarding". Ed Lomas of the UK Official Dreamcast Magazine said the…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 187 · most liked firstIt was fun until the novelty wore off. And then it --really-- wasn't fun. The game is mostly down time. You talk to people. You talk to a lot of people. You talk until you find the right person or until someone can point you to the right person. I did enjoy it though -- for a time. I'd spend each in game day talking to people, exploring, and slowly advancing the story while learning the city layout and about the characters who live there. I can see the what the developers envisioned at the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don’t think younger generations can fully grasp how pivotal Shenmue was for modern gaming. It may feel dated today, but it remains a monument, way ahead of its time. Thank you, Suzuki-san, for Shenmue. It will always hold a special place in my heart.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Shenmue sucks and Shenmue is amazing. Both of these things are true. If you meet Shenmue on it's level, and treat it like a playable life sim that happens to have part of martial arts story in it, it becomes one of the most unique experiences in gaming. also the voice acting and lines are really funny. also you drive a forklift
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Experiencing Shenmue in its inception must have been a thrill, a surprise and a joy back then I imagine. Given that nowadays most if not all games have followed this formula to the tea, I must say that even though I am one of many whom might not be surprised about what the game showcase as its technical achievement, at least what made me love this game was different aspect of it. The soul this title has is quite unique in regard to this attention that was given to it when was made. And it is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Did you ever fantasize about being a japanese teen boy living in a smalll but bustling japanese town? Do you like exploration with no handholding and detailed worlds? Did you ever wish to be a karate master? Did you ever wish to beat up chinese immigrants? Then boy do I have the game for you
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Shenmue I & II Now 82% off (6.47€) on Fanatical (Steam). If you haven't played these classics yet, maybe it's time! 🔗 www.fanatical.com/en/game/shen...
neutral · AI labelView post →Shenmue is a really serious game where your dad is killed at the beginning of the game and you must find the people that killed him. This is why it's crucial for me to go work at the docks to participate in daily forklift races in order to get some money and spend more than 1000 Yen everyday on gacha capsule toys to feed my gambling addiction. 5 out of 5. delin_grunt.mp3
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Shenmue I & II pulled me in way more than I expected. The games are a bit clunky here and there, but it somehow adds to the charm. I ended up wandering around Yokosuka, wasting money on capsule toys and chatting with NPCs for no real reason, just like I used to. It gave me that early 2000s feeling I didn’t even realize I missed. If you played these on the Dreamcast or just want a nostalgia hit that actually lands, this collection still hits the spot.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I mean, I played the game. It's good, it's not bad. It's like a game. You can see the old classic village now. It felt like we went back to PlayStation 2. It's not bad.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There are games that you play, and then there are games that you remember. Shenmue I & II is one of those games that feels like stepping back into a memory. It's not just about the revenge story; it's about the quiet moments in between. Walking through the streets, talking to people, hearing the music, and discovering small details made the world feel real. It's definitely showing its age, but that's part of its charm. The story of Ryo's journey, the atmosphere, and the feeling of just…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yakuza, but slow-paced and autistic
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a highly flawed masterpiece. I'm in love with the vibes of this game and especially with the voices in Japanese. Although this game has clunky mechanics, repetitive events and really frustrating QTEs, I still love the feeling I get when playing this. I love the music, immersion and story. I somehow have nostalgia for a game I never played as a kid. I see this game through the lens of a 90s kid and it impresses me so much for it's time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What can I say about Shenmue 1 and 2 that hasn't already been said? For 20 years these have been my favorite games, II in particular, and around every Christmas I boot up Shenmue 1. This year I wanted to try the PC version of the HD remasters, which I already own on PS4, and it's such an excellent port. Here's - hopefully - to twenty more years of Shenmue 1 and 2, two games that have been with me through the best times and the worst times. I will say that 1 hits even more after the passing of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game was ahead of its time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My first taste of Shenmue 1 started back in December 2000 on the Dreamcast. I was a teenager back then and had read about the hype surrounding this game on Dreamcast magazine, as well as watching the trailers repeatedly and being wildly excited that this was gonna be a game unlike any other. One day, I asked my dad if we could buy it so we went to Gamestop and as soon as I had a copy in my hand, I was overjoyed. Couldn't wait ot play it. As soon as we got home from work, I popped it into my…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →developed a crippling gambling addiction and all I got was a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ certificate
