Topic: Shenmue III: Your Thoughts

I saw videos of Shenmue 3 recently, and I kinda liked what I saw because it kind of reminded me of Yakuza in some ways and I'm a big Yakuza fan. What's your opinion on this upcoming game? Is it worth consideration? Do I need to play 1 and 2 to play 3? Do I WANT to play 1 and 2 because they're so old? Share your thoughts below!

Yes youshould play Shenmue 1 and 2 beforehand as 3 is the final chapter in the story. Shenmue was originally planned to be 3 part series on the Dreamcast but the third never came out till now.

Yes it is very similar to the Yakuza series game play wise which is why it's considered a spiritual seccesor to Shenmue.

@Tasuki 3 actually isn’t the final chapter. I think it’ll mark the half way mark or a little more. I was pretty surprised to learn that, the creator has a vision and he’s sticking to it. It’s a long saga I hope I’ll get finished.

Interesting...

So this might be a six-part series like with Kiryu-chan (not counting Zero)? And if that's the case, then we can probably expect a Shenmue 1 and 2 remake as well sometime in the future. Hmm... maybe it's worth getting then??

Still want to hear other people's opinions though !

@PunkRx_Lockly Ummm there is a remake available right now on PS4 and Xbox One.

I backed the game on Kickstarter having never played any of the previous games or a Yakuza game. I have no idea what to expect or if I will like it! 😂

@Tasuki I think you're referring to the remasters...? No remake yet as far as I know, but it's entirely possible what with it becoming so trendy now.

@PunkRx_Lockly How much you'll enjoy Shenmue depends on how much you can tolerate old-fashioned game design. If you can look past the general slowness of it all and take your time, you'll be fine. It's a similar vibe to the Yakuza games, but a less-refined version in pretty much all areas.

I don't think we'll see remakes unfortunately. The recent remasters were originally intended to be remakes, but fairly early on in development the team realised it was just too big a job. We'll only see remakes of I and II if the third game is a runaway success, but even then, any profits would probably go towards Shenmue IV.

Your best bet is to give the PS4 remakes a go. If you're planning to play the third game then they're probably a must.

@PunkRx_Lockly honestly if you want to play 3 you REALLY need to play the first 2 games, my first experience with the franchise was with Shenmue II back on the OG XBOX, luckily it game with a movie version of the first game but that still wasn't enough and i wasn't able to fully appreciate the experience until i went and found a Dreamcast copy of the first game

in short YES you need to play the first 2 and the Remasters on PS4 and XBOX ONE are perfect for that

and soon you will remember the day the Snow turned to Rain

@Gremio108 Hmm. Honestly, I'm not too thrilled about playing Dreamcast-era games, but I know the story is pretty well done though. I guess I'll just keep mulling it over. There are after all a TON of new games coming out this year, so you can understand my hesitation here. And then there's also Judgment, which I have not yet played...

@FullbringIchigo When I first started Yakuza, I started with 3, and I didn't get to play 1 or 2 until Kiwami came. It didn't really affect the story too much, tbh, but there were definite gaps. Luckily the story in Yakuza is very progressive in many respects, always moving forward, so it really wasn't a problem. Maybe it'll be the same with Shenmue 3...?

@PunkRx_Lockly No it's not the same with Shenmue. Shenmue was meant to be a multi game story each game is like a chapter in a book so to speak. Basically it would be like getting a new book and starting at chapter 15 instead of one. That's one reason they did the remasters for people to see the story thus far since alot of gamers today either never experienced them or probably don't have the older systems anymore to play the originals.

If you really that much on the fence with Shenmue III then buy the remakes now and playthrough them, if you don't like them you are not going to like Shenmue III.

Well, thanks for the input. I'll definitely consider it then... I just have SO many titles to play through it's not even funny (and so much more on the way!). Balancing life and games can be a tough act. I just don't want to purchase something I may not like, and I don't necessarily want to grind some old-school games that will take eons to get through just to play catch up on a title that I don't actually have to play catch up on... if that makes sense. :]

I guess I'm back to square one. lol

@PunkRx_Lockly thing is unlike Yakuza, Shenmue is all one story and each game is a chapter, playing 3 first would be like watching Endgame before Infinity War or reading The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King before The Fellowship of the Ring

@PunkRx_Lockly Like you, I prefer a more fluid and cinematic gaming experience, but I have the Shenmue I & II remasters on my shelf (still sealed) and am planning on playing them soon-ish, to see if I wanna get on the Shenmue III bandwagon. When I do, I'll be sharing my thoughts on PushSquare and will offer up some perspective on how accessible they are to folks like us.

In other words, watch this space.

@FullbringIchigo So basically I gotta grind is what you're telling me, lol.

@RogerRoger And I appreciate any perspective you can give. With so many games coming out and so many left to finish I don't know that I'll even get to Shenmue 3, which is why I thought maybe I should just skip it...

@PunkRx_Lockly pretty much yeah

@PunkRx_Lockly Honestly if you are looking for people to convince you to play a game from my experience you aren't going to enjoy it and it's going to feel like a chore to you.

I am not sure what more can be said about Shenmue or what you are expecting but yeah if your not keen on playing games that are from the earlier 2000s then you are going to like Shenmue. And yes even though Shenmue III is coming out here soon it will still feel like a game from the early 2000s to keep up that consistency.

@Frigate Thanks dude.

@Tasuki Well, it's not that I absolutely need you to convince me to play it, but I do value people's opinions to an extent and I take them all into consideration before making a decision to become invested in a new IP. But you're right, if I'm not truly convinced of my own interest, then it may not be the series for me. I'm just glad people took the time to respond and have shared their thoughts.

@KratosMD The game world itself must be pretty special if it left you with a good taste in your mouth, despite the annoying bit of mechanics. Still, I suspected some off-setting elements, being an original Dreamcast game. Are there any good mini-games/pastimes, any relationships you can develop outside the main story? I know about developing your Kung Fu skills... but I do like to have some side dishes to the main course if you catch my meaning.

Never played the previous games, backed this on Kickstarter after it got announced at E3. I have no idea what I've let myself in for! 😂

This game isn’t really going to live or die by marketing or it’s release window. Basically anyone who loved the originals will be getting it regardless.