SHENMUE III (Final Thoughts) - Happy Console Gamer
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ย. 2024
- Shenmue III 3 review/Final Thoughts is an action-adventure game developed by Neilo and Ys Net, published by Deep Silver on November 19, 2019 for Windows and PlayStation 4. The story continues teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki's quest to find his father's killer in 1980s China.
Director Yu Suzuki conceived Shenmue as a saga spanning multiple games. The first two games were developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega for the Dreamcast in 1999 and 2001 respectively. The original Shenmue was the most expensive video game ever developed at the time, with an estimated production and marketing cost of over US$47 million, though this also covered some of Shenmue II and groundwork for future Shenmue games. Despite attracting a cult following and appearances in several "greatest video games of all time" lists, the games were commercial failures and Shenmue III spent over a decade in development hell.
At the 2015 E3 conference, following years of speculation, Suzuki launched a Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund Shenmue III, with Sega having licensed Shenmue to Suzuki's company Ys Net. It became the fastest campaign to raise $2 million, in under seven hours, and ended the following month having raised over $6 million, making it the highest-funded video game and the sixth-highest-funded campaign in Kickstarter history. Crowdfunding on other platforms ended in 2018, having raised a total of over $7.1 million.
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Join Johnny Millenium The Happy Console Gamer as he discusses new video game news and reviews forgotten games that not many people know about but should!
#shenmue3 #shenmue #shenmueiii
I could have stay stuck in Shenmue 1 forever. I just love the locations, the atmosphere and sound, the arcade and SEGA capsules. I love this first game so much.
Same here. I think because Shenmue 1 takes place in Ryo's hometown, it feels personal, and everything and every location just has more meaning. This was something that the second game never recaptured (for me, at least).
Playing the HD versions, I can definitely confirm this statement. Shenmue 1 felt more believable. The towns and places felt more real. Shenmue 2 feels a bit more cartoon like.
The first one definitely captures the feel of an actual Japanese city (which it was modelled after) on a remarkable level. The snack bars, streets, and cafeterias are all authentically represented. Just replayed it, and it's still impressive!
Fabian Bacon me too!!
Shenmue 1 is great, but 2 and 3 are wayyyyy better.
Please do your extended review. I'm down for 3 hours of you talking about Shenmue!
I know you made this video a while ago now but I just finished Shenmue 1-3 back to back to back and platinumed all 3 games. This was my first experience with this series and I know I could say I wish I played these sooner but at least I can say I played them and loved them very much now! I probably wouldn’t have even played this series if it wasn’t for you and your recommendation of the series. I had honestly never even heard of it until you brought it up. I’m 35. I was alive when these games came out but I had just never heard of them but I’m glad I got into this series and I pray we get a Shenmue 4 and however many games it takes to complete the story.
I’m 37 and one of the most nostalgic and special memories I have was playing shenmue 1 for the first time on a cloudy day, early fall of 1999.
Seeing that little Christmas tree brings me joy. Keep on keeping on!
👍👍👍👍👍
I want that Terry ornament so badly.
@@bigsurf1693 Real MVP. Thanks 👍🏻
Really nice to hear your honest opinion on a game you've waited so long for. That's the number one reason i subscribed to your channel.
You express your feeling's in such a positive respectful way Johnny, I've always loved that about you. Hope you guys have a great Thanksgiving!
I enjoyed Shenmue 3. I’m ready for Shenmue 4. I hope I won’t have to wait another 18 years or buy another game system in order to play it.
Or I simply hope I survive long enough to play it LOL
Guess this means it is time to finally start Ryo's story for myself.
@jvalex18 its a required taste. I thought it was great and i loved it
Do not buy this game, it is a crowd-funding scam. Just look at any other serious review or breakdown of this game.
The first and especially the second game are absolute masterpieces of art
I gotta say after some time has passed this game was just as good as the old ones. This game isn’t for everyone but they really did get the “essence” of shenmue and for that I’m happy about. Of course it could have been better, but Yu Suzuki hasn’t changed a bit and we got 100% of his direction again.
It's definitely not bad. I've put about a dozen hours into the game, however it hasn't quite drawn me in like the first 2 did. I've put 100's of hours into those 2 games and have beaten them both multiple times.
Absolutely loved Shenmue 3. I hope we get a Shenmue 4 because now YS Net has a foundation to build on and improve.
I agree. LOVE this game. All 3 games are amazing. Now that Yu has the engine. Making a another Shenmue game would be much easier and quicker to do.
I was so fuckin nervous about this game and had zero expectations, and I'm absolutely in love with it.
Like, the combats so different and better in alot of ways, but needs tweaking. It reminds me of Nier, which has clunky combat that felt like it had a good foundation, I'd say shenmue 3 has that but better, it's so close to feeling great.
I'd say it needs a "Platinum" touch, or even RGG studios to fine tune it.
Dialogue system is still goofy but also charming like the old games are. But definitely needs some fine tuning.
Otherwise I wouldn't change a thing, I want shenmue 4-6 so bad, as a massive Yakuza mark too I would love to see them exist side by side.
