10 Ways The Sega Dreamcast Was Ahead Of Its Time

10. Incredibly Detailed Open-Worlds - Shenmue

Whatever Shenmue's objective quality, no-one can argue it wasn't revolutionary.

Yu Suzuki dubbed his baby the first 'FREE' title, which in case you're wondering, stands for 'Fully Reactive Eyes Entertainment', and yes, that sounds like nonsense because it is nonsense. Shenmue's suburban sprawl, Yokosuka, was the most meticulously realised environment ever seen.

Details were painstakingly precise; every building was accessible, every shop was fully stocked, every location felt tangibly real. It was unlike anything that had preceded it.

But it was an oxymoron: through being fascinatingly authentic, it also managed to be acutely boring. It was a sandbox without any sand. There simply wasn't enough for the player to do in the highly-detailed world, and the bulk of Shenmue's action took the form of forklift truck racing. And looking for sailors.

Sega made little return on their $45 million investment, but whilst it crippled the company, the industry profited. A world as intricately realised as Shenmue's seemed lightyears away before Suzuki showed it was a possibility. Further still, its narrative heavy, action-light nature paved the way for a whole new breed of engrossing interactive fiction.

Oh, and quick time events. It gave us those. Cheers for that.

Every revolution has its casualties.