- Joined
- Feb 3, 2019
- Location
- Sydney Australia
- Favourite title
- Shenmue II
- Currently playing
- Tekken 7 (always Tekken 7)
- PSN
- danmann861
- Steam
- danielmann861
Well, Bailu pretty much ended the way I expected. The revelation that the mirrors were carved for the Emperor and Empress. Wasn't too surprised considering Zhu mentioned in 2 that the mirrors were a key to the Dynasty's treasure. So what was supposed to be the biggest revelation of Bailu really didn't feel that big a revelation. I pieced it together before we even got there.
Is it just me or does this feel a bit Anime filler at this point? This feels like a filler episode of an Anime where its more recap with very little plot advancement. Like I wasn't expecting every plot answer to be found in Bailu but I was expecting more. I was expecting so much more on Iwao. To the point where I feel it was a missed opportunity. Especially Master Feng...imagine if Master Feng was the one to teach you body check and in doing so taught you more about your father than you ever knew.
In terms of Iwao and what we got. I feel like it could be summed up as "he wasn't the type of man to kill" and that's that. Come on! Surely there is more than that?
I know it sounds like I'm down on it. I'm not entirely down on the game. I still very much enjoy playing it. And I will get to the positive stuff in a minute. But so far in terms of characters? I'm getting total Anime filler episode vibes from it. Maybe it was budget woes? Or maybe Yu just doesn't have much to say about Iwao yet?
I mean to be fair, Master Feng didn't even know Iwao was dead. So I never expected ALL the answers to lie in Bailu. Although I did find it interesting that he mentions Lan Di's father died of mysterious causes. I already had doubt in my mind whether Iwao actually did kill him so it's nothing too revelatory but the seed is there and Yu is still toying with us.
But I could have handled finding out more about Iwao. The biggest thing we found in Bailu was who the mirrors were made for. Interesting and gives us another breadcrumb, but yeah, I could have handled a little bit more than just that.
Now onto the positive sides. I'm not down on the general plot of the game so far. I know some people have expressed annoyance that Ryo gets his ass kicked by these thugs. I'm not bothered by that. I feel that's how most of the series is gonna go. Ryo is always gonna come up against an obstacle that he will have to overcome by seeking out the help of the various martial arts masters he comes across. And it'll always be a new major move he'll learn to help overcome those odds. See Dou Niu and the use of Counter Elbow Strike to beat him. That's par as to how this series will go. I expected this so I'm not down on the plot structure. It's pretty much going the way I expected in those terms.
That's Shenmue in a nut shell. It's a martial arts story about a young kid seeking greater knowledge to overcome his obstacles. I expected that from Shenmue III and got exactly what I expected thus far.
Sure, character development could be better across the board. Mr Su and Master Feng felt like missed opportunities and didn't have half the impact on me that Xiuying did. But in terms of general plot structure? It's pretty much going exactly how I expected it to go.
I think the conversations with Shenhua are fascinating and hold a few clues within. For instances, she talks about dreams of living a previous life and reincarnation. Could it be possible that in another life she lived as the aforementioned empress? I feel like going forward we will find out more about the Emperor and Empress. You don't just introduce this stuff for no reason. If we get to IV, that's gonna have a bigger part to play as we get closer to the secrets of the mirror (be it treasure or something more mythical)
Also, the conversation you have with her about the mirror feels a bit like a hint. That one set of mirrors can bring so continuing pain and suffering. I'm still of the belief that Iwao maybe did kill Lan Di's father but he didn't do it in vain. That maybe Lan Di's father was corrupted in his search and (potential) possession of the mirrors. And maybe Iwao had to kill him for the greater good. Or maybe not....I don't know, but I could see a plot twist like that...especially considering Master Feng stresses he wasn't the type of man who could kill. This has been my prediction ever since finding the mirror in the first game. And I'm still inclined to believe it might be the case.
Also, I love that Bailu is actually less about combat and more about training. Maybe I'm overthinking this, but it feels to me that the reason for all the training the game puts you through is to actually communicate the idea that you are now in the same position your father once was training on the same grounds he once did without ever really saying it out loud. Again, maybe this is just me over thinking, but I really like the emphasis on training in the first half of the game. It fits in with the WUDE (to train every day) and slyly communicates that idea.
This series has really always been about retracing your fathers steps and piecing the puzzle together bit by bit. To some degree, Shenmue III is still doing that. I'm not too down on this because I knew we were here for the long haul. This series has always been giving us breadcrumbs in our path to find the truth and avenge Dad.
Sure, it's slightly maddening to still have more questions than answers (after 18 years of waiting, I think we all want some answers by now), but I do feel like the introduction of the Emperor and Empress is leading somewhere. You don't just introduce that for no reason. I think we're gonna find out more when or if we get to Shenmue IV.
My problems are not necessarily from a story structure, rather with the character development. I felt the characters could be developed a little more in III. But the lore is just as strong as it has been. And it has me asking questions. But still, at this point in the series, I guess I was hoping we'd get some answers instead of just more questions on top.
So it does feel a bit filler. But still, I'm absolutely loving Shenmue III none the less. Even with my noted disappointments in character development. This game is still a fucking fun game to play and I'm loving every minute of it. Even the rough combat I've really warmed up to.
The defining thing I'll say about Shenmue III is this.
With Shenmue 1 and 2, Yu Suzuki had all the money in the world but was limited by hardware to fully realise it. With Shenmue III, he has the hardware but lacks the money to go full overboard with every last one of his ideas...and yet, even with the lack of money, he still has crafted something that feels like Shenmue. Sure, the budget shows (Chobu is noticeably empty in terms of NPC's) but the ambition is still within and I must applaud him for it.
