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Shenmue II (シェンムー II Shenmū Tsū) is an open-world action-adventure video game developed by Sega AM2, produced and directed by Yu Suzuki and published by Sega for the Dreamcast in 2001. It is the second game in the Shenmue series, a “revenge epic in the tradition of Chinese cinema“,[1] which Suzuki plans to cover at least four games. Like the original Shenmue, Shenmue II consists of open-world 3D environments interspersed with brawler battles and quick time events. It features a day-and-night system, variable weather effects, non-player characters with daily schedules, and various minigames. The player controls the teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki as he arrives in Hong Kong in 1987 in pursuit of his father's killer. His journey takes him to Kowloon and the mountains of Guilin, where he meets a young woman who is part of his destiny. Some of Shenmue II was developed alongside the original Shenmue, the most expensive video game ever developed at the time; Shenmue II was completed for “a much more reasonable sum“. Microsoft secured exclusive North American rights for the game for its Xbox console, and the Dreamcast version was only released in Japan and Europe. The enhanced Xbox port was released in North America in 2002 and other territories in 2003. Despite positive reviews and appearances in several “greatest video games of all time“ lists, Shenmue II sold poorly and the series entered a period of development hell lasting over a decade. In 2015, Suzuki and his company Ys Net began developing Shenmue III for PlayStation 4 and PC following a successful crowdfunding campaign, having licensed the series from Sega. In 1987, teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki arrives in Wan Chai, Hong Kong from Japan on the trail of his father's killer, Lan Di, of the criminal Chi You Men organization. He searches for Master Lishao Tao, the only link to the whereabouts of Yuanda Zhu, a martial arts expert who sent Ryo's father a letter warning him of Lan Di's intentions. Like the original Shenmue, Shenmue II was developed by Sega AM2 and directed by Yu Suzuki, who had created several successful Sega arcade games including Hang-On, Out Run and Virtua Fighter. Some of Shenmue II was developed in tandem with the first Shenmue, which was most expensive video game ever developed at the time, reported to have cost Sega $70 million; in 2011, Suzuki said the figure was closer to $47 million including marketing. Shenmue II was “completed for a much more reasonable sum“. Shenmue II was released for Dreamcast in 2001 in Japan and Europe. The Japanese version included a “Virtua Fighter 4 Passport“, promoting Sega's upcoming Virtua Fighter 4. Microsoft secured the exclusive North American rights for Shenmue II and released an enhanced port for the Microsoft Xbox console on October 28, 2002. The port features an additional camera mode, optional filter effects, improved frame rate and lighting, and English-language voice acting. It also contains Shenmue: The Movie on a standard DVD, comprising cutscenes from the original game edited into a film, previously released in Japanese theaters. Shenmue the Movie:
