Shenmue is an epic saga about a young man named Ryo Hazuki who sets out to avenge the murder of his father by a mysterious man named Lan Di. Along the way, Hazuki must discover the truth behind dark family secrets, realize that he is not quite the strong young fighter he believes himself to be, and maybe even write the end to an ancient story that has been unfolding for centuries.

Oh, and he also has to carry some crates, look for sailors, buy some milk, take care of his cat, spend time with his girlfriend, visit the arcade, collect some rare prizes from capsule machines, and, of course, talk to several dozen people with nothing of note to say.

One of the biggest reasons why Shenmue remains a controversial classic whose legacy is too often summarized by the word “failure” is because it is an unbelievably monotonous game. Actually, monotony itself isn’t exactly the problem with Shenmue. Monotony is one of those things you can endure and even enjoy if it’s something that occurs under the right circumstances. For instance, there’s a comfort to visiting the same bar with the same friends and ordering the same drinks.

Shenmue wasn’t billed as a night of comfort and familiarity, though. It was hyped as something that the gaming world had never seen before. Reportedly made for around $70 million, Shenmue was supposed to redefine the video game epic by not only delivering a grand story, an army of fully-voice acted characters, and real-time cutscenes, but a large world that players could explore at their leisure.