General Impressions

Shenmue 3 did not have that problem. It has the iconic music and everything that made the series great.
Well, Shenmue 3 omits some important iconic music, like the main menu one, Earth and Sea, or the Lucky Hit theme. And misplaces some previously iconic music (like the Fangmei theme or The Place Where Sun Sets) for banal things.

But I agree with you I also feel there's quite a lot of criticism to the game that is misguided. If it had had enough story content, and if that story had been more coherent with the story set up in the previous game, 90% of people would have been satisfied and would have overlooked so many minor things that they now focus about.
 
Well same parts of the music were missing that is true but it is still much better than RE 2 Remake. Where the whole music was either killed or replaced with much worse stuff than we have seen in the original.

It is about expectations. When people expect a big leap in story telling then I can fully understand why some people were not happy. I just expected the next new chapter in Ryo's Story and I was not disappointed.

Yu also said part 3 would not be the end.

But in the end that's a old vs new fan problem partially. to me Shenmue 3 never had this mystical status. I only had to wait 2 years for it and my memories of 1 and 2 were also fresh. No nostalgia from my part and no overblown memories. That's why i am more lenient.

Let's just hope that the if there is part 4 if will improve so that all old fans are going to happy.
 
Well, Shenmue 3 omits some important iconic music, like the main menu one, Earth and Sea, or the Lucky Hit theme. And misplaces some previously iconic music (like the Fangmei theme or The Place Where Sun Sets) for banal things.

But I agree with you I also feel there's quite a lot of criticism to the game that is misguided. If it had had enough story content, and if that story had been more coherent with the story set up in the previous game, 90% of people would have been satisfied and would have overlooked so many minor things that they now focus about.
I wouldn't say 'Sun Sets' was used for a banal purpose - I'm pretty sure it wasn't actually used in S1 or S2, was it? It was just on the Passport disc and the OST CD. I think it fits Shenhua's house/Hotel Niaowu perfectly, and may have been the original intent to use it there all along.
 
I wouldn't say 'Sun Sets' was used for a banal purpose - I'm pretty sure it wasn't actually used in S1 or S2, was it? It was just on the Passport disc and the OST CD. I think it fits Shenhua's house/Hotel Niaowu perfectly, and may have been the original intent to use it there all along.
I agree that song fits perfectly for Shenhua's house. And also that it was probably intended to be there from the beginning.

I was thinking of Hotel Niaowu when I wrote its purpose was banal. I don't think it fits there at all, and somewhat devalues the previous moment. It felt like if the Ryo's house theme would have been used for Come Over Guest House too. Or Xiuying Apartment would have been reused in Ren's hideout later on.
 
I agree that song fits perfectly for Shenhua's house. And also that it was probably intended to be there from the beginning.

I was thinking of Hotel Niaowu when I wrote its purpose was banal. I don't think it fits there at all, and somewhat devalues the previous moment. It felt like if the Ryo's house theme would have been used for Come Over Guest House too. Or Xiuying Apartment would have been reused in Ren's hideout later on.
Yeah, I get what you mean - I guess it's just used as the general 'where Ryo is currently staying' theme in this game.

One track that is criminally underused is 'Spoken Words' (which I believe is 'new' for S3), that plays outside Shenhua's house at night - it's a beautiful track and you kind of have to delibrately hang around outside there at night to hear enough of it (I think I only stumbled upon it due to desperately searching for the herbs I was missing for the achievement!)
 
One track that is criminally underused is 'Spoken Words' (which I believe is 'new' for S3), that plays outside Shenhua's house at night - it's a beautiful track and you kind of have to delibrately hang around outside there at night to hear enough of it (I think I only stumbled upon it due to desperately searching for the herbs I was missing for the achievement!)
Many, MANY nights I would stop, dead in my tracks, right outside the door to Shenhua's house just listening to that song play in the background. Probably to the bewilderment of Shenhua--. Frankly, though, if she wasn't worried about Ryo before, I don't think my making him stand outside for a few hours would have really changed that.
 
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Yeah, I get what you mean - I guess it's just used as the general 'where Ryo is currently staying' theme in this game.

