Story Centric Shenmue

They could made a great RTS with Shenmue IV and I will be out of the series no matter how great it could be. Everybody has a line, I am suffering it with Yakuza 7 for expample, hate turn based RPGs, so it is a hard line to cross. Same with Quantic Dreamesque kind of games


That's limiting creation though.
CD4 of Shenmue 2 is more story centric and yet it's really clever and well made. It's also what hurted Shenmue III: Trying to make it everytime a game, focusing on gameplay, even when it didn't made sense, to the point it transformed Bailu village completly and hurting the story in the process.
 
That's limiting creation though.
CD4 of Shenmue 2 is more story centric and yet it's really clever and well made. It's also what hurted Shenmue III: Trying to make it everytime a game, focusing on gameplay, even when it didn't made sense, to the point it transformed Bailu village completly and hurting the story in the process.
I personally prefer Bailu than GD4 of SII, and I know is not a popular opinion, but GD4 is my less favourite part of any, ANY, Shenmue game. That this mean it is bad? Nope, but not my cup of tea, I can play it but I not enjoy it. It is difficult to get the right balence between gameplay and storytelling, and focusing only on one side is always an error in this kind of product.
 
I'd take a more on rails type game if I had to. Detroit:Becoming Human is an excellent example of this and disc 4 of Shenmue is very well done.

Personally the wholly on rails type game might divert from the Shenmue experience but it would drive the story on. Shenmue, for me, is more than a story, it's about the world and interaction in that world as well and characters.

That might become the whole package in a Shenmue 4 and if it was on a par with 2 in terms of story plus the world interactions from Bailu I'd be very happy.

If they can't then a more story centric game would be fine and I'd happily buy it
 
I'd take a more on rails type game if I had to. Detroit:Becoming Human is an excellent example of this and disc 4 of Shenmue is very well done.

Personally the wholly on rails type game might divert from the Shenmue experience but it would drive the story on. Shenmue, for me, is more than a story, it's about the world and interaction in that world as well and characters.

That might become the whole package in a Shenmue 4 and if it was on a par with 2 in terms of story plus the world interactions from Bailu I'd be very happy.

If they can't then a more story centric game would be fine and I'd happily buy it


I think it's all about a right balance. I think one thing that would've improved Shenmue III would've been maybe more linear segments, more forced linear segments. For exemple, one thing I think would've been a great idea would've been a forced walking, at night or morning, with Shenhua, talking about Bailu village, with an encounter or not with a villager at time. Like, for one night, instead of a night conversation, you'd get a night walk, on rail, that could trigger various events.
 
I think it's all about a right balance. I think one thing that would've improved Shenmue III would've been maybe more linear segments, more forced linear segments. For exemple, one thing I think would've been a great idea would've been a forced walking, at night or morning, with Shenhua, talking about Bailu village, with an encounter or not with a villager at time. Like, for one night, instead of a night conversation, you'd get a night walk, on rail, that could trigger various events.

See, even when I hate the idea of a 4 hours segment like in GD4 a little touch like that could have been great.
 
I think it's all about a right balance. I think one thing that would've improved Shenmue III would've been maybe more linear segments, more forced linear segments. For exemple, one thing I think would've been a great idea would've been a forced walking, at night or morning, with Shenhua, talking about Bailu village, with an encounter or not with a villager at time. Like, for one night, instead of a night conversation, you'd get a night walk, on rail, that could trigger various events.
Which is where, for as much as I like Shenmue III, that balance wasn't struck. We got glimpses of it but not enough.

We shall see how things progress but I do feel some more character development opportunities, like you've mentioned would address such balance.
 
At their core, I think all three of the Shenmue games have been fairly linear in their scope and were it not for the Shenmue gameplay loop, all three games would have been incredibly short. Having all of the side activities and the forced waiting times has been somewhat essential in that regard although I think it was integrated best in S2. Whilst I wouldn’t be against an entirely linear story driven S4, I fear it would either need an incredible amount of story or would end up being woefully short.
 
I'd be ok with a more linear Shenmue. Doesn't mean it'd lack gameplay or be on rails. I think they should avoid creating large open ended towns if they are going to appear as barren as Niaowu. I think there are ways around that. Look at our favorite rival Yakuza for inspiration.
 
I'd be ok with a more linear Shenmue. Doesn't mean it'd lack gameplay or be on rails. I think they should avoid creating large open ended towns if they are going to appear as barren as Niaowu. I think there are ways around that. Look at our favorite rival Yakuza for inspiration.

ive only played judgement but Karamucho in this game at least, is larger than Niaowu.
 
It's shaped like a square, right? (It's been a few months) I think that kind of layout with a selection of outlets you can walk into, rather than dozens/hundreds(?), is a much better solution for Shenmue than forcing Shenmue IV to go completely on rails. How many shops are in Niaowu? How many of them are even remotely interesting beyond maybe looking for Chobu chan? I think they spent a lot resources modeling Niaowu and it didn't pay off (for me).
 
I'd be ok with a more linear Shenmue. Doesn't mean it'd lack gameplay or be on rails. I think they should avoid creating large open ended towns if they are going to appear as barren as Niaowu. I think there are ways around that. Look at our favorite rival Yakuza for inspiration.
Can’t agree more with this. Both Bailu and Niaowu were both a lot larger than they needed to be and both had a considerable amount of dead space. I understand the desire to create a living breathing world, but without the NPCs needed to populate these worlds both areas (especially Niaowu) felt like ghost towns which made the time spent running from one end to the other (especially when paths linking together sections were blocked off in the earlier parts of the story) feel like a big waste of time. Shenmue 2 had fairly large maps, but traversing them felt organic whilst, to me at least, the size of the maps in S3 felt like a cheap way of padding out the play time.
 
