General Impressions

Shenmue AM2 Podcast said:
We finally reviewed Shenmue 3! Check it out:

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Just listened to this. I think this is only second episode I’ve listened to of yours so some stray observations;

- I don’t get how you could wait 18 years, obviously contribute to the KS and then not engage in nightly conversations with Shenhua. I don’t recall which of you said this, but I assume you just went to bed, but it the nightly conversations with Shenhua in Bailu section was one of the games highlights and harkens back to Disk 4 of Shenmue 2.

- That recorded dialogue with street vendor is gold. I hope @BlueMue does rare conversation with NPC video for Shenmue 3 and includes wacky dialogue about Golden Goose.
 
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code l name said:
Just listened to this. I think this is only second episode I’ve listened to of yours so some stray observations;

- I don’t get how you could wait 18 years, obviously contribute to the KS and then not engage in nightly conversations with Shenhua. I don’t recall which of you said this, but I assume you just went to bed, but it the nightly conversations with Shenhua in Bailu section was one of the games highlights and harkens back to Disk 4 of Shenmue 2.

- That recorded dialogue with street vendor is gold. I hope @BlueMue does rare conversation with NPC video for Shenmue 3 and includes wacky dialogue about Golden Goose.
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''Harkens back to disc 4 of Shenmue 2'' -Its worth remembering that the ending of 2 is a love or hate thing. Many people felt 2 should of ended where it was originally intended, on the rooftop. Also many people that liked the ending, didnt like most of disc 4.
Him waiting 18 years for something has no relevance. People can wait 18 years having not liked parts of the first 2.
 
RunningWolf said:
I had to force by way through Shenmue 3 . I couldn't stand the fact that I had to eat food and that I was forced to train so often. I hated the fact that your health went down if you ran in the game world. . Why didn't they just make the game like the first 2? It's almost like they was trying to annoy us. The first 2 had fun gameplay and awesome storytelling but this one didn't. Am I the only one upset and annoyed with this game? I just don't understand what was going through their heads when they thought of this stuff. For an example the village at the beginning of the game had a ridiculous amount of mini games. Why would there be mini games and arcades in the mountains of China! ? It's not realistic at all and it makes no sense. This felt rushed and it wasn't thought out at all. It breaks my heart to say this but I'm not looking forward to shenmue 4 and I doubt people are going to donate to get it made.

All I wanted was a game like the first 2. It could of had dreamcast graphics for all I cared. I just wanted a good game but I got something annoying instead . Just my opinion....
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Exactly how i feel
 
SparkThaMetal said:
''Harkens back to disc 4 of Shenmue 2'' -Its worth remembering that the ending of 2 is a love or hate thing. Many people felt 2 should of ended where it was originally intended, on the rooftop. Also many people that liked the ending, didnt like most of disc 4.
Him waiting 18 years for something has no relevance. People can wait 18 years having not liked parts of the first 2.
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Perhaps that was feeling right after release but I am sure if you ask the majority of fans now and in the proceeding years, the consensus was that Disk 4 is widely beloved. And the swerve in tone and pace is why Shenmue 3 was so anticipated in conjunction with cliff hanger ending.

The fact they didn’t engage in nightly conversations with such a pivotal character like Shenhua just strikes me as odd. Not that I am saying it would have changed their overall attitude of the game but it just feels surprising.
 
Disc 4 was a masterstroke, there's no way in hell Shenmue would have had such a following if it ended in the rooftop fight. It's basically a preview of the third game carefully engineered to hype it up to the maximum degree.

The way Shen 3 ended was so limpdicked I still wonder where did Shenmue 2's Yu Suzuki, the man that conceived everything including making Disc 4 happen, went? It's not hard to picture a 5 to 10 minute section where you auto-walk through the wall of China, or perhaps enjoy the scenery in the ferry/boat ride, talking to Shenhua about significant plot hints for the fourth game, is it...
 
IDK man but Disc 4 was really boring. The entirety of Shenmue 3 is much better than that section.(They could just replace it with some in game cutscenes and it would remain the same.)

Also, it doesn't help that dialogue tree in that section just restricts players from hearing all the dialogues they made for that part.

It also had a QTE mini game which wasn't anything special.(Jumping on rocks to pass a river)
Shenmue said:
The way Shen 3 ended was so limpdicked I still wonder where did Shenmue 2's Yu Suzuki, the man that conceived everything including making Disc 4 happen, went? It's not hard to picture a 5 to 10 minute section where you auto-walk through the wall of China, or perhaps enjoy the scenery in the ferry/boat ride, talking to Shenhua about significant plot hints for the fourth game, is it...
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The point of making sequels is to try new things rather than just repeat making the same stuff to make fans feel nostalgic.
 
