Shenmue 4 has the potential to be one of the highlights of the series imo.
They got a lot figured our/built from scratch with 3, also in a kind of soft reboot way. Now they can improve from there and incorporate feedback. With potentially 5 games the story has to be going quite a bit. And with locations like the cliff temple, potentially Baisha and more I'm already excited. I bet the narrow passageways exploration comment from Yu is related to the cliff temple.
Exaclty my thoughts! And I have for a long time envisioned 5 games as the ideal.
Sh III was the rebirth of the series. Sh III took baby-steps back life while IV and V will have more potential to be the best games in the series. I really hope that they didn't cut out Baisha, I like that architecture. But we'll see.
I have absolutely no Idea how IV will look like but I am confident to say that it defenetly will be a better game than III.
My highest expectations has always been for the fourth game. It's like if the fourth fails there may not be any Sh V.
I hope that Yu get all support that he possibly can to create the best possible experience.
What I often think´ about is: ´what really made Shenmue I & II so special -to me?´ and.. what gave these games its ´magic´ and unique "feel" except its story and its fighting system.
This could be an entire thread by itself but I came to this conclusion to what made it ´magcial´ to me:
* It had a sense of place. It felt deep, like there was always something new around the corner to discover.
* The NPCs felt real, had their unique look, you could talk to them and every one of them was voiced.
* Every day felt different. And was different.
* The atmospheric music, the ambience, especially in Sh 1 was really good. It's like music without "being" music.
so that the music works like a simulation of a ´feeling´ without me thinking about it.
* The drawers, the fact that you can zoom in at things really close and also pick them up with your hand.
this made it feel like you were living in that world. Some people call Shemue a stupid life simulator but they don't get it.
Its what made it a more immersive experience. Well at least to detail-oriented person like myself.
.. I could add much more to the list but that's enough for now.
If Yu manage to preserve these things and more that gave us that experience but in a modern updated format. I think the fourth game could be the best of them all.
And graphiaclly. I think Yu is on the right track. Shenmue shouldn't look too realistic in its art style.
But Shenmue needs an art style for the characters that is consistent throughout the whole game.
The more vibrant colors togather with an unique art style can add more personality and expression to the whole experience.
Therefore I think that the art between cartoonish/manga and photorealism is ideal for Shenmue as long as it doesn't get into the uncanny valley. The models for Shenhua, Ren, and Lan Di in Sh III are fantastic in my opinion!
I was very impressed by how perfect the models for Lan Di and Ren was.
Also in it's menues, the frames around everything need its own ´character´.
In Sh III the menues felt a little, strange, and.. unfinished maybe? The title menue wasn't as good as in I & II either.
I hope they improve its looks and its functions.
Anyway. I can't wait to hear more from Yu about Sh IV!
Whatever happens, happens.