Random Shenmue III Thoughts

So, this might be an unpopular opinion, even though I've not finished Shenmue 3 yet I feel very much like (spoilers for story up to Red Snakes stuff)
this was always intended to be a chapter where Ryo powers up. I'm at the point where I'm about to learn another of Akira's signature moves, and as a VF fan this seems like an enormous plot point especially back when it was still VF the RPG - granted some of its not implemented quite as great as I'd liked - mainly on the whole "need more Kung Fu" when I'm maxed out, and winning my first two fights against Mr Muscles clearly but that's more of an execution thing. I do wish more plot had been placed on the Dragon/Phoenix Mirrors like we started getting late in Bailu, but I still love what is here

Also, I love it when the game focuses on Kung Fu/fighting talk. Heading around the training areas, the arena fights, the whole thing with the Kung Fu shops and stances etc. I've loved these bits and Shenmue is the only game that gives me this sort of stuff. Can't wait to play more!
 
shadowman16 said:
So, this might be an unpopular opinion, even though I've not finished Shenmue 3 yet I feel very much like (spoilers for story up to Red Snakes stuff)
this was always intended to be a chapter where Ryo powers up. I'm at the point where I'm about to learn another of Akira's signature moves, and as a VF fan this seems like an enormous plot point especially back when it was still VF the RPG - granted some of its not implemented quite as great as I'd liked - mainly on the whole "need more Kung Fu" when I'm maxed out, and winning my first two fights against Mr Muscles clearly but that's more of an execution thing. I do wish more plot had been placed on the Dragon/Phoenix Mirrors like we started getting late in Bailu, but I still love what is here

Also, I love it when the game focuses on Kung Fu/fighting talk. Heading around the training areas, the arena fights, the whole thing with the Kung Fu shops and stances etc. I've loved these bits and Shenmue is the only game that gives me this sort of stuff. Can't wait to play more!
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I think a lot of people dont appreciate this or overlook it. Might be that they dont have any outside knowledge or appreciation or interest in MA, just the story plot mostly. But thats okay I guess. Kinda why I made two MA topics to get more people talking about the MA aspects of this game that I think many overlook simply because they're not that well versed in them to take notice or care. After all, these are some eclectic styles. Some schools dont even teach them because of the rarity of finding qualified teachers to do so. Xin Yi Liu He Quan, a variation of Xin Yi Quan was developed by Muslims of all people. Initially I never knew that. Thats pretty interesting all to itself. They were often hired as bodyguards because of how brutal their style was which they needed it to be to avoid religious persecution as well as being the best bodyguards/ security personnel for securing valuable items that needed to be transported from one place to another via horse and buggy.
Plus the game itself doesnt really get that deep into it. But it'd be cool if the next game does.
 
Reposting from the review thread cause its kind of not a review and people are interested in this wonderful guy's views

Huber shared his thoughts on shenmue 3 on the newest frame trap, I am not going to post the link however as its exclusive to patrons right now before going public in a few days and I dont want to be shitty about that, but anyone that is a patron to Easy Allies its up there now. He talks for about 20 min it looks so imma bout to go grind while hearing his thoughts.

Edit: so from what I gather that we will likely be seeing in the review
He is definitely going to be criticizing the combat alot, he basically describes it as, not broken but its just not good. It shows glimpses of quality but its often times just so few and far between that he does think the system does detract from the overall game but not by much, as he goes on to praise how the game's greatest strength is that everything feels impactful from the training to earning money, it feels like you are always building towards something.

Overall talks about how much he loves the small optional character stuff and how you get into the routine, but also mentioned that putting his reviewer hat on the game has some problems that its very easy to tear the game down, and it kind of implies that he might be going into the game a bit harsher than youd expect when he puts out his review so it will be interesting to see how he ranks it, impersonally expecting a 7 to a 7.5 judging from what I hear
 
jsh020 said:
Yeah I dont exactly play shenmue for the plot, but man even by Shenmue standards 3 is pretty bare plot-wise.
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Were made known of this though since 2010. Yu said 3 would focus more on Ryo and Shenhua's relationship; 80% of the dialogue being focused towards that while 20% would be focused towards the main plot, whereas these percentages were reversed for the previous two games.
 
jsh020 said:
He is definitely going to be criticizing the combat alot, he basically describes it as, not broken but its just not good. It shows glimpses of quality but its often times just so few and far between that he does think the system does detract from the overall game but not by much, as he goes on to praise how the game's greatest strength is that everything feels impactful from the training to earning money, it feels like you are always building towards something.

