Excuse us while we state the obvious, but Shenmue III really is a new Shenmue game. We’re not sure what we expected, but this PlayStation 4 gameplay footage from the E3 2019 showfloor hits the exact same beats as the Dreamcast originals, showing protagonist Ryo Hazuki as he plays Lucky Hit and purchases toy capsules. The stilted exchanges and awful voice acting are taking us back to 2001 in the best way possible.

For non-fans, this will do little to convert you to Yu Suzuki’s cult franchise, but it seems developer Ys Net really has got the feel and flow of this long-awaited sequel spot on. As someone who invested three figures into the Kickstarter, this author is just relieved that the project has somehow come together. A relief.

Update 1: There's more, this time showcasing some combat training minigames and sparring gameplay:

The combat looks a little floaty for our tastes, but as with the minigames it's largely reminiscent of how the original two titles played. What are your thoughts on Shenmue III so far? Are you satisfied with the progress that's been made?

Update 2: And there's more still, this time showing Ryo Hazuki chopping some wood:

Yeah, this is every bit a Shenmue game, isn't it? And we're absolutely loving it.

[source youtube.com]