What is Shenmue:
Shenmue is an adventure game for the Sega Dreamcast, produced and directed by Yu Suzuki of Sega-AM2. Suzuki coined a new genre title, "FREE" (Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment), for the game, based on its unparalleled interactivity and freedom, as well as the innovative real-time and weather systems. However, Shenmue most resembles an adventure game in terms of gameplay focus. Shenmue covers the first chapter of an epic story which continues into Shenmue II. [Whats Shenmue Video]
Story:
The fictional story of Shenmue begins on November 29, 1986 in the perspective of the protagonist Ryo Hazuki returning home to his family dojo to witness his father, Iwao Hazuki battling with a man dressed in Chinese attire, who demands he hand over an item known as the "Dragon Mirror". Ryo intervenes in battle after his father is felled, but is injured by a blow from Lan Di. As his father refuses to reveal the location of the mirror, Lan Di lifts Ryo from the ground and threatens to kill him with a final blow, which prompts Iwao to reveal its location underneath the Cherry blossom tree. After Lan Di's henchmen recover the mirror, he asks Iwao if he knows of a man called "Sunming Zhao" and then kills him after forcibly asking him to stand as a warrior to face his end. As Ryo lies injured on the floor of the dojo, Lan Di and his men leave the Hazuki household. After Ryo has partially recovered he feels that he must dutifully gain revenge for the murder of his father and thus the epic adventure begins!
Gameplay modes:
Gameplay in Shenmue is diverse; while most of the game is spent walking around the atmospheric, life-like Japanese locations in a third-person 'chase cam' mode (talking to people, searching for things, solving puzzles, and so forth), it is interspersed with many 'mini-games', including forklift and motorcycle races, bar fights, chases down crowded alleys, full versions of Sega arcade games Space Harrier, Hang-On, OutRun and After Burner (all originally programmed by Shenmue creator and director, Yu Suzuki), dart games, and 'free fighting' sequences. Free Quest:
The majority of Shenmue is based on Free Quest gameplay. During such gameplay, the player will explore the Yokosuka area usually for any leads to progress the narrative. Often, these leads will be gained by talking to local people who can provide important clues. If the player so desires, they can explore the area simply for fun without progressing the game's narrative. There are a variety of activities to engage in, the best-known being the ability to play Space Harrier and Hang On, two of Yu Suzuki's classic arcade hits. Other mini-games include Darts and Snooker, but there are many more. Many players find that simply exploring the immensely detailed locations of Shenmue to be a greatly rewarding experience. Furthermore, talking to a wide variety of local people that although will not progress the narrative, can greatly enhance the player's understanding of the plot and/or gameplay mechanics. There are also several side-quests for players to engage in throughout the game. These will not affect the main narrative, but might provide Ryo with useful items or further develop characters and storyline for the player. Yu Suzuki has stated that for a player to see everything Shenmue has to offer, and to truly experience the game fully they must be patient and take the time to explore the game's numerous hidden facets. QTE: 
QTE (Quick Time Event) is a large part of what makes Shenmue a unique experience. During these sequences, a button will flash on screen briefly and the player must press the relevant button or combination of buttons to trigger Ryo's actions. Fights against opponents can take place in QTE form as frequently as in Free Fight form. In addition to battles, QTE sequences are used for various other scenarios. For example, at one point a QTE sequence is used when Ryo must chase an escaping crook and Lan Di associate who has stolen money from him. The sequence takes place in the middle of a busy town centre, and a variety of incoming obstructions must be avoided. As the game progresses, the reaction speeds required of the player become quicker and the button combinations become more complex. The player's success or failure in these scenes can affect the flow of gameplay as well as the current cutscene.
Free Battle:
The free battles pit Ryo against one or more enemies in a cross between Virtua Fighter and Final Fight; Ryo has a large list of martial art techniques, almost worthy of a full one-on-one fighter. The player has the ability to enter a practice mode of sorts, in which Ryo will practice his various martial art techniques, either alone or with a friendly opponent - this helps to increase the player's familiarity with the Free Battle system. Whilst progressing through the game, players have the ability to learn more techniques, adding to Ryo's repertoire and ultimately making him a more powerful martial artist. There are several senior martial artists that Ryo meets throughout his journey, and they offer to teach him new skills. The player has the choice to decline these offers, although they would be ill-advised to do so as Ryo's physical development is important to his success as his opponents become stronger. Another method for learning new techniques involves Martial Arts Scroll Rolls. These antique instructional scrolls can be found, or purchased, at various locations in the game. Once Ryo has read the scroll, the technique will be added to his repertoire, but the player will need to practice the key combinations it requires to truly master it.
[Thanks to Shenmue Wiki] For more infomation on the Shenmue saga please visit The Shenmue Dojo
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