My impressions so far as a new fan

Joined
Dec 24, 2021
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Lloegr
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Shenmue II
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Resident Evil 2
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LordLudichris
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NinjaLudovic
Shenmue III is already known to be a controversial sequel. I'm a newer fan of the series and my friend finally lent me his PS4, this means I finally have the chance to play this.
After a number of hours of playing this, I would say that the story progression is pretty much fine, I especially enjoy the conversations between Ryo and Shenhua at night.
On the other hand I find the added RPG elements bizarre but acceptable, and in the battle with the two thugs, I found out the hard way that it is crucial you practice your kung fu moves, took me several tries and in the end it required me to use just one snake power bottle, and subsequently losing the follow up battle. Combat appears to be trickier, at least on the recommended difficulty, I've still refrained from playing on easy at least in the meantime.
I've very much taken the advice to buy lots of garlic to replenish the energy metre.
A bit embarrassingly in the side mission where the kid needs the white lure capsule, I wasted all my remaining day 1 capsule tickets on it, realising how rare it is. So if I try this again I'll need to take the advice of saving before trying, similar to the kowloon lucky hit.
I don't think the time skip feature added was really necessary but I guess Yu Suzuki just could no longer take the criticism.

I still am very keen to playthrough the rest of the game, despite me discovering it to be less forgiving than the previous two games, and I've also purchased the DLCs before starting my new game.
 
Excited to hear about the rest of journey through the game. It can be a refreshing point of view to someone who is new to the series. Apologies if I have missed any posts that explain to this, but how did you come across the first two games, and what were your experiences with them?
 
Even on easy it's a pain in the ass and you'll have to PrAcTiCe YoUr KuNg-Fu to win.
I struggled at first with the combat, and it is no Virtua Fighter, but it isn't that bad. Ive played the game a few times through by now and with a little of practice, it is serviceable.
 
I struggled at first with the combat, and it is no Virtua Fighter, but it isn't that bad. Ive played the game a few times through by now and with a little of practice, it is serviceable.
Exactly, there is feeling of getting better with training. And the endurace of it I take it as tribute to deadly trainings given by crazy shaolin monks or drunken master movies.

Even on easy it's a pain in the ass and you'll have to PrAcTiCe YoUr KuNg-Fu to win.
Do you ragequit? Ha, not good enoughtroll.png Remember though Tai Chi Chen consists in more than 40 lenghty and s.l.o.w forms. So yes, you indeed must practise. This is not Matrix! You're not Neo! dude grin.png
 
Excited to hear about the rest of journey through the game. It can be a refreshing point of view to someone who is new to the series. Apologies if I have missed any posts that explain to this, but how did you come across the first two games, and what were your experiences with them?
I first played Shenmue I and II on my xbox one purely out of curiosity. I usually am a pretty impatient gamer but I enjoyed this way more than I expected and think Yu Suzuki pulled off this style of gameplay perfectly. There are very few adventure games that hit quite like Shenumue. I'd play both of those games for hours and hours, not to mention that Disc 4 of Shenmue II had me up until 4am. I liked these games so much that I now have a dreamcast with both games.

I was frustrated when Shenmue III wasn't on Xbox so after completing Shenmue II in August 2021, I'm thankful for my friend who has a PS5 now for giving me his PS4. Despite these frustrating mechanics in Shenmue III I look forward to continuing this story. I'm working all weekend whilst I have free time during the week.
 
For all of the complaints about the combat, I found the absolute brutal QTE timing to be WAY worse than the combat. I got so mad while chasing chickens that I threw my controller and it hit my TV.
 
For all of the complaints about the combat, I found the absolute brutal QTE timing to be WAY worse than the combat. I got so mad while chasing chickens that I threw my controller and it hit my TV.
Oh damn, the only time I had to resort to using a walkthrough in Shenmue II was for the QTEs in Kowloon, they were so tricky that I had to be able to time them in advance, I'm feeling like the timing window for sparring moves is a bit random and I am fearing that later in the game it'll just get trickier
 
Oh damn, the only time I had to resort to using a walkthrough in Shenmue II was for the QTEs in Kowloon, they were so tricky that I had to be able to time them in advance, I'm feeling like the timing window for sparring moves is a bit random and I am fearing that later in the game it'll just get trickier
You'll be fine tbh. The checkpoints are very forgiving in Shenmue III even if the QTEs are lightning quick.
 
Exactly, there is feeling of getting better with training. And the endurace of it I take it as tribute to deadly trainings given by crazy shaolin monks or drunken master movies.