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's old and clunky but you can still clearly tell it has good game design somehow which is impressive for its age
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I never had a Dreamcast as a kid and Shenmue absolutely crushes early 2000's gaming. It would have blown me away back then and it's still quite enjoyable by today's standards. To say "the graphics are dated" is a hilarious understatement because nostalgia and cubical graphics, minus the actual Dreamcast load times, are precisely what makes this collection so special. The closest thing I played to this as a kid was probably Resident Evil, but that's a totally different type of exploration. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Shenmue 1 and 2 revolutionized the open-world genre, with fantastic characters and storytelling. The game might have aged quite a bit (it's been over 25 years), but it is still a gem
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The best people I've ever known love this game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is fun to explore the intricate details of the city.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've been playing video games 🎮 since I was a kid in the 90's. One of the first things I held was a controller. I was a 5 year old girl trying to beat levels on Super Mario World. I'd play all night on just 1 level until I beat it and repeat. I'm like "I'm gonna be so cool like my big brother! He's gonna be so proud!!" Fast forward about 10 years. My dad had sent me a few coins for a weekend treat and my brother (who was my guardian at the time) took me to the video store and I rented this…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Shenmue 1 and 2 are an experience, I cannot stress enough how great these games are, and I highly recommend fans of the Yakuza series to play what is essentially the precursor to them,
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Amazing games. Works in bazzite.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I discovered Shenmue with this edition and was completely blown away, some 20 years after the original release of these 2 games. So I can only imagine the shock that those who played them in the early 2000s must have felt. Well... If you like Call of Duty, speed run, or if you prefer to be led by the hand, this isn't for you. In a time when games were either shoot 'em up, racing games, RPGs… Shenmue 1 & 2, the most expensive games ever produced at their release, blend various genres…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I immediately saw all the things that inspired yakuza/like a dragon to be like in this game. The combat is very aged but not terrible. The amount of detail in the stores and locations is astonishing and many newer games don't get it this good. Never saw a time mechanic in a game like this which was fun to have to manage your time and to memories when the stores for example close and open when the bus comes and such. The game never crashed and it runs on a stable 30fps with no dips, would've…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[Review of Shenmue I only] Shenmue is *the* Stop And Smell The Roses video game. You play this game with knees permanently bent and with a back perpetually arched. You are placed in a field of endless roses, and you may smell each and every one of them. Their aroma wafts into your nostrils delicate and full-bodied, sweet and textural. When I said you may smell each and every one of these roses, that was a “typo”; you *must* smell each and every one of them. Yet, eventually, due to the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Years ago... I was Chinese.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yakuza but less wacky & more grounded. A flawed gem that pioneered many game mechanics we see today in modern games. Worth taking a trip down memory lane for only $5.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Playing this game for the first time in 2025 is quite the experience. The game takes it slow and is all about taking your time and knowing the people and place where you live. Sometimes the waiting time feels too lenghty (specially in the 1 as they dont have any way to skip time), but there are certain things in these games that feels so real, picking up a routine, greeting the shopkeepers everyday, learning martial art as a process... it is an experience. You feel part of the neighbourhood.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's not a game, it's a curse that eats away your life in real time as you get to follow random people on the street. This used to be a novelty back in the day. As were the accursed quick-time events during 10 minute unskippable cutscenes. Something this game also intoduced, creating a generation of people with Stockholme syndrom that swear on their life that there's anything good about the series. Terrible racing minigames, useless gatcha collections, horrible combat mechanics and a lovely 30…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't let the hours fool you, i've played Shenmue 1+2 for 20+ years across the Dreamcast, OG Xbox, PS4 and now Steam. There's something about it that still hasn't been replicated today. Sure, Yakuza and Sleeping Dogs did something similar, and Yakuza has gone on to become a monolith franchise. But there's there's a mundane-ness to Shenmue that feels comfortable. Wandering into any bar or shop for no reason other than to see what's there. Chatting with any random person on the street. Buying…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Here's a list of five games (that are not from Square / Square Enix or Nintendo) that I really NEED to play as soon as possible • Deus Ex (Only the first game, and despite the fact that i'm not fond of shooters lol) • Divinity II • Shadow of the Colossus • Shenmue I & II • The Silver Case
