Shenmue’s I/II’s cancelled Remakes takes graphical steps beyond the game’s official remasters

Back in 2017, Shenmue I/II’s planned HD remasters were set to be a very different product, reworking both games to offer graphical enhancements over the Dreamcast classics, recreating the game’s core assets to create something which was undoubtedly Shenmue, but also something that would look more appealing than an up-resed re-release. 

Digital Foundry has revealed SEGA’s 2017 iteration of Shenmue I/II HD, showcasing how the project changed over time from an ambitious re-make to HD re-release that is available today on PC, Xbox One and PS4. While some will no doubt call this change in direction a downgrade, it seems apparent that two factors got in the way of this re-imagine Shenmue experience, development time and authenticity. 

As it stands today, Shenmue I/II HD offers gamers an authentic gameplay experience that remains faithful to the game’s original incarnations, providing fans of the series increased performance, sharper visuals and reworked controls for modern gamepads.