So I finished the game this weekend for the first time and here are my thoughts:
Definitely not as good as the first two. In fact, it's not good at all. It is a game of very few hits and many mistakes. A few cool places is the only quality. Combat is the worst in video game history, the "improve kung fu" system is annoying, the system of sharing life with resistance is annoying, the action itself is annoying. Ryo looks like a dumb robot counting wood. You can't play for 30 minutes without a new pain in the ass coming your way. A sad and damaging game for the franchise. It's sad, but I believe it's reality. And I don't say this out of nostalgia because I finished S1 and 2 for the first time in 2022. Anyway, I'm not going to give up on a series with two great games simply because one game is disappointing. Shenmue IV will be the first in the series that I will play on launch day. I need to see Ryo's journey continue.