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Given that the Dreamcast version of Shenmue II was the most technically impressive Dreamcast game ever, I expected the XBOX version to be just as groundbreaking. As I played the demo of the XBOX version, I realized this will not be the case. Upset, I immediately voiced my complaints with the man overseeing the demo. As he addressed my complaints, I was struck by his intimate knowledge of the game. As I shifted my focus from the monitor to the man, I realized that I was talking to none other than Yu Suzuki. Ah but I mustn't lie. In truth I was talking to Wes Yanagi, the lead programmer of the Microsoft version of Shenmue II. Knowledgeable and personable, Wes didn't change my opinion of the game, but enlightened me as to why the game is the way it is.
Shenmue II for the Dreamcast captured the world of Hong Kong and backcountry China in all its glorious detail, but at the cost of slowdown, fadeout and worst of all, loading time. The XBOX version eliminates these vices, but adds very little. This is good news as far as sound and music are concerned, because there was not much to improve upon from the excellence found in the Dreamcast version. Dialogue has actually improved with a new cast of vocal actors and a new script. The same does not hold true for its game play, as the more tedious and repetitive sequences of the game are intact. I commented to Wes about the tedious nature of many of the activities of Shenmue II, and asked why this was not improved in the game. Wes made it clear that although Shenmue II is a Sega AM2/Microsoft venture, AM2 is doing the core of the development and that changing something as fundamental to the game play is left to them, not Wes. There's no doubt about that, Shenmue is Suzuki's baby, but whether it's AM2 or Microsoft's responsibility, the November release date affords little time for major changes.
There is improvement in the global graphic environment of the game: greater dynamic lighting, increased polys, minor texture improvement, etc. Currently, the game looks as blurry as one of those glamour shots my cousin gets in the mall with her friends, but Wes assured me that this will change once the anti-aliasing kicks in. All these graphic improvements are global, and not local. Thus the character and object models look nearly identical to the Dreamcast version. The result is a minor facelift to a game that plays identically to the Dreamcast version. Clearly, the game is not utilizing the full potential of the XBOX, not even a quarter of it. Why, Wes, why?! He sympathized with my complaints, and told me that there was a lot of debate about whether or not to use the XBOX's power to upgrade the graphics of Shenmue II, but they (AM2/Microsoft) concluded they could not improve one aspect of the game without improving all of it. Fair enough Wes, but this is the reputedly all-powerful XBOX, and besides, doesn't Microsoft specialize at copying quality products? His reply was that unprecedented size and detail of the virtual world of Shenmue II makes this time-consuming. Furthermore, it's much harder to upgrade inferior source material (Dreamcast Shenmue II) to a superior format (XBOX) than vice-versa. In any case, the November release date restricts them from doing such. To his credit, the Dreamcast's demise left Shenmue II homeless, and it had to find a new host fast enough so that its release could be relevant. Thus, it's inevitable that production would be hasty.
So what's new with Shenmue II? Not much, but ultimately this will not affect the game's potency to American gamers, the majority of whom have never played Shenmue II. At its core, Shenmue II is an excellent game, and will be an enjoyable experience for those who haven't experienced the delights of Shenmue II. Yet given the XBOX's reputation as the most powerful game console bar none, many will be disappointed by the aged look of the graphics. It is my hope, however, that Wes's disclosure of the development end of Shenmue II will give you a conception of the big picture of video game production, and why Shenmue II XBOX is a port, and not a groundbreaking new realization of Yu Suzuki's vision. Thank you Wes, and for the sake of Suzuki's vision, let us hope that this 80% demo will make that last 20% really count, because the success of Shenmue II will determine the materialization of Shenmue III, which no console maker has yet licensed.
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