Dg1995 said:
IDK man but Disc 4 was really boring. The entirety of Shenmue 3 is much better than that section.(They could just replace it with some in game cutscenes and it would remain the same.)

Also, it doesn't help that dialogue tree in that section just restricts players from hearing all the dialogues they made for that part.

It also had a QTE mini game which wasn't anything special.(Jumping on rocks to pass a river)

The point of making sequels is to try new things rather than just repeat making the same stuff to make fans feel nostalgic.
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Disc 4 is just one of the best thing in term of narration and gameplay integration the gaming industry ever pulled.
But hey, I guess a slower pace isn't everyone's cup of tea.
 
Dg1995 said:
IDK man but Disc 4 was really boring. The entirety of Shenmue 3 is much better than that section.(They could just replace it with some in game cutscenes and it would remain the same.)

Also, it doesn't help that dialogue tree in that section just restricts players from hearing all the dialogues they made for that part.

It also had a QTE mini game which wasn't anything special.(Jumping on rocks to pass a river)

The point of making sequels is to try new things rather than just repeat making the same stuff to make fans feel nostalgic.
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I'll be honest when I say that originally I hated disc 4 of Shenmue II. Back when I first beat Shenmue II (aged 14) the ending was decent but the stuff in-between didn't really resonate, it meant nothing. I always had the end of Disc 3 as the true ending and 4 was an add-on (more on that in a bit).

I came back to it in my late teens/early 20's and played it again and that's when I finally got it. The change of pace, the surroundings, the music, the conversations (most of which you can hear though you might have to skip some lines). The idea was to begin to build a relationship with Shenhua which would lead into Shenmue III, which it did but not on the level most expected (if I'm being fair). So in terms or narrative while it doesn't kick the story on until the end it serves a purpose of allowing us to get to know a key character and immerse in that detail. Much like Hong Kong felt strange at first the idea was it engrossed the player. Again this is all personal thoughts and it changes from one person to the next of course.

I'll try and edit this later if I can find anything but I'm also sure Yu Suzuki basically tagged on Guilin to Shenmue II because he knew the DC was on it's last legs and that it wasn't supposed to be the original ending. It's mentioned again in the topic here.

EDIT: A couple of interviews that shed some light on the above! Thanks @Switch

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/...Jk8-orzbQCWS5F3zYYq2pS5_tZkkIRpOeftFo3j-P1XGo (towards the latter half)

https://www.shenmuedojo.net/forum/v...dpn_vvaStstS0IKBFA3UjAjtZ00PGWdNh1pvd_EDY-Szs (
 
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Dg1995 said:
IDK man but Disc 4 was really boring. The entirety of Shenmue 3 is much better than that section.(They could just replace it with some in game cutscenes and it would remain the same.)

Also, it doesn't help that dialogue tree in that section just restricts players from hearing all the dialogues they made for that part.

It also had a QTE mini game which wasn't anything special.(Jumping on rocks to pass a river)

The point of making sequels is to try new things rather than just repeat making the same stuff to make fans feel nostalgic.
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You’re right, man. Shenmue 1 and 2 have terrible combat, Shenmue 2 Disc 4 sucks, and Shenmue 3 is the greatest game of all time. Nailed it. You’re the guy to steer us all into the light. Now, can we move on to something grounded in reality?
 
I always thought that disc 4 was not originally intended to be in Shenmue 2 but was (at the time of development) planned to be the beginning of Shenmue 3. (Also because the ending of disc 3 was so climactic.)

The game could have ended after Dou Niu fight.

This explains why there are different or "new" qte Sounds in the woods. The whole qte section was meant to be some kind of tutorial for qtes, that's why they were also very easy.

And the slow pace would be because of getting to know Shenhua and acommodate with Shenmue 3 gameplay on dreamcast, like some kind of intro for Shenmue 3.
 
Dg1995 said:
IDK man but Disc 4 was really boring. The entirety of Shenmue 3 is much better than that section. (They could just replace it with some in-game cutscenes and it would remain the same.)

Also, it doesn't help that dialogue tree in that section just restricts players from hearing all the dialogues they made for that part.

It also had a QTE mini-game which wasn't anything special. (Jumping on rocks to pass a river)

The point of making sequels is to try new things rather than just repeat making the same stuff to make fans feel nostalgic.
Click to expand...