@@CaptainPrime i love shenmue series
Only problem I see. Lack of sales to justify making another one :(
@@thevito1091
And that lack of sales is probably due to unfamiliarity to Shenmue series for most gamers these days and the fact that most of the mechanics in the game is rather dated.
Not to mention most people just "won't get" Shenmue III if they haven't played I & II, especially when they eventually reach the city and able to call a few 'old friends'.
Only those who has played Shenmue I would get what's going on there.
Shenmue III is released when Yakuza series already had 0 (Zero) and a few of its remake (Kiwami series) released.
Yakuza is admittedly inspired by the Shenmue series with different settings, but its remakes are actually modernized to current standards.
Better voice acting, more polished & varied mini games that actually has its own side stories, more fluid combat, and...well, still have the SEGA arcade games.
It's really hard competition but good luck to Suzuki-san releasing IV & V (or more?).
This series originally planned to have 15-16 chapters, and Shenmue I & II only covered the first 4-5 iirc.
Dunno if he has reduced the initial plan for the series but yea...it explains the ending of Shenmue III.
Shenmue II is heavier on plot progression though. Shenmue III had way more minigames and side stuff, but I think most fans wanted a more fleshed out story arc
Matthew Sisk way too much story padding in Shenmue 3
Michael Smart I literallyrolled my eyes when I had to purchase the 5000 Yuan scroll. There was soo much artificial lengthening.
Joel Stevenson I agree. Such bullshit.
@@JurassicF4rt I don't get gud lol
@@daspotjoel and in the end of shenmue 3, there's virtually 0 narrative progression of story.
You could cut shenmue 3 out of the game canon and it wouldn't make any difference.
I actually liked the food/health mechanic in the game because it made it seem like there was actually a point to buying the food in the game, which in turn made a lot of the vendors actually serve a real purpose in the game beyond just being set pieces. Also, having money seem like it actually serves a purpose other than for buying from capsule machines or to get past a story choke point, which in turn helped make doing the odd jobs feel more meaningful. All in all, it helped make the 'world' feel more convincing for me.
I didn't mind it, but I think it would be better if Ryo's health didn't drain during walking segments and you needed to replenish it only after you fight or train.
Completely agree bud :D I don't know why there is all the hate for the endurance system ? :/
I agree %100. That's what I enjoyed about the game.
@@jazdream22 Because it's stupid ? In the real world people don't fall dead if they didn't eat for an hour, it's such a stupid artificial way of increasing difficulty that even survival games are toning it down.
@@Hanzo615 I just really liked that I had to plan my day , do jobs , train , eat , I know it's not to everyone's taste but gave me more of a sense of purpose, I guess it would have to better to give players a choice but I like it
Shenmue 3 is literally a homage to the way games used to be. Of course the gaming media shit on it, it doesn't have multiplayer, battle royale, micro-transactions and explosions
“This game is tight. It feels like a Dreamcast game.”-Aris atp
I'm just happy that it still feels like Shenmue. Looking at the trailers, I was worried that we'd get a game that wasn't even Shenmue anymore. I was pleasantly surprised.
@@dariusthefactor have you tried crying about it?
I enjoyed the first two games so i know what to expect so I’m looking forward to playing this for sure
I just started shenmu 1on PS4
platinumed it in a week atm. a throw back to martial arts films 😊🙏 me and wifey boo nozomi
I own 1 on Dreamcast and 2 on Xbox but I bought all 3 on PS3 on Release and am gonna start the series soon.
I am a game player from china,shenmue 3 show me a wonderful world with so many chinese element.This is a alive world,when I talk to npc in bailu,when I talk to shenhua everynight,when I take phones to old friends in niaowu,it seems it not just game,it is a life.I can't understand why so many people hate shenmue3 in some forums,but for me,this is my favorite game in 2019,I played hundreds of games,shenmue series always are my top games.
*I feel the same way, man. The original Shenmue is still my favorite.*
In all of these years that we have been waiting for Shenmue 3, I've replayed Shenmue 1 & 2 during Christmas time, it has become sort of a tradition because i'd get all nostalgic about the series around this time of the year. Now i'm playing Shenmue 3 and sometimes I still can't believe it. One of the best Christmas gifts I could have ever asked for.
Without spoiling ,i can say that the last 20 min are badass like in a martial arts movie!
This brought back soo many years. I can’t believe it’s been 18years since I last played this shenmue. WOW how fast time flys. Love this game. Can’t wait for shenmue 4! Nice review.
I'm glad to hear it turned out well. I look forward to playing my copy
Bro I'm replaying Shenmue III and I love the game. It's an awesome chapter that allows Ryo you walk in the footsteps of his father on his path to avenge him. I hope we get Shenmue IV.
Shenmue 1 is such a masterpiece it's my favorite
Shenmue 1 is my NUMBER ONE favorite game of ALL time. The best.
Yeah that one was a very atmospheric game even though it has its flaws
@@alex.starostin Exactly how I feel about it.
I love me some Shenmue 1 but Shenmue 2 was just magic.
2 is better
It's nice to see a grateful Shenmue fan.
