BOLD TOPIC - Should/Could Shenmue IV Be Made With Ryu Ga Gotoku's Dragon Engine?

[Vivi-gamer]

Hi,

I'm entering dangerous territory with this question but I think it's at least an interesting one to discuss. We've brought Shenmue III back from the dead, so it's only natural to consider what is next right? The continuation of the Shenmue Saga is in the best position it has been for 18 years! So, I can't help but wonder about the next step forward.

Which brings in the title question why shouldn't Shenmue IV Being Made With Ryu Ga Gotoku's Dragon Engine?

There are a LOT of variables to this of course, but considering a lot of the fan base as dabbled within both Shenmue & Yakuza, I can't help but think this is a win-win situation! Previously, Shenmue has been a dead property for years and I could see why RGG wouldn't consider it but now Shenmue is alive again and hopefully bound to make an impact, maybe Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's could be an option to proceed with the next game?

TBC....

 

[GoofyMaster]

This wouldn't really make sense, they already created a whole new game from scratch in UE4 - going to another engine wouldn't be wise from cost and time standpoint.
Plus, Dragon Engine is not really good, it's the same old engine back from PS3 days but with new lighting and particle system - the naming is just a marketing term.
Another problem is that RGG creates those games by photo scanning everything including voice actors, unlike in Shenmue where characters are created from scratch to fit specific art style.
Also you forgot how RGG studio reuses insane amount of content, for over a decade they made the same game in the same city so it's rather logical that over the span of 13+ games in the same city it looks rather good over time.
I wouldn't want them to touch the series as we already saw how they create spin offs like Hokuto e.g. just reuse everything from older Yakuza title.
At the end of the day it does not matter what engine they use, they could have used Unity or Dragon Engine and it would still look the same - What matters is the skill and knowledge of the developer and it is proved time and time again.

Better topic would be if Ys Net would like to go back and collaborate with SEGA once again with the help of their studios and to include some licenses so we could get more arcade games, capsule toys and what not.

 

[Vivi-gamer]

All very valid points :) I see how RGG Re-uses a lot of their assets is key and to be honest, I think they're now beginning to branch out from Yakuza. Judgment, using a lot of the assets from Yakuza and has a similar combat system but the mission structure is very different. Though if I am being honest, I feel due to the same setting in Kamurocho it does still feel samey and I feel a lot of the inspiration for this topic beyond seeing it mentioned a few times here is that want to see RGG branch out further - if that is a game which takes longer to develop, that is fine. I just feel with the return of Shenmue, that it could offer RGG a new route to expand their mechanics & get them out of Kamurocho While not going completely left field, like starting a racing or horror game etc. It would be sort of familiar territory and It could bring Shenmue & Yakuza fans together for added Market appeal.

I just think if Ys Net was re-introduced back to a partnership with SEGA again I's hope it would extend beyond just mini-game licensing. It might not be fully impossible either SEGA did show some form of support by getting the HP port made, even if it wasn't made in-house. I'd hope the aim for a Shenmue IV would be to bring back Shenmue back to an AAA tier title and with the help of RGG that might be possible. They might have to take a different approach to the character design with without scanning in real life actors, but considering, Fist of the North Star, Dead Souls and other such designs in Yakuza, I can't see that being impossible.

Like I said, it's not something I see happening, but I still think talking about the potential and what it could have to offer both Shenmue as a Series & RGG as a developer is an interesting fantasy at the very least - Just Edited the topic name to reflect the theory of the question, rather than noting it as an announcement

 

[Tosh]

i honestly think that Sega will never come on board again as a official Shenmue publisher.
they werent interested in making Shenmue 3, they were okay with giving away the name
as long as they dont have to pay for anything.
so pretty much "hey Suzuki we have no plans for any Shenmue stuff, so if you want to make a game with that name, do it.
but we cant give you any money. good luck."

now with Shenmue 3 they are seeing all of these Reddit, Youtube, whatever discussions about
bad graphics, weird characters, voice acting and Yakuza comparisons
and it wouldnt surprise me at all if Sega just says "nah, we have no interest in entering this whole business."

Sega doesnt lose anything if they just say no.
its a bit like Valve and Half Life 3, they waited so long that the risk for a disappointment is too high.

 

[Vivi-gamer]

@Tosh fair point, but SEGA have started to put Shenmue related merch on their SEGA Store:

Official Shenmue Snapback

Official Shenmue snapback.Official SEGA ProductMade from 100% polyesterOne size fits most

www.segashop.co.uk

So, if Shenmue III makes a big enough impact maybe they could take further interest... once again grasping at a slim possibility I know

 

[RyoHazuki84]

As much as I love the Dragon Engine from Yakuza 6, Kiwami 2 and Judgment, it’s not a good representation of what Suzuki wanted to conceive as FREE. Dragon still doesn’t allow you to look at every object, or interact with every NPC just like in the original Shenmue, which is what largely contributed to defining it. The combat system is easy to pick up in Yakuza, but because the original Shenmue’s charm was how it takes from Virtua Fighter, the combat of Yakuza would feel unnatural even if you made it as martial arts oriented as possible. What Dragon Engine does for Yazkua works respectively for its games and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s wrong for Shenmue for a variety of reasons.