In 2002 with a time machine I would faint and find these graphics mind blowing, now I find them pleasant enough but it's not really a diss.
Same.
It's very much a modern game, using a modern engine, using modern rendering techniques. It's just not using photogrammetry, opts for a "comic reality" stylisation that's very close to a lot of the 2D art, and replicates the sharp, crisp look of the originals with a similar vibrant colour palette.
It's evocative of the Dreamcast look, but I have to laugh at some who genuinely think the graphics are "old". If anything it speaks well to UE4's capabilities for modest indie teams that it looks as good as it does, considering the visuals were never Yu Suzuki's priority for this game.
"I've never tried to equal the graphics of triple-A games, never," Suzuki explains. "It's absolutely not the same budget - we don't have the budget of a GTA, or one of those games. Of course, we could have similar graphics, better graphics, but that would take all of the budget we have. We decided not to put too much money on the graphics because we wanted to develop a really deep and fun game. We have enough in terms of graphics, so we have put our money and time into other parts of the game."
Source.
So I've never played through Shenmue 1 & II. I dont know what this game is. I thought it was a Yakuza style game but from what I'm seeing it looks like a fighting game cinematic experience. If this is essentially a very awesome Kung Fu movie that plays like Virtua Fighter then seriously SIGN ME UP NOW. Am i close at all?
Sorta. It's an action/adventure RPG at heart, but it does a lot of things and pulls in life-sim and detective game elements around its core; and takes place in a highly detailed semi-open world. The story is VERY kung fu movie/wuxia literature inspired, and probably one of the best game series for properly making itself feel like a journey; as there's a very tangible feeling of departure as Ryo travels from his hometown in Yokosuka Japan, to Hong Kong, and into rural Southern China.
The combat in the originals were quite literally Virtua Fighter-lite, and while the system has been rebuilt from the ground up for III; it still carries a lot of fighting game DNA. So if you feel a strong sense of reward learning combos + getting new moves + showcasing twitch reaction for blocking and dodging in combat, you'll probably enjoy the fighting in this one. Especially if you're into RPG progression mechanics too.
The backbone of the game is investigation, exploration, and generally just living in the game world though. If you like drinking in the details of the environment and talking to a slightly eccentric cast of unique NPCs, you'll probably enjoy that stuff too. Generally, progression is pretty open and there are usually more than a few NPCs who will point you towards your next goal, but it's always worthwhile to keep asking around to get to know the characters and their stories. In my experience a lot of off-hand comments from NPCs help bring texture to the world and provide some subtle plot threads away from the main story. It can be slow, but in a good way if you're inclined to get a kick out of these little things.
There are also a lot of side activities dedicated to frivolous pursuits, but generally they all feed back into the gameplay loop of making money/losing money, gambling, buying/selling/trading items & herbs for other items and move scrolls, etc. It is the ultimate game for goofing off from the main story IMO.
These games totally aren't for everybody, but man... if they strike a chord with you there's a good chance they'll become easy favourites. There's a reason why a sizable cult fanbase held a candle for this series for so many years. There's very little actually like it.
