110 Industries have been teasing Shenmue IV a lot lately

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tomboz said:
Another idea I’d love to see revisited is the character perspective system. Initially I hated the idea, but thinking about it, I think it would be kinda cool to two or three little sections where players could choose between Ryo (brute force), Ren (stealth), and Shenhua (persuasion). It could be a great way to explore the latter’s powers while also providing a reason for players to replay the game.
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The character perspective system being axed was one element I was not disappointed being canceled. I’ve always felt Shenmue is Ryo’s journey and playing as anyone else sort of muddies the water.

However I think that will be one of the biggest challenges with a Shenmue 4, how the game juggles your two companions.

I am sure there will be plot elements that will divide or split them up but I hope it is done in a smart and intelligent way. With Shenmue 3 there was this loose idea that Shenhua had duties at home and just in case her father came home to remain there. There was a somewhat plausible idea why she wouldn’t accompany Ryo all the time. When we got to Niaowu, it felt even less plausible and seeing her character sometimes idle around the environment drove home that point (I’m sure the character perspective system would have come more into play here). I really hope the scenario and events draw those characters closer (think of Kowloon section tied to Ren). Of course if the party idea is to persist into extended gameplay I hope Suzuki looks at modern day games like Naughty Dog and see how they blend story and gameplay with side companions to enrich the experience.
 
code l name said:
The character perspective system being axed was one element I was not disappointed being canceled. I’ve always felt Shenmue is Ryo’s journey and playing as anyone else sort of muddies the water.
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This is pretty much exactly how I viewed things. On reflection though (and perhaps due in part to the way that the anime has made Shenhua feel more like a part of the story right from the get-go), I’m not really sure that this is just Ryo’s story. Obviously that’s how it started and his quest for revenge still drives the narrative, but the prophecy is presumably even bigger than that and Ren and Shenhua seem very much along for the ride.

As you say, how they handled Shenhua and Ren in the later stages of Shenmue 3 felt a bit awkward at times and will need to be looked at in the next game. A character perspective system alone wouldn’t fix that, though it would afford some extra opportunities for character progression while also mixing up the core gameplay loop a little for some added variety.

Another thing Is like to see is a more adaptive and more customizable hud. One with all of the bells and whistles of a modern game (quest markers, mini-map, etc), but also the ability to disable individual elements or turn off the hud altogether for a more immersive feel. Horizon Forbidden West really nailed it in this regard.
 
As long as they keep the award winning earring physics we're golden
 
tomboz said:
This is pretty much exactly how I viewed things. On reflection though (and perhaps due in part to the way that the anime has made Shenhua feel more like a part of the story right from the get-go), I’m not really sure that this is just Ryo’s story. Obviously that’s how it started and his quest for revenge still drives the narrative, but the prophecy is presumably even bigger than that and Ren and Shenhua seem very much along for the ride.

As you say, how they handled Shenhua and Ren in the later stages of Shenmue 3 felt a bit awkward at times and will need to be looked at in the next game. A character perspective system alone wouldn’t fix that, though it would afford some extra opportunities for character progression while also mixing up the core gameplay loop a little for some added variety.

Another thing Is like to see is a more adaptive and more customizable hud. One with all of the bells and whistles of a modern game (quest markers, mini-map, etc), but also the ability to disable individual elements or turn off the hud altogether for a more immersive feel. Horizon Forbidden West really nailed it in this regard.
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While I don’t disagree with your sentiment and there are examples of this (Think of the Ashley sections in Resident Evil 4), I really believe Shenmue 4 needs to focus on immediacy and fleshing out core elements. I would much rather they expand the investigative loop, offering players ability to gather information and tackle objectives in a non-linear fashion then waste time having to create new gameplay systems and combat for Ren or Shenhua. I know I may be in the minority on this.

With regards to your last point I’ve been pushing idea for HUDless option while Shenmue 3 was in development asking DS and developers but to no avail. ICO/ SOTC remake led the charge but most Sony 1st party titles on PS4 gave you option to have HUD elements dynamic (hidden until you hit the touch pad) and it made adventure/action games so much more immersive. God of War and Horizon being two examples. That’s why I was shocked when I played Forbidden West at launch and I couldn’t play disable all HUD elements. While it was patched later by that time I had already finished the game.
 
code l name said:
While I don’t disagree with your sentiment and there are examples of this (Think of the Ashley sections in Resident Evil 4), I really believe Shenmue 4 needs to focus on immediacy and fleshing out core elements. I would much rather they expand the investigative loop, offering players ability to gather information and tackle objectives in a non-linear fashion then waste time having to create new gameplay systems and combat for Ren or Shenhua. I know I may be in the minority on this.
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To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if yours was the majority view among the fan base. That said, if the aim is to attract a broader audience this time around, adding in some new mechanics might not be such a bad idea. Of course, as you say, there are a lot of other areas that need to be addressed before that.