Shenmue 3 was more or less the "trainings arc" of the shenmue saga(i know he trained before, but never as intense as in 3).
But i certainly loved some new aspects here. especially the conversations with Shenhua in the evening. where Ryo for the first time ever opens up and shows more depth of his character.
Shenhua grew alot on me during this time. and you said it took you 20ish hours? thats how long the bailu part alone took for me lol. The bailu part felt like ryo steps into his dads footsteps and
He grows a deeper connection with shenhua.
The second part in the city felt a bit more epic, but you are right. the Mainstory doesnt move too much. even though there are some unexpected twists. I know some people didnt, but i really enjoyed the Finale. [SPOILER] .........
I loved Niao Suns introduction and that she was watching ryo the whole time in disguise(Those who doesn't know, she is one of the 4 chi you men leaders). and i LOVED the finale how Lan Di kicked ryos ass and he finally realized(Hopefully) that training a few months doesnt make him a Martial Arts god and beat him so easily. Ryo couldnt lay a single scratch on lan Di! i had a big smile on my face when i saw that. And i LOVED how Ren was there for ryo in the end. Like a real Bro. [SPOILER END]
Dude, it confuses me when I hear people say that they beat the game in 20 hours or that Bailu was only 6 hours long; I've been playing for 12 hours and I'm still in Bailu. The atmosphere is just so great that I can spend half the day just doing random stuff.
@@eternalpain7762 yeah you can actually miss alot of stuff if you just rush through the story.
Nice summary, dude. I agree with all you said.
I loved Baillu. I was there for a good 15 hours, surely. It was home by the time I left. I loved how you learnt more about Ryo through those conversations, as well as harking back to those early days in Shenmue 1.
Yes - I loved the whole Karate Kid/Rocky style training Ryo had to go through. I was hoping there'd be an element of legacy involved in his training and he'd really get put through his paces - so that was rewarding. It really grounds his character, and will build a believable base for his final encounter with Lan Di.
I'm still waiting for an official Happy Console Gamer "I got a small tear" t-shirt.
13 hours in I still haven't left the village i'm taking my time I love it :D
I spent 2 months to finish it. I really liked it, I did not want to finish it soon.
I just finished it myself, and I'd say it took me about 70 hours. That said, I made sure to collect every capsule toy/move scroll/Chobu Chan, and do every side quest possible. Also maxed out every move, as well as my stats.
Do I feel like it was time wasted? Absolutely not - returning to the world of Shenmue was the only gift I ever needed!
You guys left the village yet?
@@jekw23 I have now 😂
Hey Johnny thanks for the shout out! Too bad it was about shenmue crashing but still! Loved the video also!
I've actually been waiting on this video ever since the game dropped. I absolutely love this game and series. I'm about 15hrs into Shenmue 3. Thanks for your thoughts on this! Really wanted your take.
I adored Shenmue 1 & 2. One of my fondest memories of a Christmas as a kid was sitting with my Dreamcast and digging into Shenmue 1.
I was hooked immediately. Heartbroken by the crash of the Dreamcast and the expected hiatus of the series.
I immediately backed the Kickstarter with £100.
Once the nostalgia of seeing Ryo reborn in 4K at 60fps on my PC instead of the humble Dreamcast had passed, the game felt below average at best.
The graphics worked beautifully. Perfect level of polish without being unrecognisable. Some cool mini games but short life spans before they felt dull.
Training mechanics were nice to see but the game uses it as a way of elongating the duration by simply saying 'ah you don't know a move... Go find out about some move' and that's lazy in my opinion.
In truth, the game felt loaded with mechanics to simply slow your progress to bulk out the time frame.
The voice acting is typical Shenmue with all of its charms but the character models varied from 'realistic' to outlandish cartoonesk and the merge of them both to me, felt like such a poor choice.
My biggest gripe however is that the story we've waited so long to carry on with doesn't progress. We get borderline nothing.
The mystery of Shenmue 2s ending is in fact now, dull and pointless.
This wasn't worth £100 as a Kickstarter backer and I feel even worse for those who paid higher amounts of money.
I worry that anyone who might have gotten into Shenmue might just outright be put off by this.
Honestly, I hope I'm just being hyper sensitive due to a total lack of story but after nearly 20 years, this wasn't the beautiful rebirth I had hoped for...
I also backed the game. I agree with you. The game is heh. I did not like the fighting mechanics at all, the mini games are boring as hell, and the story is pretty stagnate. The environments are well done though. In 2020 it just feels very outdated. I did not enjoy the dlc's at all either. I'm glad we got it and Yu got to make this game, but this probably wasn't the ideal game to release after 20 years.
@King brian Boru I respect your views. For the budget it was well done, just feels quite dated overall. I agree on the instant gratification point you're making as well. I preferred 1 and 2.
True!!
Yu Suzuki is an old-school developer who has now seen a new platform (crowd-funding), and thinks he's going to be able to milk it for all it's worth. If a Shenmue 4 is crowd-funded, I hope we all let him know that he needs to quickly wrap this shit up.