I'll chime back in with my full thoughts once I finish the game.
Is it just me or does this feel a bit Anime filler at this point? This feels like a filler episode of an Anime where its more recap with very little plot advancement. Like I wasn't expecting every plot answer to be found in Bailu but I was expecting more. I was expecting so much more on Iwao. To the point where I feel it was a missed opportunity. Especially Master Feng...imagine if Master Feng was the one to teach you body check and in doing so taught you more about your father than you ever knew.
In terms of Iwao and what we got. I feel like it could be summed up as "he wasn't the type of man to kill" and that's that. Come on! Surely there is more than that?
I know it sounds like I'm down on it. I'm not entirely down on the game. I still very much enjoy playing it. And I will get to the positive stuff in a minute. But so far in terms of characters? I'm getting total Anime filler episode vibes from it. Maybe it was budget woes? Or maybe Yu just doesn't have much to say about Iwao yet?
I mean to be fair, Master Feng didn't even know Iwao was dead. So I never expected ALL the answers to lie in Bailu. Although I did find it interesting that he mentions Lan Di's father died of mysterious causes. I already had doubt in my mind whether Iwao actually did kill him so it's nothing too revelatory but the seed is there and Yu is still toying with us.
But I could have handled finding out more about Iwao. The biggest thing we found in Bailu was who the mirrors were made for. Interesting and gives us another breadcrumb, but yeah, I could have handled a little bit more than just that.
Now onto the positive sides. I'm not down on the general plot of the game so far. I know some people have expressed annoyance that Ryo gets his ass kicked by these thugs. I'm not bothered by that. I feel that's how most of the series is gonna go. Ryo is always gonna come up against an obstacle that he will have to overcome by seeking out the help of the various martial arts masters he comes across. And it'll always be a new major move he'll learn to help overcome those odds. See Dou Niu and the use of Counter Elbow Strike to beat him. That's par as to how this series will go. I expected this so I'm not down on the plot structure. It's pretty much going the way I expected in those terms.
That's Shenmue in a nut shell. It's a martial arts story about a young kid seeking greater knowledge to overcome his obstacles. I expected that from Shenmue III and got exactly what I expected thus far.
Sure, character development could be better across the board. Mr Su and Master Feng felt like missed opportunities and didn't have half the impact on me that Xiuying did. But in terms of general plot structure? It's pretty much going exactly how I expected it to go.
I think the conversations with Shenhua are fascinating and hold a few clues within. For instances, she talks about dreams of living a previous life and reincarnation. Could it be possible that in another life she lived as the aforementioned empress? I feel like going forward we will find out more about the Emperor and Empress. You don't just introduce this stuff for no reason. If we get to IV, that's gonna have a bigger part to play as we get closer to the secrets of the mirror (be it treasure or something more mythical)
Also, the conversation you have with her about the mirror feels a bit like a hint. That one set of mirrors can bring so continuing pain and suffering. I'm still of the belief that Iwao maybe did kill Lan Di's father but he didn't do it in vain. That maybe Lan Di's father was corrupted in his search and (potential) possession of the mirrors. And maybe Iwao had to kill him for the greater good. Or maybe not....I don't know, but I could see a plot twist like that...especially considering Master Feng stresses he wasn't the type of man who could kill. This has been my prediction ever since finding the mirror in the first game. And I'm still inclined to believe it might be the case.
Also, I love that Bailu is actually less about combat and more about training. Maybe I'm overthinking this, but it feels to me that the reason for all the training the game puts you through is to actually communicate the idea that you are now in the same position your father once was training on the same grounds he once did without ever really saying it out loud. Again, maybe this is just me over thinking, but I really like the emphasis on training in the first half of the game. It fits in with the WUDE (to train every day) and slyly communicates that idea.
This series has really always been about retracing your fathers steps and piecing the puzzle together bit by bit. To some degree, Shenmue III is still doing that. I'm not too down on this because I knew we were here for the long haul. This series has always been giving us breadcrumbs in our path to find the truth and avenge Dad.
Sure, it's slightly maddening to still have more questions than answers (after 18 years of waiting, I think we all want some answers by now), but I do feel like the introduction of the Emperor and Empress is leading somewhere. You don't just introduce that for no reason. I think we're gonna find out more when or if we get to Shenmue IV.
My problems are not necessarily from a story structure, rather with the character development. I felt the characters could be developed a little more in III. But the lore is just as strong as it has been. And it has me asking questions. But still, at this point in the series, I guess I was hoping we'd get some answers instead of just more questions on top.
So it does feel a bit filler. But still, I'm absolutely loving Shenmue III none the less. Even with my noted disappointments in character development. This game is still a fucking fun game to play and I'm loving every minute of it. Even the rough combat I've really warmed up to.
The defining thing I'll say about Shenmue III is this.
With Shenmue 1 and 2, Yu Suzuki had all the money in the world but was limited by hardware to fully realise it. With Shenmue III, he has the hardware but lacks the money to go full overboard with every last one of his ideas...and yet, even with the lack of money, he still has crafted something that feels like Shenmue. Sure, the budget shows (Chobu is noticeably empty in terms of NPC's) but the ambition is still within and I must applaud him for it.
I'll chime back in with my full thoughts once I finish the game.
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And it's actually a pretty fun game too...I just wish it had a block button (there was no block button that I could find....I could find air attacks...low attacks...strong attacks....uppercuts...but no guard button weirdly enough...also FUCK LAU CHAN! Just as bullshit as the original Lau always was