One track that is criminally underused is 'Spoken Words' (which I believe is 'new' for S3), that plays outside Shenhua's house at night - it's a beautiful track and you kind of have to delibrately hang around outside there at night to hear enough of it (I think I only stumbled upon it due to desperately searching for the herbs I was missing for the achievement!)
I like it's subdued nature; it sounds truly like a, "background track," and not a song to be featured alongside other sound bits.
Many, MANY nights I would stop, dead in my tracks, right outside the door to Shenhua's house just listening to that song play in the background. Probably to the bewilderment of Shenhua--. Frankly, though, if she wasn't worried about him before, I don't think my making him stand outside for a few hours would have really changed that.
Is there an upload of this on youtube or something? You guys made me curious. I couldn't find anything with "shenmue 3 spoken words", probably because it's not labeled or something.
 
Is there an upload of this on youtube or something? You guys made me curious. I couldn't find anything with "shenmue 3 spoken words", probably because it's not labeled or something.
I went to youtube and searched it and it was the first result, bruh
Anyway enjoy lmao
 
Great track!

Again, (at least on my copy), the tune is rather subdued and lower-level volume than the other tracks, which fits the mood of looking for herbs or just enjoying the area PERFECTLY.
 
Welcome, I really enjoyed your post. I would say that I also missed the throws, but I grew to like the combat. Did you know about the slow mo dodge? I also liked how the Rose Garden had rings outs as a bit of a throwback to Virtua Fighter. The combat tutorial is awful and I really feel like if the game took it's time and explained all the mechanics to new players it wouldn't be viewed as poor as it is.


Actually that's what kept me playing. They messed up so much with some of the useless running around, horrible lack of quality control translating. Rush jobs on so many characters. It's the fighting system that is unique in all 3 Shenmues for an adventure game. They really needed to concentrate on it, in all 3, bring it to the front, free battles way more often. Instead they make you go all over yet again, and talk to badly designed (though still funds consuming) NPCs for hours. It was novel in 2000, though then too it turned so many off. I play tons of RPGs, sure you always talk to NPCs, but the main point is battle, or puzzles. Some quests in S3 were fun even. The master in Bailu was perfect. It's clear he was in Suzuki's mind all those years to implement, great. Lots of other things they could have done, or not done. I've read since then that someone had to come in to help finish S1, and 2. Suzuki couldn't stop with the ideas, he had many millions then. Same might have happened here. He really is a genius, but knowing himself he needed a co director. And they needed regular gamers to see samples of what they were trying, to get some market research.

All that said, I loved the fact S3 came out. I want S4, checking everywhere for a year. But he better mean what he was saying about modernizing it. I want Shenmue to be a success.
 
to the critics that took Shenmue too serious: S3 never could pass your expectations because the imagination is always stronger than the reality.

I am a old/new fan. Knew about Shenmue back than thanks to magazine articles and wanted to play it but then my dumb younger self fell for the Sony hype for the Hype Station 2 pardon I mean PS2 and then the Dreamcast together with Shenmue fell into the abyss of oblivion.

Did not discovered Shenmue again until 2018 and since then I am big fan. Maybe due to the fact that had to wait for Shenmue 3 only 2 years my requirements for the game are way much less stricter than the old fans. The old fans had to wait for decade so they could create a 3 in their minds and of course nostalgic memories cannot beat the reality.

I seriously cannot understand the criticism 3 does not feel or play like Shenmue. To me it feels and plays exactly like Shenmue. Which is great considering the long gap between the releases


It is not the best Shenmue but it is a solid entry into the Series put into the same category as part 1. Part 2 is the best game so far.


ps: Although I will never understand the feelings and the critisism I am fully aware of the fact feeling and memories plays an important part how to view an game.

I will never feel that nostalgia which Shenmue but I know how it feels. I am big Resident Evil Fan the original Re 2 is my favorite.

Although the remake get as close a modern game can get to the emulate the feeling of the original Re 2 the RE 2 remake still did not nail it completely.

They omit many famous music pieces that are essential for the experience. At least to me.

