Shenmue III Review

Gameplay:

That’s because Shenmue III is a game lost in time. In fact, if it wasn’t for the Unreal engine powering the whole thing – more on that in a bit – you could easily be fooled into thinking this launched a mere year or two after the second instalment in the series. In some ways this is fantastic, of course – it’s a sequel that genuinely feels like a sequel in every way to the originals fans loved so much – loved enough to kickstart the whole thing. This should be – and is – a game for them.

In that regard its a complete success. Those itching for more Shenmue are going to get exactly that. Doing odd jobs to earn money, accidentally blowing that money on lucky hit or capsule machines, and then going back and earning more money in the hopes you wont waste it this time is a core part of the experience. As is learning martial arts to help you in the clumsy battles, asking locals for directions and clues, waiting around for night to fall, opening every drawer in any given room – the list of oddities and mechanics long forgotten by the industry is never ending. It’s going to be a comfort blanket to a lot of people who thought this game would never see the light of day – and I loved every second I spent in Shemue’s wonderfully weird world.

But most people will not. Unless you’ve very recently finished a binge of the first two games (perhaps in the handy HD collection from last year) and slotted back into that archaic mindset, you’re going to find approaching Shenmue III jarring. If you’ve never played the series before, it’s going to be a lot more difficult – and the investment realistically wont be worth it. Shenmue III rarely feels modernized for the industry it now finds itself in. It’s a stranger in a strange land, and whilst that’s fine for the audience its intended for, I don’t think that scope will expand much going forwards.

Presentation:

Shenmue III is leaps and bounds better looking than its predecessors – but considering the delay in releases, that’s no surprise. The Unreal engine is in full force here, bringing with it all its familiar benefits and pitfalls. Pop in and plastic textures are commonplace, and everything carries a slightly … well, unreal quality to it. On the plus side, the visuals are sharp, vibrant, and from a design point of view far more beautiful than I expected. After the ropey first few screenshots released from the campaign I was truly worried about the look and feel of Shenmue III, but its a pleasant and pretty world to explore.

Character animations are stiff and voiced work is even stiffer – a relic from Shenmue’s past that truly could have done with some updating. Whilst I love that Ryo’s original English voice actor is present and charmingly performing just as badly as he always did, it’s certainly going to put plenty of people off. Luckily the music is as lovely as its always been, and hearing the familiar Shenmue score strike up for the first time genuinely choked me up.

Conclusion:

I think everyone already knows if Shenmue III is for them. If you experienced– and loved – the originals, its an absolute must play. It might take some getting used to, slotting back into that familiarly clunky world, but its absolutely worth doing. If you’ve never played Shenmue before and are thinking of giving this one a go, I can safely – and simply – say don’t waste your time. This game is an awkward mess of archaic design that simply won’t make sense to anyone not already indoctrinated into this weird cult I find myself a part of.

But honestly, all hyperbole aside, this is a dream come true. Thank you, Yu Suzuki!