- Joined
- Sep 17, 2018
So I finished Shenmue 3 the other night and I loved it for the most part, starting it up felt like I stepped right back into 2000 the first time I played it on Dreamcast.
But
There's one problem that's bothered me since the beginning that has been prevalent throughout the series and that is that Ryo is only as useful as a Martial Artist as it is convenient to the plot. Shenmue I probably handled it the best, obviously Lan Di is a force he's unprepared for at the time, and along that journey Ryo is shown to be competent but still immature and thats probably Guizhangs biggest gripe as the two are at similar levels, also you can lose or win against Chai and Enoki.
Shenmue II there was more emphasis on Ryo maturing and learning but this is where it really started to get to into "These masters are untouchable and Ryo is nothing compared to them" rhetoric we know he's competent but the "fight me" to an opponent who dodges or blocks every move is repetitive and boring. Even so though theres still showing growth, and the fight against Dou Niu at least makes sense that he needs to get stronger to fight a truly monstrously sized man.
Shenmue 3, Ryo has grown in the months since, he's been fighting frequently, he dispatches thugs with ease but for some reason they still get the better of him even if he wins the fights against the labeled bosses, even though he shouldnt have lost to by this point, but Chai is now easily dispatched (also side note loved Chais bedroom and family portrait). More untouchable masters, and culminating in again an untouchable Lan Di who remarks at Ryos growth but for a guy who has most likely only been sitting around for the last 4 straight months is WORLDS ahead, I would have preferred a more mixed battle that Ryo still could have lost and been saved from by the burning castle.
I understand where Yu Suzuki is coming from with attempting to show Ryo's growth but at this point repeating the same plot devices is such poor writing, that he might as well never fight Lan Di or buy a gun, because there's always someone better than him, and he cant even land a punch on some senior citizens.
But
There's one problem that's bothered me since the beginning that has been prevalent throughout the series and that is that Ryo is only as useful as a Martial Artist as it is convenient to the plot. Shenmue I probably handled it the best, obviously Lan Di is a force he's unprepared for at the time, and along that journey Ryo is shown to be competent but still immature and thats probably Guizhangs biggest gripe as the two are at similar levels, also you can lose or win against Chai and Enoki.
Shenmue II there was more emphasis on Ryo maturing and learning but this is where it really started to get to into "These masters are untouchable and Ryo is nothing compared to them" rhetoric we know he's competent but the "fight me" to an opponent who dodges or blocks every move is repetitive and boring. Even so though theres still showing growth, and the fight against Dou Niu at least makes sense that he needs to get stronger to fight a truly monstrously sized man.
Shenmue 3, Ryo has grown in the months since, he's been fighting frequently, he dispatches thugs with ease but for some reason they still get the better of him even if he wins the fights against the labeled bosses, even though he shouldnt have lost to by this point, but Chai is now easily dispatched (also side note loved Chais bedroom and family portrait). More untouchable masters, and culminating in again an untouchable Lan Di who remarks at Ryos growth but for a guy who has most likely only been sitting around for the last 4 straight months is WORLDS ahead, I would have preferred a more mixed battle that Ryo still could have lost and been saved from by the burning castle.
I understand where Yu Suzuki is coming from with attempting to show Ryo's growth but at this point repeating the same plot devices is such poor writing, that he might as well never fight Lan Di or buy a gun, because there's always someone better than him, and he cant even land a punch on some senior citizens.
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