Shen Mue demo disc hits Japan

[08.04.99] » "What's Shen Mue?" arrives in Japanese stores tomorrow.

   On the date originally set for the release of Shen Mue Chapter 1, Japanese gamers will have to be content with just a demo disc: What's Shen Mue? arrives at Japanese retailers tomorrow. The promotional demo disc is free for the taking.

   Three separate sections comprise the disc. One is the "face demo" shown at E3 and the Tokyo Game Show: various faces change expression and speak with moving lips. While such detail won't appear in Shen Mue itself, it does demonstrate the power of the Dreamcast and the Shen Mue graphics engine.

   The other two sections are playable demos of the game. In the first, the player chases after "Mr. Dreamcast" himself, Sega's Mr. Yukawa, in a demonstration of the QTE action scenes. The other, slower-paced demo serves as a primer on the exploration mode: hero Ryo explores a town and chats with its inhabitants.

   Shen Mue Chapter 1: Yokosuka is due out October 29th in Japan, with a U.S. release to follow in late 1999 or early 2000.