IGN Japan's Esra Krabbe - hands on impressions of Shenmue III

Peter

Peter

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Esra is attending E3 2019 for IGN Japan, and today, he had his hands on impression with Shenmue III! You can read the article at the link below, as well as check out some quotes from the article!

https://uk.ign.com/articles/2019/06...-a-video-game-than-its-predecessors-a-e3-2019

Just like Ryo asked for black cars, sailors, people that can read Chinese and what not in the old games, approaching NPCs to achieve your goal is still a key factor to Shenmue’s gameplay. All of those conversations are in voiced dialogue, and more often than not NPCs have something interesting or funny add to the story, rather than just pointing you in the right direction.
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In Shenmue III, Ryo can make international calls to his friends in Japan and Hong Kong. Since the most modern device Ryo carries is probably his walkman, he needs to make use of public phones to catch up with his friends. However, Suzuki tells me that to make a call, Ryo first needs to purchase an international telephone card. While allowing Ryo to directly make the phone call sounds much more convenient for the player, by adding an extra step Suzuki somehow makes the experience feel more genuine.
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I couldn’t defeat the dealer during my 15 minute playtime. I was able to reach the next Dan, but while sprinting down the mountain path from the dojo, Ryo became so fatigued he refused to keep running. While slowly descending the mountain path, I noticed there were medicinal herbs for Ryo to collect along the path. I didn’t notice these herbs before, but because the game forced me to walk I was now able to have a close look at the environment.
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You can also check out IGN Japan's gameplay footage in our spoiler forum HERE
 
Great read and preview. It paints a pretty positive picture accompanied with the footage we saw today, it’s starting to feel like Shenmue 3 is finally here!

I’ll be honest, I have my reservations on the eating system and it’s effects on your stamina. From preview it seems to be well incorporated but I hope in longer playthroughs it’s not intrusive as I imagine.

I know Suzuki had to make concessions with budget to get this out, so while not surprising it’s a touch disappointing knowing combat won’t be as deep as previous entries. I frankly think my biggest issue with the titles is increase level of ‘gaminess for lack of better term. This quote perfectly encapsulates what I mean;

Objects Ryo can interact with are now highlighted with small circles, a convenience that Shenmue purists will probably find unnecessary
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code l name said:
I frankly think my biggest issue with the titles is increase level of ‘gaminess for lack of better term. This quote perfectly encapsulates what I mean;
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You should also take into account that most of the interactables on the older Shenmues were indoors (and specially in selected places mostly), this game is set on a rural area with wider scope compared to the indoor old stuff. The example pointed out picking up medicinal herbs, while I understand, there's a trade off, pixel hunting on 3D games can be a pain in the ass.
 
Thanks for sharing. I tried googling the game this morning to find some of the articles from press that played the game but every result was about the EGS fiasco. Will give it a read now. Really happy with the gameplay footage so am expecting some positive responses from the press.
 
shredingskin said:
You should also take into account that most of the interactables on the older Shenmues were indoors (and specially in selected places mostly), this game is set on a rural area with wider scope compared to the indoor old stuff. The example pointed out picking up medicinal herbs, while I understand, there's a trade off, pixel hunting on 3D games can be a pain in the ass.
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While it’s not clear if author is referring to picking herbs as next sentence he talks about opening drawer, in an indoor environment I understand your point. Like I said I’m going to keep an open mind but it’s small things like this or stylized effects when blocking that put this sequel more on the ‘gamey’ side of the equation. Quibbles in grand scheme of things.One thing I really, really hope for is option to disable or minimize UI when exploring.

What did you guys make of this quote?

You block by holding the left trigger, and Ryo can make quick steps in 360 degrees by quickly tilting the analog stick. According to Suzuki, dodging an opponent’s attack and delivering a counter is an important strategy in Shenmue III’s battles.
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I've definitely seen people miss things in the original games, especially when zoomed in and having to "cycle" through objects using the D-pad, so making it more user-friendly makes sense. We have to expect some things to change, and anything that makes the game less frustrating I am all for, within reason of course.

I like the sound (and look) of the combat. I know he says it's not as deep but, let's be honest, it's a bit early to judge -- he's only played a handful of fights -- and he's probably a big VF fan and misses those directional inputs. I'm ready for something different.

You know some people are going to hate on the stamina system (I'm cringing at the thought of Jim Sterling playing this -- he bangs on about stamina bars like he invented the complaint) but I can see what they're going for and I'm more than willing to roll with it.
 
Peter said:
Esra is attending E3 2019 for IGN Japan, and today, he had his hands on impression with Shenmue III! You can read the article at the link below, as well as check out some quotes from the article!

https://uk.ign.com/articles/2019/06...-a-video-game-than-its-predecessors-a-e3-2019







You can also check out IGN Japan's gameplay footage in our spoiler forum HERE
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Sounds like a martial arts masterpiece...just imagine how much deeper the combat is beyond the 15-minutes this previewer was given...
 
This is fantastic!!!
It's so cool that with the stamina system it's forcing you to slow down, or take the time to stop and smell the roses.

Maybe it's a good thing we waited FOR S3. The stuff he is adding to it would have not been possible all those years ago.

Thanks for posting the article.
 
While we got a bunch of decent footage finally from Ign Japan,theres still a few things id like to see before the game releases. Some videos with the tomato mart,a battle or 2 with thugs,and some interaction videos with Ryo and Shenhua.
 
"Dolls are being displayed in the back of the store. They look like Russian Matryoshka, which is noteworthy considering Shenmue III’s late eighties rural China setting. Ryo is also surprised that “they have these in China.”

These are most likely Kokeshi dolls, and originate from Japan, THAT's why Ryo was surprised they have them.
 
This is fantastic.
 
Like in the previous entries, Ryo can freely explore these environments, open drawers and pick up random objects that have no importance to the main story.
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PICKING STUFF UP CONFIRMED ?

code l name said:
I frankly think my biggest issue with the titles is increase level of ‘gaminess for lack of better term. This quote perfectly encapsulates what I mean;
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Yeah, as stupid as it is, that kinda bugs me. There was serious joy in looking at something in 1st person in S1+2 only to find out you could actually interact with it somehow. Not a big deal really, I'll get over it, but still. This is probably a pro in the minds of 99.9% of potential consumers.
 
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There was increased gaminess from the first to second, as well. Always was going to get more gamey out of necessity the futher into remote and slow, low-key villages we visited. Maybe there will be an option to turn off the UI sound or animation or object highlighting? At least so if they're turned to on it takes an specific step to activate, so inherently you don't even have to use/see on-screen indicators without pressing an extra button? If not then no big deal, though. Not near enough to stop me from playing and loving the game.
 
bcdcdude said:
Here's a couple more impressions:

www.psu.com

Opinion: Shenmue 3 Looks Dated, And At E3 2019 That's A Good Thing - Here's Why - PlayStation Universe

Shenmue 3 got a new trailer at E3 2019, and it looks rough around the edges compared to most of what we saw. But that's made it so great.
www.psu.com

www.trustedreviews.com

Shenmue 3

Shenmue 3 would have been well received in 2003, but we’re 18 years on from the last entry and Shenmue hasn’t budged an inch.
www.trustedreviews.com www.trustedreviews.com
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Not sure the PSU one is a hands-on impression, and more based on the video released. Can't quite tell.

The Trusted Reviews one is pretty negative if begrudgingly respectful of what the game is attempting to do, but it does read like a classic case of a player who doesn't care about Shenmue or what it tries to achieve.
 
Highlighting interactable objects with a marker doesn't sit right with me and I hope we can turn that kind of thing off.
 
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