Shenmue was one of my favorite games ever when growing up. And here I am, grown up, I want some closure on this.
I think if shenmue 4 ever comes out, it can be easier to appreciate shenmue 3 for its lack of story bits, considering that it's only the middle part of the saga I wasnt really surprised it wouldnt resolve too much. the best part of the story in shenmue 3 happened in bailu, naowu was just really nice for gameplay and collectatons, as well as the exploration
love shenmue franchise I enjoy it,can't wait for shenmue 4.
Kha moune the game was gay.
@@jamalanewpizza6334 So is your life
The Protagonist #triggered
I love a lot of games but the worlds of Shenmue and Fable felt so alive.
I think I loved the game overall. It was an engrossing, charming, and often rewarding return to Shenmue. But I did find the ending considerably disappointing as well. It was rushed and considerably less intense than the climaxes of the preceding games. I agree the story was lacking too: not much new is learned and not much very happens. It leaves you with a feeling of " oh.. well, alright then."
I see
I loved this game! It sold 17,000 in Japan last week, 5k more than Death Stranding. I hope Shenmue 4 comes out, it will look amazing on PS7.
Will Dendy Racing Wow that's cool to have already some numbers. Do you have the source of this info please?
Julian Millo I googled ‘Shenmue 3 sales figures’ and quite a few articles on sales in different regions came up!
Will Dendy Racing I see...
Julian Millo This is...
Ps7 with PS4 graphics lol.
I could see this game being the foundation for Shenmue 4, In terms of tech.
DevKetchem 195 I honestly thought this was the conclusion of the story.
I love Shenmue, and I’m looking forward to playing this one, but how much faith does Yu have that this will get the backing to continue past this point?
@@samuraigundam0079 at some point during development they suddenly decided that this would NOT be the conclusion to the story. They had originally stated it would be (from memory). I can only assume that they were assured that they would have the funding for another based on the success of the Kickstarter? That's pure speculation but I agree with you either way - given it took them 18 years to get this one out there you'd have expected them to finish the story here. Who knows if there really will be another chance?
AJC_24 Hopefully, If In a years time, they don’t see that a sequel is possible, they at least give us a final chapter DLC.
@@CitroenC407 Yu Suzuki never once stated it would conclude the series. The E3 2015 presentation stated that it would be a continuation, not a conclusion.
@@samuraigundam0079 Let's just say that there are several hints and even a namedrop of Shenmue IV in the game! I think it's happening somehow.
4:02 - Yeah that first part of Bailu Village felt oddly restrictive at first but when it opens up every new section that slowly opens up feels epic.
Yeah I think it was intentional and I loved it
I just started playing shenmue 3 and it is a masterpiece.
Are you serious lmao. This game is dumpster fire
Hey Johnny, would you ever be interested in doing a Shenmue 3 spoiler discussion video, in-depth? Could be a video just with yourself or a group of others discussing the game's ending and the lore presented in Shenmue 3, but I would honestly love to hear everything you have to say since I too finished the game and loved it.
it's now 2022 but still shenmue 1 and 2 is the best game iever played, brings back to much memories back then. 1999-2001 istarted playing shenmue 1 again on dream cast igot really emotional ibought a dream cast again still good condition after 20+years lol when you play on dream cast it will take you back in to that era, that feeling that urge everything. iwana play shemue 3 but ican't my ps4 is broken and ican't buy a new one because igot 3 kids if you know that im saying and im in the philippines so hard to grind for money, iwant my kids to play this game from shenmue 1 -2 and 3 hopefully, once again shemue will always be the best game iplayed ever!
I agree about the ending. It wasn't built up properly. It could've been as epic as storming Yellow Head Building in 2, but It just kinda happened. Also, I hope they will polish their animations and cutscene direction for the next game if it will ever happen.
Very good review man, im still playing it and is everything i wanted from a sequel, just hopes it sells enough to see Shenmue IV soon!
Shenmue fans wanted Shenmue III because they wanted a conclusion to the story. It seems crazy to me that after 18 years of waiting, this game doesn't deliver that conclsuion. I believe the game is selling poorly too, so I think the chances of Shenmue 4 happening are slim, so Shenmue fans are going to be pretty much in the same situation after playing this game as they were beforehand.
Last time I checked, Shenmue 3 sold way less than the remasters of Shenmue 1 & 2, so I don't see anyone kickstarting or producing a 4th game for the series. Yu should have ENDED Shenmue with this game since he was very lucky to have the chance to make it in the first place, but he blew it by NOT advancing the story (as HCG said, it was more like an expansion than a stand alone game) and leaving an open ending for more games.
It will be a damn miracle if Shenmue 4 is ever created, and it will require a planetary alignment for Yu to end the story with that one instead of milking it into oblivion.
tbf the majority of Shenmue fans got the game through Kickstarter already, hence the poor sales performance at launch. I see your point though.
There is DLC you can see if you go trophies. 4 DLC packs coming that continue the story. So I’m thinking it was forcefully pulled out as a marketing thing?
According to interviews with Yu Suzuki, the story probably wouldn’t be done until like Shenmue 6. He did say it is his life mission to tell the story, so who knows!?