Interactive movies are never great games though.


That is, if you have a limited definition of what is a game. If we are to judge games purely on gameplay or as gaming experience, not many games are great. In fact, going by this factor, Shenmue III would be a bad game.
 
I'd take a more on rails type game if I had to. Detroit:Becoming Human is an excellent example of this and disc 4 of Shenmue is very well done.

I loved Detroit but a huge part of the games design was the numerous branching paths and various options the player could make during most story beats and then replaying the level to see outcome if you had made different choices. I can’t see that working for a Shenmue game where there’s one overarching story that is driving the action.

Can’t agree more with this. Both Bailu and Niaowu were both a lot larger than they needed to be and both had a considerable amount of dead space. I understand the desire to create a living breathing world, but without the NPCs needed to populate these worlds both areas (especially Niaowu) felt like ghost towns which made the time spent running from one end to the other (especially when paths linking together sections were blocked off in the earlier parts of the story) feel like a big waste of time.

While I partially agree, if you look at original games a big chunk of their maps essentially go unused in terms of story events or gameplay opportunities. It’s there to establish the world and for the player to traverse through it. I think what made traversing through Shenmue 3 world more cumbersome was the depleting health system and as you indicated alternative pathways to connecting areas were blocked off for far too long. Shenmue always gave players options on how to enter areas, the illusion of freedom which is absent here.
 
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There are too many areas that are just barren fields with nothing and no one of interest to interact with. Then you get to the stores, which I've commented on enough times already... I see no need to have dozens of stores accessible if they're all serving the same purpose, which is to trade stuff into the pawn shop. It does seem like the shops reuse assets, etc, but it seems like it must've been a burden to model so many outlets nonetheless. I think they could've found ways to city to feel lively without spending so much time on making the city so 'big.'
 
I loved Detroit but a huge part of the games design was the numerous branching paths and various options the player could make during most story beats and then replaying the level to see outcome if you had made different choices. I can’t see that working for a Shenmue game where there’s one overarching story that is driving the action.
Fair point, that would struggle to work for Shenmue. But you get what I was going for :)
 
That's really close minded though. What if it's a great game ?
I don't like interactive movies, if I wanted a film I'd go to the cinema. Video Games have "games" in the title or a reason. Yes it is an extreme view, but it is what I think. If Shenmue 4 is relegated to an interactive movie Yu Suzuki is better off making a manga or a movie instead. I will buy it, if it doesn't call itself a game when it is not.
 
I don't like interactive movies, if I wanted a film I'd go to the cinema. Video Games have "games" in the title or a reason. Yes it is an extreme view, but it is what I think. If Shenmue 4 is relegated to an interactive movie Yu Suzuki is better off making a manga or a movie instead. I will buy it, if it doesn't call itself a game when it is not.
Personally I'd rather have an interactive movie game but like life is strange not like a telltale game with a lot of story element and cool cinematic than a botched shenmue4 due to budget issue but a movie or a manga would sucks a lot
 
I don't like interactive movies, if I wanted a film I'd go to the cinema. Video Games have "games" in the title or a reason. Yes it is an extreme view, but it is what I think. If Shenmue 4 is relegated to an interactive movie Yu Suzuki is better off making a manga or a movie instead. I will buy it, if it doesn't call itself a game when it is not.


Except even "interactive movies" can do what movies cant when it comes to the medium.

And as I said, if we focus that much on the gaming aspect, Shenmue III isn't even a decent game considering how mediocre the gameplay mechanics were.

Take any Telltale games: What's being done there cant be done in a movie.

As I said before, CD4 of Shenmue II barely has any "real gameplay". And yet, it's amazing.

And yet, what's being done cant be replicated in a cinema screen. Tell me that the campfire scene, the walk in Guilin forest or when Shenhua is singing are things that can be done in a movie.

I'll tell you how wrong you are.

And honestly, that narrow minded view is what made Shenmue III into what it is. I feel like Yu Suzuki listened too much to a certain fanbase, hence why we got a Shenmue that was basically a Fanmue. Gacha, lot of objects to buy, jobs and such even when it didnt make sense. It felt like a Shenmue game ticking boxes to make "a Shenmue experience" rather than what it should've been: Something following its own path to tell its own story.
 
Except even "interactive movies" can do what movies cant when it comes to the medium.

And as I said, if we focus that much on the gaming aspect, Shenmue III isn't even a decent game considering how mediocre the gameplay mechanics were.

Take any Telltale games: What's being done there cant be done in a movie.

As I said before, CD4 of Shenmue II barely has any "real gameplay". And yet, it's amazing.

And yet, what's being done cant be replicated in a cinema screen. Tell me that the campfire scene, the walk in Guilin forest or when Shenhua is singing are things that can be done in a movie.

I'll tell you how wrong you are.

And honestly, that narrow minded view is what made Shenmue III into what it is. I feel like Yu Suzuki listened too much to a certain fanbase, hence why we got a Shenmue that was basically a Fanmue. Gacha, lot of objects to buy, jobs and such even when it didnt make sense. It felt like a Shenmue game ticking boxes to make "a Shenmue experience" rather than what it should've been: Something following its own path to tell its own story.
I didn't ask for your fucking lecture I don't car know how "wrong" you think I am. It is MY FUCKING OPINION, I like games in my games and that's how it is. You don't like Shenmue 3 good fine, you're allowed to. When you statrt blaming others for not getting what YOU wanted, you make yourself the selfish fucking dickhead you come out to be. Fuck you I am out. You can ban me, I wanted my account gone months ago anyways.
 
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