HOUSE RULES: No spoilers in the comments. A spoiler thread may become available at a later date when EDGE is available at retail on the 28th.
A few things, but is by no means an exhaustive detailing of Shenmue III's gameplay. Many things we already know are in the game are not mentioned. The article covers, in some level of detail:
. The Affinity System, and how that ties into quest progression
. The symbiotic nature of combat, training, and stats progression
Other, smaller details are talked about it more vague terms. They aren't particularly anything we haven't heard before, so I've omitted them.
The reason for putting together a spoiler-free summary is because it reveals some of the plotting of an early questline, some character names, and a potentially more important location mention; depending on some context we don't currently have. It's either a potentially medium sized spoiler, or not a big deal at all if you've even remotely followed this game. Erring on the side of caution, I won't mention it here.
There are some mentions, but I get the distinct impression this was not a hands-on demo, so explicit details are not tendered outside Yu Suzuki saying they've included modernisation like right analogue stick camera controls.
There's a small stack of evidence the game controls for certain with standard modern dual analogue controls. The article has a slightly misconstrued quote from Yu Suzuki about wanting to maintain the control scheme from Shenmue II with added modernisation (e.g camera controls), but don't take that to mean Ryo's movement is d-pad bound. Trust us on this one.
World exclusive previews are rarely negative anyway, but this was written by Andy Kelly who is a bonafide Shenmue fan and wrote a great review for Shenmue I & II for PC Gamer, alongside several other articles about the game.
I don't want to put words in his mouth, but the distinct impression I got from reading the article was a feeling of excitement at what he had seen, and the untold prospect of there being more to come. You could argue that "of course a Shenmue fan would like Shenmue III", but what was shown to him were not nostalgic trappings to give him the warm tingly feelings, and instead new and rejuvenated gameplay concepts for the series that he seems sold on.
Anyway, without further preamble, the details:
Much like NPCs in the original Shenmue, the residents of Bailu village will have their own homes, schedules, and personalities. This matches up with what Yu has said previously about Bailu being a world more like in the original game, and Chobu resembling more what we found in the sequel.
The traditional investigation gameplay of Shenmue returns, but with a twist.
NPCs will now no longer automatically give you the information you need. With the Affinity System, you need to be sufficiently known and trusted by NPCs for them to reveal this key information. There are various factors to this, and the examples given were spending enough time around the village and completing tasks to have the NPC or general community warm up to Ryo.
It sounds like the Affinity System has other outcomes besides an NPC giving, or not giving information to Ryo. It's implied personal stories of these characters may unfold the more intimate you are with them, and that also some encounters may go so poorly they spark a combat scenario.
Shenhua both affects, and is affected by, the Affinity System. Ryo is an outsider and a stranger to this land, while Shenhua is not. Taking Shenhua along with you can improve your ability to gather information with the Affinity System.
As we already know, the more time and conversations you have with Shenhua, her relationship with Ryo will grow and improve with the Affinity System. She will become friendlier, and her expressions and attitude will change depending on the Affinity System.
Not much detail here, but there is a new gambling mini-game where you throw coloured balls into buckets to win prizes.
Yu Suzuki: "A new battle engine has been created especially for Shenmue III. It's been designed so the player can repeatedly undergo training to increase their level, to be able to take down even super-tough opponents."
Combat animates in a style recognisable to Virtua Fighter players, but much smoother and with clean transitions between moves.
Ryo's combat prowess is now rooted in three main stats, Attack Power, Endurance, and Kung Fu.
Endurance is also linked to a stamina bar that affects most of Ryo's physical actions, including doing martial arts moves, and even sprinting around in the open world. Eating food can refill your stamina bar, which Ryo can keep in his inventory. As the Endurance stat rises, Ryo will have more stamina.
Attack Power is pretty much what it says on the tin, it's how much damage Ryo can dish out.
The Kung Fu stat is fed by both Attack Power and Endurance, which will allow Ryo to master more advanced moves.
Training plays a big part in Shenmue III from the sounds of things, with specific locations made available for Ryo to hone his skills and spar. Here, Ryo can also change out of his clothes and into martial arts gear.