It's either time to work his a$$ off and release a bunch of games or just make one more game with a conclusion to the story. A spinoff fighting game would be interesting too, Shenmue deserves it's own fighting game.
@@LeadMe2TheBliss good points!
I agree shenmue 3 was made for shenmue fans it’s really great. just the way the world slowly unravels and shows more of itself to you. It makes you really appreciate the details the developers put into the game because even with the limited budget they really polished the game to keep shenmue 3 at the same level of quality with the shenmue 1 and 2
The gameplay is alright for today’s standards but I thought the actual story didn’t really progressed a whole lot. You literally spent half game asking for thugs.
The sailors evolved into thugs
@@Silenthilldude87 thugs were always part of Shenmue since the first game. Mad Angels was a gang of thugs. The real issue is that shenmue 3 lacked sailors...
reck1224 “I’m looking for some thugs, have you seen any?”
I always thought that sounded so dumb/corny.
I liked Shenmue but then I absolutely loved Shenmue 2! I think when you play the game with the Japanese voiceover it feels more epic. The original Dreamcast game only had English when it was released over here and it just felt really campy. The european DC Shenmue 2 with Japanese audio was where it was at for me. Absolutely love it and of course I'm playing 3 with the japanese audio and it once again feels more grand and authentic than with English.
I feel the term “fetch quest” undersells what you actually do in a lot of games. I mean every NPC telling you whether or not they’ve seen another character and where they might be and responding in their own individual way, what other game does that? It’s a lot more interesting than following a giant floating quest arrow. To me at least.
I agree this is what I said. It's the first time in a game where a fetch quest had purpose and meaning. I feel he was being a bit negative here
Shenmue 1 is one of the best games ever made.
2 is best.. it was much bigger
No it wasn't. I hope you're joking. Replay the games and tell me that they arent trash as a kid I use to like these games too but they are garbage and Yakuza has shit all over Shenmue. The best thing about Shenmue was the sega cap toys and in shenmue 3 you get mini tennis rackets and other junk.
Shenmue 1 is especially bad because most of the time you wait for nothing to happen..
Larry M I’m replaying them now and they still are.
TheAlmightyJug yes
With Yu Suzuki-san finally was able to grasp on the Unreal Engine 4, I think they will certainly take note of further improvements with the feedbacks of the backers after finishing the game. Let's hope for the best! Now... where is the mirror?
Tekashi 69: I know where the mirror is!
Shenmue is a great game for foreigners in China. Shenmue II is why I eventually went to Eastern China to teach and study for several years. Not being in China for a few years and not playing Shenmue II for many years, Shenmue III was a great ARMS-nostalgia feel for being a true Laowai. Trying to read hanzi street and store signs, watertowns, funny shaped mountains, mouth watering street food, rude and grumpy old men, thirsty street hussies, crazy ignorant-ass children running raggedy on the streets... Good stuff. Needed some more bicycles and scooters in Niaowu though.
My feeling about this game is..... They gave us what they thought we wanted, the side quests, the little mini games, the characters and all the shenmue intricacies..... BUT it felt like they focused more on these parts than the actual continuation of the story. I loved shenmue 1&2 and i was so excited for this and I don't feel like it's progressed the story along for me.
He said the story has 13 chapters they didnt want to squeeze the remaining ones into part 3 it would have sucked so they put a few in there
I wish they would have made Shenmue 3 for the Dreamcast and ported that to PC and modern consoles. It would have stayed in the original universe and it actually would have been awesome.
I remember watching my brother play the first Shenmue on the dreamcast. Speaking of final thoughts though, are you going to do one for Death Stranding?
I enjoyed playing shenmue 3 a lot and was addicted for a couple weeks. Can you imagine what shenmue could be as a AAA title!? I hope someone sees with a mediocre budget this is what we got, imagine giving them a MUCH bigger budget what could be accomplished. Shenmue 3 did make me miss the older ones though almost felt like a 2.5 if being honest. I love shenmue so much I hope good things are in store for this title
this game had problems. the QTEs were too fast this go around. the fighting system was rudimentary compared to the amazing fighting of the first 2. there was occasional slowdown. but none of these problems were gamebreaking for me. as a fan, i enjoyed it a lot. it gave me what I wanted. I loved this game. i hope we get the fourth part soon.
Yeah, the QTEs are way too fast here. I played through both Shenmue I and II weeks ago and I had no problems with QTEs, in Shenmue III I couldn't do it a single time on first try, I had to memorize every single QTE so I could do it the second try, what the hell
Gladson MF same. I wasn’t able to get any of them the first time. I found myself pushing the button just as the time ended everytime. The long ones were a bit annoying. In the first 2 games, if you hesitated, you failed, but if you were able to think fast, you got them.
@@SonikJesus sometimes I was pushing random buttons hoping it would be the right one when catching those damn chickens, really annoying
I'm glad I'm not the only one who found the QTEs too quick, sometimes I'd hit the just a millisecond too late and think "that totally would have counted in I and II!"
QTE should have been slower.
