Out of Bounds in China: Automated Cheat Tool for Shenmue Two

In this post, we present our automated tool for Shenmue II that will let Ryo step right through walls, fences and boundaries as if they didn't exist. It is a companion tool to the one for Shenmue I (which can be found here).

The Download Link can be found near the end of the article.

What Is It?

The tool is a short script built in the Cheat Engine (an open-source memory scanner, editor and debugger) that scans through memory to identify boundary data for the current area, and clears it out. Bingo - the boundaries are removed.

The original method for removing collisions in the Dreamcast version was developed by Giorgio and BlueMue of the Shenmue Dojo.

The tool also has an extra function to adjust Ryo's position within his current area. The following keyboard shortcut keys can also be used:

• Insert / Delete: move Ryo forward/back in the X direction
• Home / End: move Ryo forward/back in the Y direction
• Page Up / Page Down: adjust Ryo's height (note, disable collisions first)

Read on for instructions.

Instructions for Use

Applying the tool is simple; no technical expertise required.

Step 1: Load Shenmue II

Unlike the first tool, with the Shenmue II version, disabling collisions will apply to the next area that is loaded.

If you have a saved game ready for the area you wish to explore, a convenient point to apply the tool is at Shenmue II's Start Menu screen, before loading the saved game. (However it is also fine to apply the tool when a game is already in progress).

Step 2: Run the Tool

Run the tool from the location you have saved it (if running the game in full-screen, you may need to use Alt-Tab to switch back to Windows).

Allow 10-20 seconds for it to identify the Shenmue II process.  It may appear to freeze for a few seconds during processing; this is fine.

Once connected, the app's window looks as follows:

Step 3: Check "Disable Collisions"

Now check the "Disable Collisions (from next area)" check box and wait 5-10 seconds for it to scan memory and apply the necessary changes.

Once the changes to memory are complete, a confirmation message will be displayed.

Step 4: Load Your Saved Game... and Explore!

Now load your saved game (alternatively, if you have are already playing a game, you can walk to trigger the loading of a new area you wish to explore).

Ryo should now be able to roam freely around the area.

Note that there are some side-effects of disabling collisions:

• Most of the NPCs will be missing from the area.
• Ryo will not be able to walk up/down slopes or climb stairs. Instead, use the position adjustments to change his height as needed.
• Loading of adjacent areas will not be triggered as usual. To work around this, once you have finished exploring the current area, save your position, re-enable collisions and reload your saved position.

Download Link

Important: Read Before Downloading

Please use this tool at your own risk.

Note that Cheat Engine needs to control the Shenmue game process and make small changes to memory, so must run in administrator mode. Cheat Engine is known to trigger some anti-virus or anti-malware programs.

Attention online gamers: be aware of the risk of being banned if Cheat Engine is detected on your computer when running an online game. Steam, for example, actively run a Valve Anti-Cheat System (VAC) for their online games - read their FAQ page for more information. For this reason, please take precautions when using. We advise this tool be run only on a computer you don't use for online gaming; at a minimum, reboot your system before running an online game to clear out any potential trace from memory. 

The tool has been built using the latest version of Cheat Engine. It is available in two forms:

• The EXE suffix file: this is a stand-alone executable version of the tool. No other file is needed.
• Alternatively, the CETRAINER suffix file: choose this if you prefer to download only the script. In this case, you will also need to install Cheat Engine (official website) separately on your system.

Link to the Shenmue Two Cheat Tool (Google Drive folder)

Have fun exploring in China!

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