Shenmue III (PS4)

I was a fan of the originals on Dreamcast and it is great to be finally playing number 3. If you're new to Shenmue it is well worth playing 1 & 2 first, although there is a recap movie to watch. To "get" Shenmue, the best advice is take your time and do all the things the game has to do in between the story progression. Train (which you have to anyway to progress), learn moves properly, do the side missions, go to the arcades and game parks, go fishing, collect collectables, sell/exchange items to make money or get new skill books etc.

After being left on a cliffhanger in Shenmue 2 this is certainly one of my most anticipated games of all time.In short, off the bat, if you didn’t like the original two games you almost certainly won’t like this. If you did then chances are you’ll have a good time here.Whilst Shenmue 3 follows up the story directly it also closely follows up with similar gameplay mechanics. There are some quality of life improvements, such as better character control and a first person view that makes navigating interior spaces much easier. Along with some occasional opportunities to skip time plus a pause button that actually pauses the game. Combat has also been overhauled and, whilst initially very button mashy, becomes more intricate as you progress.Additionally there is now a more structured inventory where you can view/manage the variety of items/food/capsule toys you’ve accrued. Food being particularly important as it is now required to maintain your health bar. It’s not on “Don’t Starve” levels of survival fortunately, procuring food and the money to buy it is relatively easy enough and just adds an extra consideration to the game.The game still plays out like the previous two’s “slice of life” approach where, playing Ryo, you go out, do a bit of training, earn some money, buy some capsule toys, play some arcade games and further the story incrementally each day. This very much serves fans of the previous games, filling the day with major and minor events and chores along the way. It’s arguably one of the big appeals of the Shenmue series, the kitchen-sink naturalistic approach to the game, taking pleasure in the small moments. Shenmue has always been a languid experience and for me that’s fine.It does fall down a few times though and not least of which is the lack of Sega involvement which hits it harder than I thought it would. Arcades now have simple basic games, long gone is the Hang-On, Space Harrier, Outrun and After burner arcade cabinets. Virtua Fighter is regularly advertised in various places but sadly there’s no chance to play, it almost feels like trolling. Instead it’s whack-a-mole, QTE bouts and some basic arcade experiences.Same with the capsule toys, no more Sega miniatures, no Virtua Fighter characters, Nights or the occasional Panzer Dragoon toy. Instead it’s hats, chairs, shoes and other miniaturised in game assets. And boy are there so many of them. Whilst they now have a function in so far as collecting a set has monetary value, or more importantly, allows you to unlock a new move, the sheer number and blandness of the selection feels obnoxious. The whole concept of less being more has clearly been lost here and the expectation of more being appreciated when it’s this bland is a clear mis-read of what made the original games so enjoyable.And that is the kicker, as much as I love the Shenmue experience and can make excuses for its shortcomings, there’s no shortage of obnoxious game design here. From the ridiculous amount of capsule toys to the scarcity of money and two particular sequences where an obnoxious amount of money is required to continue. It feels like Ysnet have forgotten to actually balance the game between story, combat and pastimes. They’ve added meaning to the collecting but it falls flat when it far outweighs the rest of the game experience.On the subject of story the game really leaves the player wanting. To avoid spoilers and speak in the broadest terms, most of it is: find punks, get beaten by punks, learn a new move, beat punks. Considering Ryo beat over 70 people in the first game it’s dissonant to the narrative at the very least. It doesn’t feel like the story goes anywhere and any interesting parts of the story seems to happen outside of that experienced by Ryo. Outside of the final sequence it mostly feels like an excuse to waste the player’s time and drag out the game time further than the story merits it.That being said, I did really enjoy the experience. Sinking back into the warm bath of familiar day to day life of a kid out for revenge was enjoyable. Enhanced by absolutely beautiful vistas from sunrise to sunset. The game may not be as heavy on polygons as most modern releases but it does often look amazing and is accompanied by a solid musical score. The biggest hiccups visually though tend to be with the characters, some of whom look like they’re made of plasticine, which is a far cry from the original games.In conclusion, if you enjoyed the first two games, this one may well test the patience but ultimately it’s a worthwhile experience. There’s plenty of beauty in the world that has been built and the painstakingly hand-crafted locations are a joy to behold. It’s not short on flaws and it’s a very un-modern modern release but it holds true to the original games even if it outstays its welcome at points.

This is like the earlier games from the late 90s/early 2000s with all the good and bad points that come with that. It moves at a glacial pace which isn't for everyone. Script is comically bad in parts (I found myself laughing at it on more than one occasion in the first half hour). Fighting system is basic to say the least looking dreadful when compared to its modern equivalent - the Yakuza series. Yet it still manages to be engaging and carry some of the charm of the originals, which I remember playing back in my youth

The game is excellent continuation of the first two classic. I played it two times and plan to start again soon. There's no other game like Shenmue in the market. Such a poetry of gaming.

Not worth the wait, it stays true to the Shenmue formula which is great! But it's at a fair minimum, there is was to many go here speak to A then go to bed..... before 12pmCombat is awful and so much grinding that it will frustrate you beyond belief 😑😑😑Story progression is none existent which is so so disappointing, character building is non existent, and both areas just feel like a cut and copy of tasks and it will cause frustration (you will know when you see it)Wait for a saleAs a massive shenmue fan after playing through 3 I have lost a bit of passion, and now really dont care how this story ends.Let's hope for a bookVery very disappointing

This is dreadful, they have had years and years to do this and it's completely broken.What a disspointment.Frame rate is jittery and bad for your eyes.Characters are lifeless, show no emotions and talk like robots, it cuts between scenes after 1 sentence of a conversation.His mouth doesn't move to his speech.Controlling the character is appallingGraphics are worse than ps2You can't run 2 metres without him getting tired so you have to walk everywhere very slowly.Characters you come across don't talk sense, you can ask them if they have seen someone and they respond with something like " OK I've told you everything" eh?Your menu / inventory looks as dated as an old pes game.In world characters just spawn suddenly in front of you.What a waste of money.I wanted a nice driven story but when the characters show no emotion and talk like robots reading from a book I don't know if I can continue playing this, it's a very lazy made game.Not sure what other people are playing on here, must be an unreleased remastered bug free version.......

Shenmue III continues where Shenmue II left off exactly ! A masterpiece classic for everyone to play ! Highly recommended both Shenmue III from deep sliver and also Shenmue I&II from sega only from amazon best place best customer service ever !