You sold me johnny I'm going to pick up my copy of shenmmue 3 after work
You'll enjoy it. One thing I'll say is: take your time and make the most of exploring and get creative with how you earn money. You'll enjoy it a lot more. Make the most of the side quests, not for filler, but I feel they are a rewarding part of the game also.
I was extremely disappointed. Played 1 and two back in 2001 on Dreamcast and loved them both. 3 was a letdown
On sale i believe! 34.99 For black friday 🙌🙌🙌
@@ttownbrown4232 49.99 here in canada
I enjoyed the game, like you I’ve been waiting for this game for 18 years and have been with shenmue since part one and imported the European version for part 2. As a die hard fan I was a bit disappointed with the training system which was pretty boring at times, and the story was good, but like you said it was lacking. The game is probably the shortest entree in the franchise and was like you said anticlimactic after a 18 year wait.
Nice video! I can't comment on any details in the game since I haven't played it myself yet, but to me - as a Shenmue fan since day one - it seemed to be a very fair review. My feeling is that Shenmue III pretty much lives up to what we've been waiting for all these years.
It might have been a slightly different game, had it been released shortly after Shenmue II, but given the circumstances today, with a limited budget, the Shenmue name pretty much relevant only for die-hard fans and maybe some tough decisions for Yu Suzuki regarding how to best present the game to a modern audience without compromising the slow moving core that makes it a Shenmue game, it seemed to have turned out great. Once I get myself a PS4 I can finally get out of that cave.
I loved the game even though i never managed to stay interested all the way through one and two. This game is great
HD remasters were on xbox1..it's too bad that this game wasn't available to me and with no future plans to be. I would have bought 2 copies, 1 for me and 1 for my son... :(
I just finished myself. I only got into Shenmue a couple years ago, and for me from the perspective of not demanding this game be the finale, I thought the ending was very powerful. But I understand where you're coming from.
I think Shenmue 2 is the masterpiece of the franchise so far.
Big time my favorite one
Shenmue 2 made me quit the series. First one was very atmospheric, but the second one felt like some sort of fake Jackie Chan movie with way too many quicktime events and terrible fight scenes.
@@ultraxpress I could not disagree more
Shenmue 2 was an improvement in many areas but Shenmue I was the superior game. Because the game world felt more personal and alive.
@@r3n736 I hear that a lot but I didnt find the characters knowing my name make it any more immersive. They still only said one line over and over again. Plus there was way less to do
I never had any crashing, did you update the game to 1.02
I had one crash as well....updated 1.02
Thats one thing that amazed me, that my playthrough did not crash once. Base ps4 30 hour playthrough.
I still hope they patch this game some more!!!
@@javonjames4573 me too, for sure could use some
Yes even though no crashes 4 me it does need some polish.
Overall, I'm well chuffed with Shenmue 3. But it did have a handful of niggles that irked me.
I hated the QTE's. Let me rephrase that, I *despised* how quick they were. I know they're done in the same manner as they were in Shenmue I&II, but I failed almost every single one; my reflexes are not the same as they were twenty years ago! They became trial & error memory tests for me (spoiled the flow in some instances). Why there aren't speed selections for the QTE's goodness only knows. Everyone has different reflex reactions and mine aren't so hot anymore. That was one of the things I was hoping for with Shenmue 3 after playing Shenmue I&II again; QTE's that didn't constrain me to faction of a section reactions. Alas.
I also didn't like timed side quest elements. Not so much of a problem when someone's constructed a guide, but playing it blind it was way too easy to miss side quests. I also didn't like how there weren't any numerical indicators on herb collection in their respected areas. If achievements / trophies can be assigned that allow Ryo to somehow psychically know the precise numbers of herbs there are in the region he's in, then why not include a damn tally to track these things? Same goes for how many fish you catch.
I also disliked how with the capsule toys *every single set* there was one ultra rare one that took an eternity to obtain. The game may be influenced by real life, but in real life I would have bought every capsule toy within the dispensers with the amount of dosh I spent on them! The capsule toys should all have had an equal chance of appearance as any other. The capsule toy aspect in achievement / trophy terms make poor use of that component, and considering skill books are tied to them too that just makes the endeavour worst as far as I'm concerned.
Still, all things said I'm very pleased with Shenmue III. Looking forward to the DLC.
Yes the QTEs in Shenmue 3 are almost impossible to do and for me it came down to failing every button once and memorizing it then. Given that, especially the part with the chickens was a nightmare.
It is not the same as in the first two games and has nothing to do with your reflexes getting worse. When I play Shenmue 1 & 2 nowadays I still have no problems with the QTEs.
Hi Johnny! You really enjoyed the game and I really enjoy watching your excellent reviews! I'm so glad I found your channel. I thank you on Thanksgiving day for taking so much time on producing your videos. Hands down to you Johnny!🖖
I played the OG SHENMUE about 15 years ago when I was 7 and the one thing I’m super happy about is that the “bad voice acting” is still here, Iv always loved the cheesy voice acting.
