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[Thaedolus]

I gotta admit, Shenmue is my gaming guilty pleasure/thing I play when nobody is looking. There’s something about it that captured my heart when it came out. I can still play those games to this day and get hooked.

This…didn’t really recapture that, but it is quite fascinating that someone would go to these lengths to put out a fan-made Shenmue game about a minor side character in 2024

 

[AJUMP23]

That is a good place for no one to play this one either.

Fans "we want Shenmu 3......

also fans "we will not buy Shenmu 3"

 

[Killer8]

I'd like to see them remake all of Shenmue 3 in this style instead of the Unreal Engine ugliness we got.

 

[Thaedolus]

That is a good place for no one to play this one either.

Fans "we want Shenmu 3......

also fans "we will not buy Shenmu 3"

I actually bought it twice, once with the kickstarter and again on Steam just to see it on Steam Deck…then promptly forgot to finish it

 

[Bullet Club]

It looks like it could be fun.

If it came out on the Dreamcast.

 

[Deerock71]

Ah yes. I hear he's rather young, as well. They say all cream rises to the top. If this turns out well...this will be the cream of some young guy.

 

[Thaedolus]

Ah yes. I hear he's rather young, as well. They say all cream rises to the top. If this turns out well...this will be the cream of some young guy.

 

[Gaiff]

I gotta admit, Shenmue is my gaming guilty pleasure/thing I play when nobody is looking.

Not sure what you mean. Shenmu is generally considered great albeit flawed. It’s nonetheless recognized as a cult classic. Nothing guilty about enjoying it.

 

[Thaedolus]

Not sure what you mean. Shenmu is generally considered great albeit flawed. It’s nonetheless recognized as a cult classic. Nothing guilty about enjoying it.

I remember clearly the reaction at the time being very much this:

…as if we’re supposed to like it because of the hype, but goddamn they made some…design decisions here. But for 14 year old me, it was just a really fun and interesting adventure game. And it was winter at the time so not a lot to do outside, and the game takes place during winter, so it was just this cozy fun experience that somehow resonated with me. Looking back, it’s got some terrible and frustrating mechanics, but I got that nostalgia

 

[A.Romero]

After loving I and II so much when they came put, it really surprised me I couldn't stand 3 when it came out.

I'm glad there is people still working on this stuff.

 

[Deft Beck]

This is the real Shenmue 3.

 

[AGRacing]

I'm in!

 

[hybrid_birth]

After 3, this is the only shenmue i care about.

 

[pqueue]

 

[Pejo]

Literally can't be worse than 3, so I'm interested.

 

[Azelover]

I like

 

[Yonyx]

That is a good place for no one to play this one either.

Fans "we want Shenmu 3......

also fans "we will not buy Shenmu 3"

I bought it at full price. It was one of the biggest disappointments of my life.

 

[wipeout364]

I’m only interested if there are big sailors that hang out in bars.

 

[Pantz]

That looked really good.
Are they allowed to make it?

 

[CamHostage]

This is the real Shenmue 3.

Eh, that's kind of rude. Shenmue is a Yu Suzuki, heart and soul.

You can say you don't happen to like what the guy is doing any more with his creative choices and gameplay approach. You can say you would rather play something made in tribute to this creator's past works which hopefully will avoid some of the pitfalls, idiosyncrasies, and out-of-touch failings that the third game wrestled with. You can say you're out on Shenmue 4/0/whatever official game does or doesn't ever happen, you'll only ever play fan games because they don't have as much chance of letting you down. Just don't dismiss the real thing; for good or ill, Shenmue is not Shenmue if it's not Suzuki's Shenmue.

 

[Deft Beck]

Eh, that's kind of rude. Shenmue is a Yu Suzuki, heart and soul.

You can say you don't happen to like what the guy is doing any more with his creative choices and gameplay approach. You can say you would rather play something made in tribute to this creator's past works which hopefully will avoid some of the pitfalls, idiosyncrasies, and out-of-touch failings that the third game wrestled with. You can say you're out on Shenmue 4/0/whatever official game does or doesn't ever happen, you'll only ever play fan games because they don't have as much chance of letting you down. Just don't dismiss the real thing; for good or ill, Shenmue is not Shenmue if it's not Suzuki's Shenmue.

Shenmue may be Yu Suzuki's creation, but I think those who followed him understand it better than he does at this point. Whether it's this fan-mod or something like Yakuza.

Shenmue 3 was a missed opportunity and one of the most precipitious hype-falls I've seen in a long time. From universal fanfare at its announcement to bargain bin prices now.

I have more respect for Air Twister, since that successfully blended arcade sensibility with an original aesthetic and a fantastic musical direction.