Good news Shenmue fans, your HD Remaster isn’t a complete pipe dream. Courtesy of the Sega Europe YouTube channel we now have a quote directly from the horses mouth. On their Sega Central video, in which they answer fan questions, user TheSkillJim asked if Shemnue 1 & 2 would ever be released in HD. This was Sega’s reply..
“With regards to Shenmue 1 & 2 HD, of course we would love to release these tomorrow. Sadly it’s not as simple as porting the games to the current platforms as we would need to ensure that any HD remaster lived up to the quality of the original titles, and with games as immersive as Shenmue 1 & 2, there are further complications from licensed products that were included in the original games. That said we would love to do it and are currently investigating how to make it a reality.”
For those unaware Shenmue 1&2 were released on Dreamcast back in 1999 and 2001 respectively . Shenmue 2 was eventually ported to the original Xbox in 2002 as well. The Shenmue games consisted of open-world 3D environments interspersed with brawler battles and quick time events. They include elements of role-playing, life simulation and social simulation games, such as a day-and-night system, variable weather effects, non-player characters with daily schedules, and interactive elements such as vending machines, arcades, and minigames. The story follows the teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki as he travels through 1980s Japan and China in revenge for his father’s murder.