Playing Shenmue 1 last year I can tell it was way ahead of it's time and it's something special but Shenmue 2 took what the 1st game did and really expanded on it and created a much richer and more impactful story! I guess for Shenmue 3 they decided to tell a smaller part of the next part of the story! Hopefully Shenmue 4 maybe Sega and Sony will fund the game and give a larger budget like $15 million to make a larger story filled game like Shenmue 2!
Seems kinda meta that the collectable characters are Shenmue characters :D
Yeah a bit immersion breaking.
I'm lovin it so far. Haven't left the mountain village yet.
I too am loving it. I am honestly amazed at how well they did on this game. To me they hit a perfect balance of making it feel like Shenmue, while modernizing the look and some mechanics of the game. I really was scared it was going to feel more like Yakuza or something.
Same here buddy now over 15 hours in but still in the first village 👌
We need Shenmue 4 now.
I have to say when I started shenmue 2 I didn't expect to get drawn into the world, the first game that didn't involve too much violence and was about travel and talking to people.
Shenmue 2 is amazing. You've got to love Joy and Ren! Yuan the bird lady was an interesting character too. Yeah, it's probably better than the first Shenmue game.
Well, the game sound's exactly what I've been waiting for but then again, my attention span is longer than a gnat's dick and I don't need to be hand held. I'm the type of person that turn off huds in most game's just because I like to explore. I'm an old School gamer and I remember a time when game's had to be complete on launch day. Can't wait to pick this game up and continue.
can't wait for the conclusion in 2039
maximumjesus I honestly thought this was the conclusion of the story.
I love Shenmue, and I’m looking forward to playing this one, but how much faith does Yu have that this will get the backing to continue past this point?
@@samuraigundam0079 With all this negativity from you and other people maybe we will never see the ending of the story.
Baby Yoda Consider that all of us fans (and yes, I’m a fan) put money to this with the idea that this would conclude the story after 17 years of waiting, only to get little satisfaction story wise.
Yu Suzuki’s story was supposed to last 6 games. How many more years is it going to take to get there?
I'm so glad it didn't end! I could play another 5 games like this! I'm so happy with Shenmue 3. It's more Shenmue than I had ever expected. Bailu village sort of took me back to Shenmue 1 with its quaintness; Naiowu City was Shenmue 2 all the way! I was not expecting a big city like that! I got addicted to the training and got everything maxed out by the end and smashed through all the enemies which was satisfying because the first part kicked my butt. Would've liked the VF fighting but this system works good for the more rpg nature of the game.
Love the Robotech jacket!! But yeah I just beat the game and enjoyed it, but the way I describe it is Shenmue is a long epic, and like all long epic tv shows or animes some seasons will be labeled filler arcs. Shenmue 3 is basically just a filler arc, made to get you to know Shenhua really. The should have made Shenmue 3 and 4 at the same time... ofc I'm assuming Shenmue 4 won't be as filler-filled as 3.
I been trying to collect all herbs but the maps you get are not accurate. Why do they have location pointed but there's usually so many more. I want to get the throphy but it's annoying.
Ditto.
As a die-hard shenmue fan I completely agree with you. I'm glad this exists, but this game badly needs a patch to modernize certain aspects. It gets really painful at times especially the end.
I'd also like to add that the progression of the story is bizarrely minimal come the end. Yes, there are a few interesting developments, but truth is there's very, very little progression with the narrative. Most certainly should have been more development than there was if you ask me.
Suzuki may want to carry it on, but considering the perilous situation of the last eighteen or so years the way the third title ended it's definitely a gamble.
Hey Johnny have you started Yakuza yet?
Funny thing is during my playthrough, I pretty much maxed out all my stats very early on. When I got to the part in the story where I was told to train more I was thinking "I maxed out all my stats, how much more training do I need?". I really did enjoy the game but I felt that it was rushed halfway through where they could have done a whole lot more at the second area you go to. Other than that it was a lot of fun, spent about 45 hours. On a side note on the PS4, the black screen hotel bug happened to me as well, thankfully I make multiple save files and used the same workaround.
Kinda weird the PC version seems more stable which never happens lol. I never crashed once and Ive played it since day 1
@@upserjosh5659 Well actually the bug that occurs when it brings you back to the hotel at 9pm is not a crash, it does not properly load the level and causes a black screen at the hotel. You can actually still hear your footsteps when moving around. Also there was a bug with the telephone where the UI did not function properly forcing the player to close the game.
@@Recon911PDW Yikes I never encountered any of these. I'll count myself lucky. I was able to soft lock the game at one point when I was focused on a flower and engaging a NPC in conversation at the same time.
nice! im not going to lie...super excited for your Christmas Special! man I have been watching you for like 7 years now I think...wow just wow! time flies and watching your Christmas specials brings me back to moments with my friends, family, etc. its amazing! thanks dude!
I’m so proud of shenmue 3. It is everything I’d expect shenmue 3 to be if it released in 2007 for the 360. Alas, non shenmue fans will drag it down and belittle the game for it as a negative. But it’s just a reality of working with a 7 mil budget. What we get from that budget is incredible. Yu suzuki is a genius. I hope sega gets behind sh4 and we can get a new cutting edge shenmue for the modern age.
