Artist's impression

Should you back Shenmue III's soon-to-end Kickstarter campaign? Well, if your answer up until now has been 'maybe some other time' then you may want to reconsider, as Ys Net has revealed that a physical PlayStation 4 release is not guaranteed outside of the crowdfunding drive. Currently, backing the project for $60 will secure you a boxed copy of the game – but this version may never find its way onto store shelves.

"Whether Shenmue III will be available for retail or not is currently unconfirmed," a spokesperson for developer Ys Net told VG247 via email. Now, the cynic in us leads us to believe that it wants to lock in as many backers as possible, so of course it's not going to confirm the wider availability of a Blu-ray release while its campaign's ongoing. However, it would need to work with a publisher to get boxes into shops, and the reality is that it probably hasn't had chance to have those negotiations yet.

If you're interested in the game, though, is it really worth taking the risk? You've got just over 12 hours to make up your mind. Just make sure that you don't change it like Ryo Hazuki down the line.

[source vg247.com, via uk.ign.com]