I don't know about you, but the Guilin section in Shenmue II is an absolute masterpiece in my eyes. It develops Shenhua, establishes Guilin, and creates a healing atmosphere after the intense action-packed Yellow Heads building. For me, it was a time of contemplation, surrounded by the rich spirituality found in nature. Then to cap it all off, a truly mystical and mysterious ending that mesmerized fans for over fifteen years. The introduction to Guilin is Shenmue at it's finest.

 
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Dg1995 said:
IDK man but Disc 4 was really boring. The entirety of Shenmue 3 is much better than that section.(They could just replace it with some in game cutscenes and it would remain the same.)

Also, it doesn't help that dialogue tree in that section just restricts players from hearing all the dialogues they made for that part.

It also had a QTE mini game which wasn't anything special.(Jumping on rocks to pass a river)

The point of making sequels is to try new things rather than just repeat making the same stuff to make fans feel nostalgic.
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I have exhausted EVERY line of dialogue, in all 12 of my playthroughs.

I'm a fast-reader.
 
Tsukuyomimagi99 said:
I don't know about you, but the Guilin section in Shenmue II is an absolute masterpiece in my eyes. It develops Shenhua, establishes Guilin, and creates a healing atmosphere after the intense action-packed Yellow Heads building. For me, it was a time of contemplation, surrounded by the rich spirituality found in nature. Then to cap it all off, a truly mystical and mysterious ending that mesmerized fans for over fifteen years. The introduction to Guilin is Shenmue at it's finest.

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No, it is absolutely a masterpiece. Even as of today, the cutscene direction is top notch.
I never seen any other game that manage to mix both narration and gameplay interaction the way CD4 does. The conversations, the Shenhua song moment with the QTE. The soundtrack, the dialogues. It's a 12/10 after Yellow Head Building's 10/10.
 
code l name said:
Perhaps that was feeling right after release but I am sure if you ask the majority of fans now and in the proceeding years, the consensus was that Disk 4 is widely beloved. And the swerve in tone and pace is why Shenmue 3 was so anticipated in conjunction with cliff hanger ending.

The fact they didn’t engage in nightly conversations with such a pivotal character like Shenhua just strikes me as odd. Not that I am saying it would have changed their overall attitude of the game but it just feels surprising.
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No, complete lies and just you making things up. There is no consensus, disc 4 is and always will split the fanbase. You need to look at opinions outside of this websites bubble.
 
GhostTrick said:
No, it is absolutely a masterpiece. Even as of today, the cutscene direction is top notch.
I never seen any other game that manage to mix both narration and gameplay interaction the way CD4 does. The conversations, the Shenhua song moment with the QTE. The soundtrack, the dialogues. It's a 12/10 after Yellow Head Building's 10/10.
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Disagree entirely, its obviously the start of 3 and therefore doesnt fit as an ending gameplay wise.
There is basically no gameplay. Its literally running and talking for almost the whole disc
 
Dg1995 said:
IDK man but Disc 4 was really boring. The entirety of Shenmue 3 is much better than that section.(They could just replace it with some in game cutscenes and it would remain the same.)

Also, it doesn't help that dialogue tree in that section just restricts players from hearing all the dialogues they made for that part.

It also had a QTE mini game which wasn't anything special.(Jumping on rocks to pass a river)

The point of making sequels is to try new things rather than just repeat making the same stuff to make fans feel nostalgic.
Click to expand...

Exactly. I agree. I am shocked by people here claiming that disc 4 is loved unilaterally
 
mjqjazzbar said:
You’re right, man. Shenmue 1 and 2 have terrible combat, Shenmue 2 Disc 4 sucks, and Shenmue 3 is the greatest game of all time. Nailed it. You’re the guy to steer us all into the light. Now, can we move on to something grounded in reality?
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What a childish response. Typical of this community. Cant take any criticism at all.
 
SparkThaMetal said:
What a childish response. Typical of this community. Cant take any criticism at all.
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I’ve criticized plenty of things about Shenmue, especially Shenmue 3. Tilt at a different windmill, bud. The person I was responding to keeps posting completely hyperbolic stuff about the first two games in some sort of attempt to defend Shenmue 3. I have a hard time believing they’re genuine.

And you’re shocked people on the Shenmue Dojo love the last disc of Shenmue II? The part of the game that was praised to the heavens by nearly everyone when the game came out? Really! That’s shocking? What community do you hang out on where opinions are split? I’m sure there are folks who think some of the highest rated games of 2019/2020 are terrible too; doesn’t mean “opinions are split” or that people with a majority opinion are “immature fanboys.” You don’t think calling the combat in the first two games “terrible” is slightly hyperbolic or might be met with some resistance?
 
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