Training is done through multiple methods. One way is improving Ryo's stats through rhythm-based mini-games, such as maintaining the Horse Stance to boost your Endurance, and Bruce Lee's "One Inch Punch" on a wooden training dummy to boost both your Attack Power and Endurance.
Another is by taking on sparring opponents. In these sparring matches, the combos for the moves Ryo currently has equipped are displayed so you can get familiar with them. Timing your attacks and blocks correctly against your opponent will raise your Attack Power and Endurance stats, as well as your Kung Fu stat. Sparring is a more efficient way to improve your stats, but also more difficult than Horse Stance and One Inch Punch.
You can train (and learn I'd assume) moves from technique scrolls, which can be found in multiple ways in the game. These scrolls can be bought, traded from other characters, and found in the game world. (Based on other things we know about this, you may also be able to win them from mini-games, received them as a reward for an event, or gain them from story progression too.)
All the scrolls from Shenmue and Shenmue II will be available, including new ones to bring the total up to around 100. Ryo having a more robust moveset will allow him to properly form a counter attack against more exotic forms of martial arts he may come up against in combat. Muay Thai and boxing were two examples given. This explains Yu Suzuki's comments about wanting to include "puzzle game" elements into Shenmue III's combat, and linking fringe elements like mini-games and the in-game economy further into core gameplay.
Organised street fights are returning, and may be a lucrative way to make some money. Ryo paid 1000 Yuan as an entry fee, and walked away with a cool 2500 in winnings in the example given.
One street fighting example given was a kind of gauntlet, with greater financial rewards on offer the more opponents you beat; at the price of increasingly more difficult opponents and martial arts style you may not be able to counter. Another involved Ryo taking on multiple opponents at once.
"Everything is thanks to the power of the fans who continued to offer their support for such a long time. Every year I get sent letters and such from people looking forward to Shenmue III, and people saying they don't care if it takes the form of a manga or novel or whatever. They just want to know what happens next in the story.
This combined with the Kickstarter eventually blossomed into something we never imagined when we started out on this project."
What does this article cover?
A few things, but is by no means an exhaustive detailing of Shenmue III's gameplay. Many things we already know are in the game are not mentioned. The article covers, in some level of detail:
. The Affinity System, and how that ties into quest progression
. The symbiotic nature of combat, training, and stats progression
Other, smaller details are talked about it more vague terms. They aren't particularly anything we haven't heard before, so I've omitted them.
The reason for putting together a spoiler-free summary is because it reveals some of the plotting of an early questline, some character names, and a potentially more important location mention; depending on some context we don't currently have. It's either a potentially medium sized spoiler, or not a big deal at all if you've even remotely followed this game. Erring on the side of caution, I won't mention it here.
What about the controls?
There are some mentions, but I get the distinct impression this was not a hands-on demo, so explicit details are not tendered outside Yu Suzuki saying they've included modernisation like right analogue stick camera controls.
There's a small stack of evidence the game controls for certain with standard modern dual analogue controls. The article has a slightly misconstrued quote from Yu Suzuki about wanting to maintain the control scheme from Shenmue II with added modernisation (e.g camera controls), but don't take that to mean Ryo's movement is d-pad bound. Trust us on this one.
Did EDGE like it?
World exclusive previews are rarely negative anyway, but this was written by Andy Kelly who is a bonafide Shenmue fan and wrote a great review for Shenmue I & II for PC Gamer, alongside several other articles about the game.
I don't want to put words in his mouth, but the distinct impression I got from reading the article was a feeling of excitement at what he had seen, and the untold prospect of there being more to come. You could argue that "of course a Shenmue fan would like Shenmue III", but what was shown to him were not nostalgic trappings to give him the warm tingly feelings, and instead new and rejuvenated gameplay concepts for the series that he seems sold on.
Anyway, without further preamble, the details:
Bailu and its Villagers
Much like NPCs in the original Shenmue, the residents of Bailu village will have their own homes, schedules, and personalities. This matches up with what Yu has said previously about Bailu being a world more like in the original game, and Chobu resembling more what we found in the sequel.
Investigation Gameplay & the Affinity System
The traditional investigation gameplay of Shenmue returns, but with a twist.