neutral · AI labelView post →One of my favorite titles to come back to every now and then.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →shenmue is unforgettable. played this on the dreamcast as a kid. returned because there is so much about it that is completely unique and in the current video game zeitgeist it serves as some kind of antidote. no coincidence one of the first major characters you meet teaches Ryo about patience and calmness of the mind and the environment of Buddhist antiques outside the temple, the pacing, the chores all reinforce these themes. ryos impatience for vengeance is your impatience for button…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you enjoy talking, getting clues, talk to some more people, then realize you need a specific time of the day to enter a shop or find a person so you need to waste time by doing stuff to pass time, yeah this game is for you. The vibe and atmosphere, the music, it all is wonderful I won't lie. But as a game it just isn't something I personally am that patient for. I'm not saying the game is bad (although it is certaintly a product of its time) but just not the game for me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Broken on steam deck. Inexcusable.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For best results run in original Dreamcast settings 680x480 instead of 4k. For extra Dreamcast realism devs have locked game to 30fps, voila!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought this game because I have fond memories of playing it on the Dreamcast back in the day. I'm currently doing a "Yakuza / Ryu Ga Gotoku" franchise marathon and it's insane how much foundation Shenmue built for future generations of games. Shenmue 1 & 2 deserve all the praise they got and I'll be sure to play it again once I finish my Yakuza franchise run.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's incredible how poorly they have handled this. The in-game cut-scenes? 4:3 framing. Even though these are *IN-GAME* ... so if the rendering engine dimensions have changed, it's because *THEY* set the rendering paraemeters to not work and were unwilling/unable to adjust the rendering engine. The audio for the English voices? It sounds like someone took 44.1Khz, put it through a bit-crusher filter, and sampled at 22.05 Khz. IT IS CRAP. The aspect-ratio of the characters during the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →@sega.jp @sega-west.bsky.social This is a humble request to release #Shenmue I & II in some form on the #NintendoSwitch. I'm over-the-moon that @iningames.bsky.social is bringing Shenmue III to Switch, but I feel the game would benefit players with context from I & II. Thank you.
neutral · AI labelView post →Game of all time The graphics are stunning, the music is simply exceptional, and the story is incredibly gripping. Everything that happens in Shenmue is amazing. The QTEs enhance the immersion in key scenes, and the combat system is both deep and demanding. The real-time system, combined with a notebook that tracks the story’s progression, is a brilliant idea. Every aspect of the game immerses you in the daily life of Ryo Hazuki and his quest to avenge his father’s death. Play Shenmue, it’s…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Shenmue is a very quirky avant-garde game that demands a lot of patience from the player. By no means a bad game, I actually enjoyed it a lot, but I could see why a lot of people wouldn't be into it. It is obsessed with realism to a fault. Sometimes you will make appointments to meet people at a specific time and you actually have to wait until the correct time in-game. To get between areas you need to take the bus which has a timetable like in real life and you might need to wait for a minute…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played through all of shenmue 1 with the promise that the patience i had would pay off in the 2nd game. I was super excited to play shenmue 2 but then on the first day of shenmue 2 i encountered a game-breaking bug. For some reason the game would consistently crash at 7pm. II tried everything and any old supports i seen on the topic went unresolved. This broke my heart kind of i genuinly dont even want to get into the series anymore. I dont even think ill get my refund for this one since i…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game gives me vibes similar to chiikawa. It relieves me of worry and i have the need to find sailors.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Play it if you like Yakuza and don't mind stepping back in time a bit.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You're most likely not gonna like this game unless you grew up with the series as a kid, but everything runs smoothly what else can you ask for?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I finished Shenmue I & II on Saturn and Dreamcast. Revolutionary at the time. Fast forward to present times. I couldn't play Shenmue III. I feel the series is finished for me. They can't offer me something I haven't played before. How does Yakuza compare? I haven't tried them.