Just look at the fan made addition of one of the famous themes. It would have made the game way better





Shenmue 3 did not have that problem. It has the iconic music and everything that made the series great.

But I can just speak for myself. Maybe the original games had some small details that 3 could not emulate and that' s why some old fans here did not like it.


I do not want to enforce my opinion on them. I can just say that I like S3 as a newcomer fan.
I'll try to explain, S1, and 2 were the best looking games in their generation, they also had this unique combat system that was so flushed out, and in an RPG, most would be a standalone fighter only. He took his arcade games, and used their engine and assets. It was perfect. But PS2 had many many more great games for it. FFX for one is also one of my favorite RPGs. Then we come to S3... So many years in development, so much money from many sources. It's just a shame, certain bits are done very well. Overall he needed to do many things differently. I want S4 out, I like S3 for what it is, but its very flawed.
 
I can understand where you come from. But the environment was completely different when Shenmue 1 and 2 was made compared to the environment of S3. 1 and 2 had Sega behind them and their money. Shenmue 3 didn't have the same assets as 1 and 2 had.

So it is not fair to compare 3 with a 1/2. For the limited budget they had with 3 they did an awesome job. it was unrealistic to expect from 3 to have a similar scope than 1 and 2. To archive that feed Ys net would had to make a own custom engine with own features. This engine must be tailored around the game and not the either way round. Where the game was built with the limitation of the Engine in mind.

Shenmue 3 was more a less a Indy game that tried to emulate Big AAA titles. And they did quite well. It was not perfect but good enough. At least for me.
 
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Just finished Shenmue III some hours ago. Was extremely satisfied. Thought it a perfect continuation of the old games.
... I just expected the next new chapter in Ryo's Story and I was not disappointed.
This poison for me, too. Give me more of the same, I'd gladly drink it again and again indefinitely. The plots in these games were never all that much. It was mcguffins and banal cliches. It was always the atmosphere that made the games special.

I wish they'd make many more Shenmues with no intention of ever bringing the saga to an end!
 
Just finished Shenmue III some hours ago. Was extremely satisfied. Thought it a perfect continuation of the old games.

This poison for me, too. Give me more of the same, I'd gladly drink it again and again indefinitely. The plots in these games were never all that much. It was mcguffins and banal cliches. It was always the atmosphere that made the games special.

I wish they'd make many more Shenmues with no intention of ever bringing the saga to an end!
On a side note, welcome to the forums!
 
The plots in these games were never all that much.
I didn't really hang around here before shenmue 3 released, but up until that point I'd never seen a Shenmue fan say the story in the first 2 games wasn't anything special. It seems to be a pretty common opinion now around here.

I'm surprised someone who holds this opinion would seek out a shenmue forum or that Shenmue fans would hang around for 20 years if this is what they thought.

Shenmue blew my mind in 2000. Shenmue 2 blew my mind on XBOX. The two games still impress me to this day with the re-releases. I find the stories in both of them fascinating, well written, and a ton of fun from start to finish.
 
I'm surprised someone who holds this opinion would seek out a shenmue forum or that Shenmue fans would hang around for 20 years if this is what they thought.
Not only that, but why hold out for a sequel to Shenmue at all? Suzuki could have saved himself quite the headache by simply releasing Mueshen Forklift Driver, a "spiritual sequel" a la Yooka Laylee, Mighty No 9, or Bloodstained.
 
Shenmue blew my mind in 2000.
Same, definitely. Shenmue has been my second favorite game ever since. It just wasn't the plot that did it. It was how the whole thing was crafted into a very captivating, moody game. Great art direction, excellent music, meticulous attention to details, the pacing of tense and relaxed gameplay... The story definitely was always in service of all this, not the other way around. The game itself is an ingenious package.

The two games still impress me to this day with the re-releases. I find the stories in both of them fascinating, well written, and a ton of fun from start to finish.
Would you also call the dialogue well written? I think it's on par with the story. Indeed, it is the story.

Impressive and ton of fun to this day, definitely.


On a side note, welcome to the forums!
Thank you very much.
 
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