NPCs will now no longer automatically give you the information you need. With the Affinity System, you need to be sufficiently known and trusted by NPCs for them to reveal this key information. There are various factors to this, and the examples given were spending enough time around the village and completing tasks to have the NPC or general community warm up to Ryo.
It sounds like the Affinity System has other outcomes besides an NPC giving, or not giving information to Ryo. It's implied personal stories of these characters may unfold the more intimate you are with them, and that also some encounters may go so poorly they spark a combat scenario.
Shenhua & the Affinity System
Shenhua both affects, and is affected by, the Affinity System. Ryo is an outsider and a stranger to this land, while Shenhua is not. Taking Shenhua along with you can improve your ability to gather information with the Affinity System.
As we already know, the more time and conversations you have with Shenhua, her relationship with Ryo will grow and improve with the Affinity System. She will become friendlier, and her expressions and attitude will change depending on the Affinity System.
Mini-Games
Not much detail here, but there is a new gambling mini-game where you throw coloured balls into buckets to win prizes.
Combat, Stats Progression, & Training
Yu Suzuki: "A new battle engine has been created especially for Shenmue III. It's been designed so the player can repeatedly undergo training to increase their level, to be able to take down even super-tough opponents."
Combat animates in a style recognisable to Virtua Fighter players, but much smoother and with clean transitions between moves.
Ryo's combat prowess is now rooted in three main stats, Attack Power, Endurance, and Kung Fu.
Endurance is also linked to a stamina bar that affects most of Ryo's physical actions, including doing martial arts moves, and even sprinting around in the open world. Eating food can refill your stamina bar, which Ryo can keep in his inventory. As the Endurance stat rises, Ryo will have more stamina.
Attack Power is pretty much what it says on the tin, it's how much damage Ryo can dish out.
The Kung Fu stat is fed by both Attack Power and Endurance, which will allow Ryo to master more advanced moves.
Training plays a big part in Shenmue III from the sounds of things, with specific locations made available for Ryo to hone his skills and spar. Here, Ryo can also change out of his clothes and into martial arts gear.
Training is done through multiple methods. One way is improving Ryo's stats through rhythm-based mini-games, such as maintaining the Horse Stance to boost your Endurance, and Bruce Lee's "One Inch Punch" on a wooden training dummy to boost both your Attack Power and Endurance.
Another is by taking on sparring opponents. In these sparring matches, the combos for the moves Ryo currently has equipped are displayed so you can get familiar with them. Timing your attacks and blocks correctly against your opponent will raise your Attack Power and Endurance stats, as well as your Kung Fu stat. Sparring is a more efficient way to improve your stats, but also more difficult than Horse Stance and One Inch Punch.
You can train (and learn I'd assume) moves from technique scrolls, which can be found in multiple ways in the game. These scrolls can be bought, traded from other characters, and found in the game world. (Based on other things we know about this, you may also be able to win them from mini-games, received them as a reward for an event, or gain them from story progression too.)
All the scrolls from Shenmue and Shenmue II will be available, including new ones to bring the total up to around 100. Ryo having a more robust moveset will allow him to properly form a counter attack against more exotic forms of martial arts he may come up against in combat. Muay Thai and boxing were two examples given. This explains Yu Suzuki's comments about wanting to include "puzzle game" elements into Shenmue III's combat, and linking fringe elements like mini-games and the in-game economy further into core gameplay.
Organised street fights are returning, and may be a lucrative way to make some money. Ryo paid 1000 Yuan as an entry fee, and walked away with a cool 2500 in winnings in the example given.
One street fighting example given was a kind of gauntlet, with greater financial rewards on offer the more opponents you beat; at the price of increasingly more difficult opponents and martial arts style you may not be able to counter. Another involved Ryo taking on multiple opponents at once.
Concluding Remarks from Yu Suzuki
"Everything is thanks to the power of the fans who continued to offer their support for such a long time. Every year I get sent letters and such from people looking forward to Shenmue III, and people saying they don't care if it takes the form of a manga or novel or whatever. They just want to know what happens next in the story.
This combined with the Kickstarter eventually blossomed into something we never imagined when we started out on this project."
