Shen Mue impressions

[01.01.00] » Game looks good; GIA eats own hat.

   GIA agent Andrew Vestal recently had the opportunity to play Shen Mue. Here are his impressions.

   After playing Shen Mue for a few hours today, I came away seriously impressed. While I still have my doubts about the overall arc of the gameplay, there's no doubting that Sega has crafted at least a masterpiece of graphics, presentation, and game design.

   After a lengthy introduction--all done in real time, of course--the game begins in Ryo's house. Exploring the house drives home the sheer amount of detail found in Shen Mue. You can turn every light source on and off, demonstrating Shen Mue's amazing lighting and shadowing techniques. Not only is every light source a true light source with proper diffusion, color, and range, but every light source causes objects to cast a true shadow--a shadow which can even break up and layer over varying terrain. Multiple light sources cast multiple shadows. Every drawer in the house opens, revealing pens, papers, books, shirts, shoes, socks, notebooks, manuals, tape players, cassettes ... in short, everything you'd expect to find inside of the drawers of a house. The kitchen has an oven, refrigerator, pots and pans, cabinets, etc. Every nook and cranny of the environment has been fully realized, and it's yours to explore.

   The gameplay is remarkably similar to old Sierra or LucasArts adventure games. No matter what Yu Suzuki may insist, Shen Mue is an adventure game. You explore the environments, pick up inventory items, talk to characters to gain information, and further the plot. Ryo has a notebook he keeps information in as he gathers it, so if you're not clear what to do or where to go, you can always consult it. You'll spend the early portion of the game searching for information about a man who wounded your father (perhaps critically) and stole a sacred medallion. Ryo explores the town in accelerated real-time, asking everyone he meets: have you seen a man in black clothing? Have you seen these Chinese men? Have you seen these sailors? Each new piece of the puzzle pushes him towards answers.

   Words don't suffice to describe Shen Mue's stunning graphics. Fabrics move and react realistically in wind and motion. Rain and snow aren't just a texture overlay; they're an actual particle system that reacts realistically with the environment. Lighting and shadows, as mentioned previously, are immaculate. Textures are insanely detailed -- and insanely numerous. Every character has voice acting, and it's universally good quality. You can follow even the most insignificant NPC, too. See one enter a bar? Go inside and watch him drink; or wait outside and watch him stagger out drunk three hours later. Examine and interact with nigh everything in the environment. It's fun to just wander around and see what people are up to. And I'm not just saying that because I'm easily amused!

   The minigames are also numerous and enjoyable. You can find a tape player in the top drawer of Ryo's desk; once you have the player, you can collect cassettes and listen to musical tracks. Head to the arcade and emulate Space Harrier or Super Hang-On (or stay home and play with the Saturn in Ryo's house). Buy fish and milk at the local grocery store, and feed a stray kitten found by a young girl. Practice your karate at the dojo with a friend. Buy a Coke at the local Coke machine and enjoy its refreshing taste. Listen to the jukebox at the local bar. I wasted about 25 minutes playing with a plastic egg toy dispenser found outside a convenience mart. You can get any of dozens of small "toys" representing other Sega games like Nights, Phantasy Star, Fantasy Zone, Virtua Fighter, and Sonic. You can then connect to the Internet and trade these toys with others to complete your set. The Department of Justice may go after Sega with Shen Mue's U.S. release; with so many types of gameplay under one roof, Sega may just have a genre monopoly.

   As for the infamous Quick Time Events? In three to four hours of playing, I only came across two. Both were short, quick, enjoyable, and totally inconsequential. The bulk of the gameplay is exploration and conversation; QTEs just show up occasionally to spice up your life. I'm still hoping that Shen Mue's adventure elements extend beyond "Have you seen so-and-so?" "Yes, try the park," but the first impression has convinced me that AM2 has a gorgeously produced and definitely worthwhile title on their hands.