Shenmue II is a 2001 action-adventure game developed by Sega AM2, directed by Yu Suzuki and published by Sega for the Dreamcast in Japan and Europe 2001. An enhanced version was released for the Xbox in 2002 for North America and Europe in partnership with Microsoft Game Studios Japan.
Like the original Shenmue (1999), Shenmue II consists of open-world environments, brawler battles and quick-time events. It features a day-and-night system, variable weather effects, non-player characters with daily schedules, and various minigames. The player controls the teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki as he arrives in Hong Kong in 1987 in pursuit of his father's killer. His journey takes him to Kowloon and the mountains of Guilin, where he meets a girl who is part of his destiny.
Some of Shenmue II was developed alongside the original Shenmue, the most expensive video game ever developed at the time. The Dreamcast version was not released in North America, where Microsoft Game Studios secured console exclusivity for the Xbox. Shenmue II received acclaim for its story and scale and has appeared in several lists of the greatest games. Reviews of the Xbox version were less positive, with critics finding its graphics lacking compared to other Xbox games.
Shenmue II sold poorly and further games in the series entered a period of development hell. In December 2006, Shenmue II was released on Xbox Live marketplace for the Xbox 360. In 2018, Sega released high-definition ports of Shenmue and Shenmue II for Windows, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Shenmue III, developed by Suzuki's company Ys Net, was released in 2019 following a successful crowdfunding campaign.
Gameplay
Like the original Shenmue, the player controls the teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki in his journey for revenge. Most of the game is spent exploring the open world, searching for clues, examining objects and talking to non-player characters for information. The game features a 3D fighting system similar to Sega's Virtua Fighter series; Ryo can fight multiple opponents at once and practice moves to increase their power. In quick-time events, the player must press the right combination of buttons at the right moment to succeed.
Shenmue II adds several features. Players can ask for directions from passersby, and fast-forward the game clock when waiting for a scheduled event to occur, such as a shop opening or character arriving. After Burner, The Dreamcast version allows the player to import their save data from the first Shenmue, transferring money, items and martial arts moves. Part of the game was developed in tandem with the first Shenmue, According to IGN, Shenmue II was completed for "a much more reasonable sum".
Release
Shenmue II was published by Sega for Dreamcast in 2001 in Japan and Europe. The Japanese version included Virtua Fighter 4 Passport, promoting Sega's upcoming Virtua Fighter 4. By 2003, the Dreamcast version had sold 100,000 copies, a tenth of the original game's sales.
The Dreamcast version was not released in North America, where Microsoft Game Studios secured console exclusivity rights for Shenmue II on Xbox in October 2001. The Xbox version was distributed and marketed by Microsoft and released in North America on October 29, 2002, and in Europe in early 2003. It features an additional camera mode, optional filter effects, improved frame rate and lighting, and English-language voice acting. An anime adaptation of the first two Shenmue games premiered on February 6, 2022.
Sega released remastered versions of Shenmue and Shenmue II games for Windows, Xbox One, and the PlayStation 4 on 21 August 2018. The remaster include updated graphics and control options, improved user interfaces and Japanese and English voices.