I like the idea of a more open-ended experience in theory, but struggle to see how it could really work in practice. Shenmue has always been an a to b type series, and for as long as Ryo is working towards a single objective, it’s difficult to see that changing all that much.

Perhaps we may see a few instances where there are multiple solutions to a problem though (ie, more Shenmue 2 than Shenmue 3) and maybe even a few times where Ryo has multiple objectives (thus allowing players to choose the order in which they tackle them). Time will tell, I suppose.
 
I think it was interesting to play as Majima for a while in Yakuza 0, as he was such a different character as apposed to Kiryu. It'd be neat to have quests where you sneak in a store and steal something as ren, or get caught and activate a chase sequence :ROFLMAO:Maybe Ren would be good at darts too since he throws knives so often, a minigame geared to another character only would be neat.
 
tomboz said:
To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if yours was the majority view among the fan base. That said, if the aim is to attract a broader audience this time around, adding in some new mechanics might not be such a bad idea. Of course, as you say, there are a lot of other areas that need to be addressed before that.

I like the idea of a more open-ended experience in theory, but struggle to see how it could really work in practice. Shenmue has always been an a to b type series, and for as long as Ryo is working towards a single objective, it’s difficult to see that changing all that much.

Perhaps we may see a few instances where there are multiple solutions to a problem though (ie, more Shenmue 2 than Shenmue 3) and maybe even a few times where Ryo has multiple objectives (thus allowing players to choose the order in which they tackle them). Time will tell, I suppose.
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Perhaps, I should have been more specific with my comment. I am thinking as an example, the 4 Wudu from Shenmue 2. While there is a suggested path to finding them, you can do them in any order, which really assists with replays. There was a big post by @Spaghetti a while back where we discussed potential gameplay ideas of a non-linear structure and how that would fit into the traditional Shenmue gameplay. I think it's possible but will need to be carefully crafted to ensure it remains a narrative-driven experience.

Ever since it was brought up as a hypothetical idea, that Ryo could use a train as a mode of transport and use it to fast travel between locations, I've been wondering in my mind how that could work with multiple objectives. All fun things to speculate and discuss while we wait and see if all this conjecture leads to Shenmue 4...
 
Man... I am really excited for Shenmue IV.
Yu Suzuki still have some good cards on his sleeves, I am sure about it!
 
I am really hoping it's a Shenmue 4 announcement though. I really don't think 110 would be stupid enough to make all of this alluding to Shenmue 4 for it not to happen.
 
If there is one thing Shenmue has taught me, it really is never give up on your dreams. Because we're still here talking about Shenmue after all these years of being told it would never happen. Now look at what we have? A game they told us would never exist (SIII), a pretty kick ass anime and strong rumours of Shenmue IV in the works.

Yeap the main take away from all of this? Don't give up on your hopes and dreams. Where there is a will there is always a way!
 
Shenmue V, coming in 2025!

2025 passes.

Shenmue V, coming in 2027!

2027 passes.

Shenmue III Collector's Edition finally ships in mid 2028.

Shenmue V, coming soon, no refunds for preorders!

The story goes on...
 
Because, to be truthful. If I "had" those means I'd already been doing it. So, I challenge him now to keep his word.
 
24Nathan said:
Shenmue V, coming in 2025!

2025 passes.

Shenmue V, coming in 2027!

2027 passes.

Shenmue III Collector's Edition finally ships in mid 2028.

Shenmue V, coming soon, no refunds for preorders!

The story goes on...
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so you think he is full of shit to eh? lol
 
Lord Tentei said:
that was me tweeting that to him. I would like him to own up to what he is saying and see if he isn't all "talk". Because honestly I don't believe a word he is saying. I doubt him infact.
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So basically if 110 industries isn't working on shenmue 4 then this guy will do it, right ? We'll see but anyway it's good news
 
Kenzo38130 said:
So basically if 110 industries isn't working on shenmue 4 then this guy will do it, right ? We'll see but anyway it's good news
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That's why I am waiting to see what 110 does. Because if not. Now, he has to put his money where his mouth is.
 
Jigen said:
Unless that guy is sitting on serious stacks he's full of shit lol. :LOL:
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oh I know. I'm gonna call him out on his shit too. Not sure if anyone here is gonna like me doing so. But, the way I see. I dislike people like him. He just screams pompous to me.
 
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