I am willing to follow whatever Yu-san wants to put in his games since I love his vision for the series. However, there are four core components that need to be in the game for me to call the game "Shenmue" and those are:
- Story/Characters- I can safely say this is an element a lot of fans love about the Shenmue series (myself included). The overall storyline is engaging and the characters are memorable. For example in Shenmue III, I really enjoy talking with Shenhua. The conversations flesh her character out more and make her more relatable. Things like hating carrots or making goofy faces are things I will remember about her.
- Details- While some may see this concept as 'outdated' I really like it. The abundant amount of detail on display in every inch of the games tells you a lot about the world and its characters. There is a reason I still have not beaten Shenmue III yet, and that's because I enjoy looking in every nook and cranny.
- Ambiance or Spirituality- This in my opinion is what separates Shenmue from other franchises. The lush environment, the subtle magic in the air, the emphasis on philosophical concepts found in Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, etc. Not to forget the wonderful music that enhances this feeling.
- Martial Arts- This is just a given. However, given how other games simply add it in as an element, Shenmue expands on it. I have never come across a gaming series that showed this amount of love and detail to the martial arts.
As for Shenmue III itself, there are things that Yu has added that I think could be expanded upon. I also think there are things I would be fine without. The training system is a great idea because it gives players an actual incentive to actually practice. Add more training regimens, more battles (like The Rose Garden and challenging temples), and flesh out the combat system even more.
I like the idea of collecting herbs and selling them off for money/move scrolls. If I were Yu, I would expand this to make medicine for healing your HP. Or to get a part-time job as an herbalist and learn how to make medicine for yourself and the shop.
Also, I like the stamina system. It gives the game some more realism. I would expand this to include eating at restaurants and cooking your own meals by either buying or finding ingredients.
And finally, the changing clothes option is a fun idea. Ideally, I hope Yu-san gives Ryo some more stylish clothes. Also some more traditional martial arts and ceremonial clothing.
Everything else in the game I am fine with disappearing if they are not going to be fleshed out more (like fishing). I can only speak for myself, but I prefer the more serious elements of Shenmue in comparison to its lighthearted elements. As long as Shenmue IV has the four core components I mentioned earlier, that will be enough 'fanservice' for me.