A Gamer's Journey: The Definitive History of Shenmue

Shenmue is a very curious and quiet body of work, and this documentary did a nice job of capturing the ethos of the game franchise and Yu Suzuki's dreams. I loved the interviews with the team and how the doc aimed for a very specific nostalgia with Western gamers and Japanese culture in the 80s. I wish it went into more depth with Shenmue's use of quick time actions, a surprising tool that modern day games use to build story and action. The Shenmue anime is fun and has a wink towards the ending of Shenmue 2 (and yes, another long delay that might not see another season), so the franchise as a whole will be alive and the fandom will always appreciate this masterwork. With anime and Japanese media being more and more consumed globally, it's a marvel that Shenmue has stayed into the pop culture sphere, however in small doses and it specifically sums FOR a certain age and in a way it should stay that way Shenmue 0 is more than welcoming and having a remastered collection would be excellent, but similar to Miyazaki, Suzuki goes by his own pace and his art is more appreciated for it. We experience and learn more in a certain scope of things. Videogames are the quintessential art for that. It may be hard to play every game at every time frame, but Shenmue is a starting point in the discussion of videogames imitating life in its true art form.

Adam and the team really went balls to the wall with this documentary

It was a blessing from start to finish, the announcement of Shenmue 3 naturally delayed release (after all this was announced way before Shenmue 3!) So Adam did the right thing and created even more beautiful footage to accommodate it

A true testament to the love that still exists 24 years later, most of us are now balding, have dad bellys and certainly aren't getting younger!

Thank you Adam Sipione and your amazing team for bringing this beautiful project to completion! Big love brother! This was a treat !

Thank you.

It was so refreshing to see this and you complete your project, every interview is outstanding and the editing is top notch 😎

I've never played the Shenmue games but I am fascinated by video game development. This documentary was so interesting despite not knowing the game. Shenmue was truly groundbreaking and I feel like I learned so much from this film.

Even if you didn't play this game, I think you will be hit with a wave of nostalgia for your favorite video game from watching this. The passion the filmmaker has for it makes it even better. The love for it definitely comes right through the screen.

This documentary was wonderfully put together and edited. I highly recommend a watch for any gamer, especially if you enjoy the making of content.

This group did a phenomenal job telling a story that will keep you hooked from start to finish. What a wonderful journey to take with the passions of the producers and crew and those interviewed.

Even if you are not aware of this particular video game or have an interest in gaming in general, you will be sucked in by the presentation and production of this film. It is gems like these that catch you by surprise in the best way and keep you thinking about them in the days to come. Wish there were more films made in this way from the heart as it truly comes through to the viewer.

Take this trip to Japan and a deep dive into nerd heaven, you will not regret it!

What an absolute incredible journey it's been! Amazing documentary about the greatest video-game series ever made! Relived my childhood and brought back so many wonderful, heartwarming memories. Loved all the cast & fan interviews and being able to visit and see the real life locations from the game was awesome! The game was truly way ahead of its time in 1999 and led the way to how we play video-games today! A massive thank you to Yu Suzuki and the Shenmue community for saving Shenmue 3 and now #LetsGetShenmue4! Let's keep the dream alive and most importantly Keep friends... those you love... close to you...