After months of speculation and rumors of cancellation, Sega has finally unveiled Shenmue 2 to the public. Japanese customers who pre-orded AM2's Fighting Vipers 2 through Sega's online Dreamcast Direct received a special Shenmue 2 trailer as a bonus.

   The bulk of the trailer consists of Ryo exploring the wilds of what is presumably China, where the sequel takes place. The touted improvements in the Shenmue engine are on full display, showing off complex, organic environments, sharp detail, and little draw-in. The areas in the demo are unpopulated, so only time will tell if Suzuki's team was able to make good on their promise of up to fifty characters on screen at once.

   One important character does appear in the trailer, however. Shenhua, the mysterious woman from the prologue of the first game, looks to take a more prominent role in the sequel; a fireside conversation between her and Ryo is featured at the beginning and end of the trailer.

   Sega has yet to set a Japanese date for Shenmue 2, but they've made assurances that once it is released it will be making the trip stateside.

2 minute trailer with sound QuickTime 4 340x280, 9.8 MB