Overall talks about how much he loves the small optional character stuff and how you get into the routine, but also mentioned that putting his reviewer hat on the game has some problems that its very easy to tear the game down, and it kind of implies that he might be going into the game a bit harsher than youd expect when he puts out his review so it will be interesting to see how he ranks it, impersonally expecting a 7 to a 7.5 judging from what I hear
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hmm that makes sense.

When I played the original games, I wasnt very good at the combo system so I either button mashed or only memorized like 2 or three key moves I liked. This kinda alleviates that.

However

The limited budget def got in the way.

This is why throws weren't put in. Because to do those right woulda required mocap and they did the combat animations by hand. The hit detection animation is also not as detailed though I give points for the blocking animation; like when someone does a low strike, you low parry block which is cool. Even most fighting games just continue to do that stupid form of static blocking where you're either crunching up your arms to block while standing, or you crouch down to block. Real stupid. NO ONE BLOCKS LIKE THAT IN REAL LIFE. Yet fighting games continue to lazily animate it like that lol
So good on them to not follow suite with that in this game. But yeah there were obvious shortcomings in other areas.
 
Y'all complaining about the story, I'm quite amazed about how much the game SETS UP the story for IV. A LOT of crazy stuff happened the final hour.
 
Budgiecat said:
Were made known of this though since 2010. Yu said 3 would focus more on Ryo and Shenhua's relationship; 80% of the dialogue being focused towards that while 20% would be focused towards the main plot, whereas these percentages were reversed for the previous two games.
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You keep repeating that but percent don't mean much and don't justify the lack of plot.
 
Budgiecat said:
Were made known of this though since 2010. Yu said 3 would focus more on Ryo and Shenhua's relationship; 80% of the dialogue being focused towards that while 20% would be focused towards the main plot, whereas these percentages were reversed for the previous two games.
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This is something id say id be fine with, if
They really just sort of stopped interacting all that much in the 2nd half, the brief bits on the balcony were there but I wish they had moments of the 2 going around the city interacting with the locals and what not more and just had moments together actually in the city rather than an occasional 1 minute tops scene on the balcony at night

Their relationship feels half baked, like literally at the halfway point it just kind of took it out of the stove when it was already on its way to be cooked just fine
 
I can forgive the lack of plot simplicity. Jacky Chan and Shaw Brothers didn't need over-sophisticated stories to make most of the best kung fu movies of all time. Shenmue 1 was quite straight forward on the port as well but succeeded to convey a great sense of escalation. Simplicity and escalation generally go hand in hand.

Shenmue 3 is just repeating the same lazy pattern like Pokemon does with Team Rocket, without the irony and lot of stuff in between to fill the gaps.

It's like the budget obliged the writers to focus on the fundamental blueprint (find clues, meet masters, beat villains) and try to square the circle by making mandatory the use of what I call "super move" for Ryo's character development.

In 1&2, the only super move was the one Xiuying Hong taught to Ryo. This time, it seems they lacked of imagination (or money) to integrate the new super moves in the plot without causing the player's frustration.
 
jsh020 said:
This is something id say id be fine with, if
They really just sort of stopped interacting all that much in the 2nd half, the brief bits on the balcony were there but I wish they had moments of the 2 going around the city interacting with the locals and what not more and just had moments together actually in the city rather than an occasional 1 minute tops scene on the balcony at night

Their relationship feels half baked, like literally at the halfway point it just kind of took it out of the stove when it was already on its way to be cooked just fine
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Did you hang out with Shenhua at the SaveShenmue building?
 
Budgiecat said:
Missed it did we now lol

Yeah I did too until my 2nd playthrough
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Oh wow, now I'm curious. Am I curious enough to start a new playthrough to see it though? Yeeeeah, it's Shenmue.
 
Welp, today's the day I will complete Shenmue. I'm in the old castle. I have lots of mixed feelings, but overall I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Shenmue 3 and I'm ecstatic that it not only exists, but ultimately flawed or not, it is what it is. This Yu Suzuki's uncompromised vision, for the most part, and the only flaws I can find ultimately come down to budget restraints. It's a shame the ending is rushed (from what I hear) and the story pacing dipped at times and lacked the cinematic punch the first two games (particularly Shenmue 2) often had, but overall I'm pleased.

I'm looking forward to finally wrapping it up and joining others in the spoiler discussion.
 
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