@jvalex18 Please tell us the names of these amazing students games that makes Shenmue 3 looks like a piece of shit.
Gotta love all this negativity and you people shitting on Yu Suzuki and then wondering why we will never see a Shenmue 4.
Good work, pal.
jvalex18 lol alright dude. Anything else?
@jvalex18 lol lazy? Was it the painstaking amount of conditional dialogue from every NPC who uniquely reacts to the slightest and inconsequential event change throughout the game? Wow, so lazy! Anything else?
Great review!
Brand new player here (I watched full LPs of the first two games to prep for this). I had no expectations for S3. In fact, I primarily bought it to support the series bc I admired how dedicated and passionate the fanbase is. That said, I absolutely fell in love with this game in a way I haven’t since Persona 5.
As for the game being “outdated:” It is clearly an artistic decision, but because that is obvious, it feels a bit artificially “old” at times, which isn’t the same kind of charm as a genuinely old game.
Since this was funded/resurrected by fans, I think Suzuki made the right choice in going that route for this game. Going forward, I feel the series has earned the right to modernize a little bit. The overall story and characters are excellent, and deserve slightly more polished presentation in the future.
As for Shenmue 4: I wonder if the DLC will be “S4.” I don’t know if this series can sustain as many full new games as its story calls for. If the next few story chapters were DLC for S3, that could be a good way of continuing without breaking the bank.
Most of the die hard shenmue fans already knew of what was revealed in this game. I was utterly disappointed, storyline wise and character depth. The ending was definitely rushed due to the "budget". The reveal of naio sun in the game wasn't even announced. If you're not a shenmue fan you wouldn't have a clue who she is. I just hopE they will use the new engine to produce S4 quicker than than we had to wait for S3. The storyline is what gripped most of the fans.
Is a saga and a saga always is unfinished so you dont kill lan di and know the entire story...is a journey
@@danielalejandro6335 ofcourse mate. I realise that. But I expected a more of a reveal. Not stuff I already knew from 18 years ago. Only thing we really discovered was the origin of the mirrors.
We didn't get much progression on the shenmue story or prophecy stuff but we did learn a lot about that little bridge.
I love Shenmue.
I want more.
Genuinely don't understand the hate Shenmue 3 has been getting.
Like, have y'all even PLAYED Shenmue 1 and 2? Wtf were you expecting? It has every element that made Shenmue 1 and 2 so charming and fun. I honestly loved Shenmue 3.
The game crashed several times when I wanted to make a phone call to friends. But overall i love this game.
Try this. This worked for someone with similar problems.
reinstall my graphics driver and in nvidia control panel set performance to max.
really wish we would have gotten Shenmue 3, 4 or 5 years after Shenmue 2. We would be playing a different, maybe better game.
I thought they did a great job with making training necessary this time around as well as learning new moves. Also the picking herbs and selling sets aspect was a nice touch and made making a lot of money easier.
Overall the early portion of the game was slow but I think YS’s main objective with this game was to build the relationship between Ryo and Shenhua. I loved it all but yeah obviously not the most compelling stuff for a new player.
I need #4 right now.
I loved the slowness of the first portion of the game. I certainly felt it was underwhelming at first, but then I acclimatised to it. Much like the original Shenmue it started to feel like home and Baillu was so beautiful. I didn't want to leave.
I also enjoyed the mix of life cycle mechanics. They were never intrusive, at least not once you got a handle of them. I like how they all went hand in hand. It was certainly something that was missing from the originals - the necessity to eat to train, to work to earn, to earn to eat. I thought the herb collecting was a great addition as was fishing!
I just hope this comes to Xbox one.
It's already on xbox
In 2020
I have been a fan of Shenmue for 20 years! buy the game to make sure Shenmue 4 happens!
The pacing of Suzuki's reveals doesn't bother me at all. For me it's about the journey. All I can say is bring on Shenmue 4.
I stopped playing videos games after the XBOX 360. I will buy a PS4 just for Shenmue 3! It was part of my childhood and one of my favorites games of all time 2nd to Ocarina of time.
Tree is up can't wait for Christmas special
I keep coming back to this, you guys played 1 thing for 20+ years. I only played VF 3 besides Shenmues, but I too grinded my thumbs to master VF for 18 or so years. Don't expect to be great at a totally new, and lets face it, more demanding, faster input required system in 2 weeks, or so. Hell I caught myself trying old controls in the demo expecting them to just work. It looks so much Shenmue you forget. Once I got over it, the new system is huge, there are very cool moves in there to learn. By the end I freaking went on a rampage going up the path through the enemies. Doing all the moves I loved doing back in the 90s as a Shorin Ryu Karate practitioner. I did want a few throws I had in 1&2, they should have been the counters. There are too many moves that are literally the same, with a different name. Likely added to keep you training. Throws should have been freaking invested in. Too much side crap that personally I could take or leave. My verdict, combat is better than in 1&2, faster, move involving timing, and positioning. Making it a lot more like what I used to do in real life. Throws not motion captured even if they'd be poorer quality physics were a mistake.