I think the author of this piece clearly considers Shenmue one of "their" games. I don't think we're seeing the result of an outsider, but quite the opposite. S

I think the author of this piece clearly considers Shenmue one of "their" games. I don't think we're seeing the result of an outsider, but quite the opposite. Someone who has analyzed this game this deeply is clearly enmeshed in it. Rather, I think we're seeing two effects: 1. When someone loves a game, I think they have a tendency to over-estimate how disliked some of the more unusual aspects of it are. 2. When someone loves a game, and they point out that most people don't like some aspect of that game, other people who also love that game group themselves into "most people" and then disagree with the author. What I think is more important is that whether or not the forklifts were hated is not the point. The author's point is that the forklifts were an integral part of the narrative experience of the game, as they contrasted player experience with that of the main character. Focusing on a throw-away "so-and-so is hated" is silly.