My wristwatch alarm rings at the same time every morning at 7:45. It's so early, yet I know I have plenty to do and should probably get out of bed. I check my notebook and try to remember all the things I found out yesterday and hope that I can actually make some progress today. I put on my favorite leather jacket- the one with the tiger on it- and sneak down the stairs, hoping that the ugly man at the front desk of the hotel doesn't ask me AGAIN for the rent. I will have to tell him the same thing I told him yesterday, and the day before- "Sorry, I don't have the rent right now." That is because I have more important things to do. I'm on a mission in a strange land. I'm in Hong Kong, and I'm looking for Lan Di, my father's killer, and I'm running out of time.



The world of Shenmue II is one of the most complicated, rewarding, and frustrating settings I have ever encountered. The first thing that got my attention about this game was the fact that it was taking place in an exotic location in a rather under-utilized time period (the 1980s). Most games either take place in the middle ages or the post-apocalyptic future, so having it occur in an era when I was a kid really personalized the game for me.



From the moment Ryo steps off the boat from Japan, he is placed in the middle of a port full of hustle and bustle. People are working, loitering, talking to each other, and looking none too friendly. Each and every one of these people look different. There are old people with wrinkled faces, young children with hilarious kid voices, and regular adults, each with their own unique facial features and clothes. These people are annoyed when I stop them to ask them the same question over and over- as they should be. Yet, I can't stop bothering these people. I'm interested in what they have to say. I want to see each individual face. I want to hear each individual voice. So much care has been given these citizens of Hong Kong, that I feel it would be a disservice to not try to talk to everyone I encounter on my journey. Some of these citizens are so grotesque in their appearance that I bother them multiple times under the guise of trying to find a certain street, so that I may gaze upon the travesty that nature has bestowed them.



Hong Kong is littered with people going about their business, selling their wares, and all these people keep directing me to talk to other people who may know more information. This fetch quest may not appeal to some people, but it allows the players the opportunity to explore the locations and talk to people, all the while building a sense in the player that this is indeed a living, breathing world. This is the epitome of role playing.



Shenmue II is different from other RPGs in that money doesn't appear from killing animals. Nope. This is 1987. Hong Kong & Kowloon. You earn money the real way- by arm wrestling. You can also make money by working a monotonous job like in real life- moving crates. Being broke can be a sad thing, in real life and in video games. In Shenmue II, money is necessary to buy sodas, capsule toys, and maps. These capsule toys are great for collecting. So if you want to collect, you have to work. So you move crates from one end of a lot to the other end. Over and over again. It's not fun, but its a living. It is worth it because at the end of the day, you get paid. Sometimes, it feels as though its just a waste of time working, but I keep telling myself its a day job.



Sometimes, I like just wandering around. The design of the cities, the people that inhabit the place, the arcades, the convenience stores, and the almost insignificant details like soda machines, and the subtle changes that occur because of the in-game time, make it so that this place is real. Everything in Shenmue II has a purpose. I find a new appreciation every time I stop and look around.



I ask myself if I should go play a game of Space Harrier, hang out at the park, or bother little kids today. Then I remember. I need to go find my father's killer.