Fans of Shenmue won’t have to wait long to see Ryo Hazuki again. The release date for Shenmue 1 and 2 for current gen systems now has been confirmed thanks to the Microsoft Store. We know that the Shenmue 1 and 2 collection will be releasing on August 21. The Microsoft Store was updated last night with the release date for Shenmue 1 and 2. The games are now available to pre-order. PS4 users can now also pre-order the game via the PlayStation Store.
The Shenmue 1 and 2 collection was announced earlier this year and is scheduled to release on current-gen consoles and PC. The re-releases will bring many benefits over the original such as better visuals, updated UI, the choice between modern and classic controls and more.
Shenmue 1 released in 1999 in Japan and 2000 in the west for the Dreamcast. Shenmue 2 was released in 2001 for the Dreamcast and was released on the original Xbox in 2003. Both games received critical acclaim and the series has gained a cult following.
The Shenmue games follow Ryo Hazuki who witnesses the murder of his father and swears revenge. Ryo’s journey takes him to several locations where he meets many memorable people. The Shenmue games feature open-world environments and brawler gameplay. The Yakuza games (another open-world brawler) are considered by many to be a spiritual successor to the Shenmue games.
The HD versions of the first two Shenmue titles will help to remind fans of the events that happened in those games. The re-releases could also bring in new players that missed out on the original release. Shenmue 1 and 2 releases at a good time as the long-awaited Shenmue 3 is planned to release in 2019. Shenmue 3 was announced at E3 2015 and surprised everyone. Many people thought that the sequel would never get made and Ryo’s story would be left unfinished.
Shenmue 1 and 2 will release on August 21 for PS4, Xbox One and PC.