Do you ragequit? Ha, not good enoughView attachment 16551 Remember though Tai Chi Chen consists in more than 40 lenghty and s.l.o.w forms. So yes, you indeed must practise. This is not Matrix! You're not Neo! dude View attachment 16552
I did 100% on all FromSoftware games, on both Nioh games, Hollow Knight, Ninja Gaiden, etc. I never ragequit.

The problem is, a video game just can't be like Shenmue III. You don't win fights by getting good at the game. You win by that stupid "practicing your kung-fu" system. I am 100% convinced that Shenmue III contains some of the worst decisions/executions in the history of game design. I lack words as someone who doesn't have English as a first language.

I'm excited for Shenmue IV because I liked the first two games and I know it's impossible to be worse than the third game.
 
I did 100% on all FromSoftware games, on both Nioh games, Hollow Knight, Ninja Gaiden, etc. I never ragequit.

The problem is, a video game just can't be like Shenmue III. You don't win fights by getting good at the game. You win by that stupid "practicing your kung-fu" system. I am 100% convinced that Shenmue III contains some of the worst decisions/executions in the history of game design. I lack words as someone who doesn't have English as a first language.

I'm excited for Shenmue IV because I liked the first two games and I know it's impossible to be worse than the third game.
Sorry but I don't agree with you.
I know that Shenmue 3's combat system isn't just skill based and that you must reach a certain level to win fights but for me what I like about it is that with your skill you can beat much stronger opponents and that it is much harder to beat your adversaries than in the first two games.
In fact the only adversary that I had dificulty in beating was Master Baihu in Shenmue 2.
I also like the training aspect in Shenmue 3 and consider it a step up in the series compared with the first two games.
I've played Shenmue 3 severall times in Nightmare dificulty and it as always been a challenge to beat my opponents wich on the contrary was a piece of cake in the first two games.
 
Aren't souls games crunching/training without the mini-games? That's basically how I played Dark Souls.

Also the idea of mini-games to improve your level is the same principle as (insert RPG here) for the last however many years. Levelling up is common in most modern games and I can tell you having played a tonne of these single player, story based games, I can bludgeon my way through by just being stronger, much like Shenmue 3. Or you can give yourself a challenge of taking on higher level opponants when you're lower levelled.
 
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I did 100% on all FromSoftware games, on both Nioh games, Hollow Knight, Ninja Gaiden, etc. I never ragequit.

The problem is, a video game just can't be like Shenmue III. You don't win fights by getting good at the game. You win by that stupid "practicing your kung-fu" system. I am 100% convinced that Shenmue III contains some of the worst decisions/executions in the history of game design. I lack words as someone who doesn't have English as a first language.

I'm excited for Shenmue IV because I liked the first two games and I know it's impossible to be worse than the third game.
I don't have any problem with you or anyone else disliking the game, but it doesn't come off very well when describing your dislike of the combat as "practice until you get better". Is that not....like every single thing we do in tons of games, as well as life?

If you check out interviews of Yu Suzuki, he talks about the connectivity of the games' systems like gambling, combat, jobs, etc. I think the point of the game was to not jam yourself into only one of these at a time, but to gradually spread your time out and dabble in all or most of the systems.

I just don't get the hate. I've had my frustrations with the game, but the hyperbolic comments like "worst in the history of game design" are just a tad too far for my liking. Comments like that make me feel like the people that make them may have not played or seen a wide variety of games.
 
I did 100% on all FromSoftware games, on both Nioh games, Hollow Knight, Ninja Gaiden, etc. I never ragequit.

The problem is, a video game just can't be like Shenmue III. You don't win fights by getting good at the game. You win by that stupid "practicing your kung-fu" system. I am 100% convinced that Shenmue III contains some of the worst decisions/executions in the history of game design. I lack words as someone who doesn't have English as a first language.

I'm excited for Shenmue IV because I liked the first two games and I know it's impossible to be worse than the third game.

Not true

Unfortunately, you couldn't grasp the combat system. Nor do you understand it at all.

Because you couldn't figure it out, You now post hyperbolic comments online about it. Maybe you should practice more and get good at the game instead of giving up so soon.

Your narrative of " You don't win fights by getting good at the game. You win by that stupid "Practicing your kung fu" system is false. There are fans who have already mastered the combat and no longer get hit in battle because they're good at the game

Edit: Here you go



Here's another one of Ryo going through Mashall hall with no damage on the hardest difficulty



As I say, I recommend you practice more instead of making false hyperbolic statements online

Does the combat system have issues? Yep, it does and it's been well documented on this site. However, you not being able to figure it out is down to you and not the game.

Others have figured it out. You can to
 
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I just don't get the hate. I've had my frustrations with the game, but the hyperbolic comments like "worst in the history of game design" are just a tad too far for my liking. Comments like that make me feel like the people that make them may have not played or seen a wide variety of games.

