Yakuza and Shenmue are totally different kinds of games and the comparisons people make is only surface level. Shenmue is a PC 90s stle adventure game with some action elements. Yakuza is structured more like an RPG in world and story. NPC's in Yakuza are just filler for the map. Shenmue they are all indivdual characters with routines, homes they go to and listed blood types. They even have different actions depending on player conditions. Shenmue had an innovative feature which Yakuza never used. Random weather.
They are very different in about every way. Yakuza has "random" or surprise encounters like an RPG but you beat people up. You see enemies on the overworld map. Yakuza's map functions closer in design to a PS1 RPG overworld. Enemies roam it. You only run from point a to b to progress. You have side quests. You have healing potions. Shenmue does none of this. The world is a living breathing world, all of it is used for story purposes. No healing. No side quests. Shenmue is point and click adventure games presented in a slightly different way. Like Metroid Prime is not structered like an FPS but 2D Metroid with a different perspective.
I love Yakuza and love Shenmue 1 esp. They don't aim for the same thing.
Last edited by Leynos - on 28 October 2022Bite my shiny metal cockpit!