neutral · AI labelView post →With 2.8 hrs on record and no real memory of what i did before in the game except for discovering a gacha machine, i reloaded a save from 2020. It put's me right outside an appartment next to a shrine where a kitty can be heard meowing in distress from a cardboard box (obviously abondoned). Being a huge cat nerd all my instincts immediately shift from "play game" to "help kitty" - and here comes the thing: I cannot help the poor thing! All my character does is looking at it and telling it how…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Been playing these since the Dreamcast days and still enjoy them as much as my very first playthrough. heavily story driven which starts off slow but pulls you in the further you get into it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had Shenmue II for the Xbox but never had a Dreamcast so this is my first time playing through the first game. Bottom line is both Shenmue and Shenmue II are frustrating games, but they have a rich story line for folks who like that sort of thing, and they were revolutionary when they came out. Both came out before Morrowind shattered the limits of what we thought was possible in 3D environments. So, if you like a good story and either have a lot of time to kill exploring or you don't mind…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There is a beautiful story hidden somewhere deep in this game, I am sure of it. I've heard it can be found somewhere outside the Slot House. You see these 41 Hours at review time? At least 35 of them I spent in the Slot House. The rest of that time I spent walking back to the Slot House after I hit curfew. Thanks to Shenmue I now sport a crippling gambling addiction.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I appreciate that Shenmue had crawl so that Like A Dragon/Yakuza could walk and eventually run. However, I think there are many good reasons it quickly became lost in the shuffle of third-person adventure games. The controls take some time to get used to. For a turn-of-the-century game, they're honest not bad. A little tank-control-y, but realistically not that far removed from Red Dead Redemption. However, most of the game is what would be called a walking, and driving, simulator. The player…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Playing Shenmue 1. Honestly the game is REALLY good, didn't expect that. In the beginning you may feel a bit lost but then you feel like at home. The game gives you plenty of time to explore the places because some story progress can be done only at a certain times so you may have entire days to explore and go around (you physically need to wait time to make a day pass, there's no "skip day" option). Besides this, the atmosphere is incredible
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Shenmue is brilliant. If you are at all curious about this series or these games then I highly recommend that you to give them a try. I speak with no nostalgia bias or rose-tinted glasses, these games are superb. Shenmue is an experience like few others, a fully living and breathing world that most games today aren't even able to match. Incredible atmosphere, an engaging story, tons of really clever game design are among just a few of the things this game has going for it. If you are a first…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Classics, dated in some ways but still absolute classics. There aren't really any games like this, especially with good combat system (kinda like Virtua Fighter), uncovering a mystery, figuring things out, talking to random NPCs. Atmosphere is incredibly unique p.s do not play shenmue 3 in any capacity, pretend it doesn't exist. i'm getting angry just now thinking about it, god that game is terrible
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This review is based purely on Shenmue I. I love Yakuza I & II so much that I I got a job, I worried about my girl, I befriended a bro at my job, I made my dad's only student break his piggy bank for me, I dismissed everyone who told me not to get in trouble.... The voice acting really is superb (IMO), and the so-called "autism" in the atmosphere really just is crisp timelessness. Everything offered is charming, and the combat does have real weight behind each blow. I really love the time…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Shenmue is an incredible game, but the PC port is just not reliable.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →games have aged like spoiled milk
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →FORKLIFT SIMULATOR 1986 Sidenote: I play this on Linux CachyOS, which is an Arch-based distro just like SteamOS. Works perfectly! I don't have a Steam Deck, but it should work just fine.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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