100% this. I don't have problems with people disliking Shenmue III, but these comments like "worst in the history of game design" and "I wasted my life" and things like that i will never understand. I will never understand some people complaining even about capsule toys and garlic.

People talking as if Shenmue III is the worst game of all time, as if Shenmue III doesn't have anything good, I respect when someone say to me they didn't enjoy Shenmue III, but some comments are so hyperbolic and insane that i will never understand.

Yes, we have to train our Kung fu in this game, just like in Final Fantasy for example that we have to level up if we want to beat the game, and these things have in many games, as far as i remember even hack 'n slash games like Devil May Cry we have to upgrade our weapons, if we don't do that then the game will be harder to finish, i don't see this as a bad thing, i love training in games.


Sorry but I don't agree with you.
I know that Shenmue 3's combat system isn't just skill based and that you must reach a certain level to win fights but for me what I like about it is that with your skill you can beat much stronger opponents and that it is much harder to beat your adversaries than in the first two games.
In fact the only adversary that I had dificulty in beating was Master Baihu in Shenmue 2.
I also like the training aspect in Shenmue 3 and consider it a step up in the series compared with the first two games.
I've played Shenmue 3 severall times in Nightmare dificulty and it as always been a challenge to beat my opponents wich on the contrary was a piece of cake in the first two games.

I agree, i consider the training aspect in Shenmue III a step up in the series, i love training in this game and after i train i feel that Ryo is really getting stronger and i love that, so many ways to train in this game. In Shenmue II we can just train with Jianmin Tao and is just one time per day, something really limited, i don't see people complaining about these things, but if this was in Shenmue III people would complain.

I'm playing Shenmue III now and my plan is to master all moves, also i want to do max level kung fu for the first time, Shenmue III have the best gameplay of the series to me, this is my second playthrough and now i understand the game even more.

My first time playing was in 2019 when the game was released, this mean i played the game without the updates, in my first time i had problems with the food system. Right now i'm playing with all the updates and DLCs, the game is even better with these updates, also i'm playing even more slowly than my first time, now i understand the fighting system even more, it needs improvements but i like this fighting system, i'm having fun.

i'm not even having problems with the food system, i will even make a video for my Shenmue channel with tips explaining my strategy in relation to the food system, this way to help people that are lost about the food system. Like i said other time, if people know what they are doing then it is easy and fine about the food system.

Same thing for the fighting like ShenSun said, i think is my first time seeing this videos, really nice.
 
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You guys make it sound like I'm glad I didn't like a sequel to two games I loved.

And no, I won't be practicing anymore on Shenmue III. I got about 30% of the trophies, finished the story and uninstalled. I don't know what world they thought pretty much any Shenmue III system would be a good idea. I'm not being hyperbolic when I say things like "some of the worst decisions/executions in the history of game design". This is truly what I believe. But of course I respect anyone who disagrees. I want to make this clear.

Again, I will not give up a series because of 1 bad entry. This happens with just about any series. Furthermore, I understand the circumstances and particularities of the last title's development and how such a level of amateurism is justified, despite not even in the indie scene having seen anything like it.
 
I did 100% on all FromSoftware games, on both Nioh games, Hollow Knight, Ninja Gaiden, etc. I never ragequit.

The problem is, a video game just can't be like Shenmue III. You don't win fights by getting good at the game. You win by that stupid "practicing your kung-fu" system. I am 100% convinced that Shenmue III contains some of the worst decisions/executions in the history of game design. I lack words as someone who doesn't have English as a first language.

I'm excited for Shenmue IV because I liked the first two games and I know it's impossible to be worse than the third game.
I was just trolling you a little bit, Im glad you taking it civil. If you 100% Ninja Gaiden (a game that I believe hate its players and punish them) I bend in salutation. Sensei-rei... Ossu!

I liked a lot of reflections you made over the forum but your RGG avatar combined with Shenmue 3 criticism triggers the monster I suppose. How do you dare!! Sorry. See? Sorry. But RGG is my natural enemy as it endangers Shenmue existence.

Of course you can dislike an entry to the series but that its subjetive and while you think a game shouldn't be like S3 maybe other think we need more of it in this MMO/shooteresque game scene.
I believe Shenmue 3 experimented a lot, at a level I not seen since early 2000 and we should bold that.

And yes, I agree with you in Shenmue 4 polishing edges and overcoming things many people finds as gaps, reuniting fans around the world.

But, Ichiban, another backslash at Shenmue 3, with your RGG avatar and I'll be boat traveling to Japan. To chase you and I will turn full fledged Sinichi Chiba in you, listen: tornado kicking your head really hard, and finally perfoming some weird flamenco dance around your corpse. Cheers ❤️
 
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