Dear SEGA,
Shenmue changed the way I perceive the world. The completeness of the experience and the robustness of the environment was all encompassing. Running around Yokosuka, digging through people's drawers. Investigating every little nook and cranny of the city. Asking strangers where I could find sailors. All these details made me feel like I had escaped my mundane life, free to explore anything, anywhere. I felt lucid in a dream world. It was exhilarating.
While picking up every little thing I could find and examining it, I had an epiphany. Not only could you do all this in real life, you could do a billion times more. Suddenly, everything had so much value. Life, the ultimate adventure game. From that point forward, I have never been bored. Thanks.
Sincerely Yours,
Shenmue Fan.
I played Shenmue when I was 13 years old. Ryo's journey blew my mind. Through him, I left my home and my family and tried to make my way in the vast and intimidating world outside my door. I came of age in a fucking video game. I remember my life in Yokosuka like it was actually some period in my life somehow separate from my real one, like an alternate reality. The experiences I had there were valuable and emotional. I will never forget them.
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