The Pretentious Sophistry of Super Eyepatch Wolf and His Bad Take on Shenmue III

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I think that it's more like because truly garbage games, or shovelware, are out of the equation. If you count them in, then it'd mean anything not broken would be an automatic 5/10. Just because it's running and not broken. But I also feel like because parts of the gaming industry review games on a different scale. For some, a 5/10 is a shitty, nearly broken game. For others... it just means an average game. Because part of the industry has broken the review scale, by handing 10s to any new and shiny title, where the average is a 7.

I personnally gave Shenmue 3 a 5/10. It doesn't make it a shitty game, just an average one in my standard. Neither good, neither bad. I gave worse scores to games more polished than Shenmue 3, with better visuals and gameplay but that failed elsewhere and I gave far better scores to games far less polished than Shenmue 3, with worse visuals but just better elsewhere. All of that is about a personnal feel about a product. But because part of the industry decided to review titles as if they were generic, impersonal titles, that you can switch off like you'd do with candies or canned food, we end up in that situation.

Yep, that's why on this thread or another (don't remember which one) I said that grades weren't absolute. For example I know that in the US it is much more common to grade a game the highest grade (10/10) while here in France (I live in Switzerland, but I mostly go over French websites) it's much more uncommon. Jeuxvideo.com (the biggest European videogame website which is french) gave the maximum score (20/20) only three times : Zelda Wind Waker, Zelda Breath of the Wild and God of War 2018, and yet they are known here to be very easy to please and often score games higher than the general trend. Gamekult never gave a 10/10, and Canard PC gave it a few times as well, but it is rather uncommon.

Now, for the truly garbage game, I'm just saying that you cannot put Shenmue 3 in the same basket as those games. Not only is this not objective, but it is quite disrespectful. And those truly garbage games aren't even necessarly broken. For this, I invite you to watch this video At least the first part of it, I know that it is 1h30 long, but it is really interesting to see games that are objectively very bad, not because they were broken, but just because it's terribly made. Shenmue 3 ain't even close to being this bad, sincerly.

There's also the fact that, today, we're indeed in a golden age of video games. Not only because great games releases everyday, but because accessing older titles is even easier than before. I don't even think anymore of "how much does this games cost" but "how much time do I have to sink in that game". My reasoning nowadays is about the time I invest compared to the payoff I'll get from it.

Yeah, same. There are so so so many games I want to play and I don't have time to play to them all (which makes me sad) that I too chose how much time one game will take me and if I can afford this time or willing to. And there are so many good games (past and present) that it's been years since I played a truly bad game. Something that is withouth a doubt, bad.
 
Initial Message to the haters before showing the video.

Message to the Haters.jpg
 
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Just posted the video on Youtube; Hope everyone enjoy's it.


Changed the initial message in the video because I think it would send the wrong idea to the viewers.

Initial Message:
New Message.jpg

Final Message:
Final Message.jpg

Hope that other gamers understand the message and start to respect the Shenmue series and its fans a bit more.
 
This guy nailed it. It's good to see everything we discussed here in a proper video. Cheers to this guy.

Very good video. I still think shenmue 3 is more about Shenhua and Ryo, than Ryo and Lan Di.
Fucking exactly. I still dont get the people that it's disappointed with the story of S3, how cant you not see this is about Ryo and Shenhua's bond? And that was exactly what we got. One more thing that this guy didnt say, it was the fact that the original video didnt even mention your talks with Shenhua and how he literally NEVER talked to her, because he didnt realize the change of cinematics based on how much you talked to her.

About what is Shenmue about, I dont think there's a unique answer about that, but I think it's clearly about the travel of Ryo, how he changes his mind, learns stuff and so on. Thank god this isnt a traditional revenge Ubisoft-ish story, a few people here thinks it tho.
 
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Effectively, SEPW traded his so-called fandom of the series for cash by creating a video filled with gross exaggeration and in some cases pure straight-up bullshit. He's lined his pockets by trying to ruin the series' rep and in business terms it was a smart move because he'll make a nice chunk of change and expand his audience for a million view video, but let's get real, any self respecting fan would do what they could to support a niche series rather than target it for clicks. You can still dislike a game and create a video critique without the bullshit hyperbole for clicks, but he didn't so fuck him, fuck his wasted life (his words) , he can get in the sea. :ROFLMAO:

This is exactly what I meant to say in the previous topic. You can dislike the game, but another thing it's to make a video of 1 million views bullshitting the series with a lot of exaggerated and fake claims, all of this protected by the mantle of "I was a diehard fan for 18 years so my opinion really matters".
 
Am I the only one who doesn't particularly pay attention to youtube these days?
It's not about bothering for youtube. You dont do it. I dont do it. Probably most of people here doesnt do it. But, sadly, nowadays A LOT of people bothers to youtube's influencers opinions (look at that word, "influencers"...) And if people talks shit about a series, that can harms it, specially a series so "weak" like this one. So yes this is important, this is not a Destiny case, that receives a lot of hate, but still the money keeps entering everyday. This is, as far as we know, a "we really need money and sales really helps us guys" case.
 
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Virtua Bros fail to acknowledge that that could still prove irritating, as you still have to endure the black loading screen and the amount of time saved by skipping the scene is still minimal. Did I find it irritating? Not especially and I appreciated it as a Shenmue fan, but that doesn't make other opinions invalid.
But it's like the apples example. If somebody finds it irritating, good news boys: you are not forced to go to that place, like you are not forced to get some apples. So if people doesnt like that stuff, just dont do it.
 
But it's like the apples example. If somebody finds it irritating, good news boys: you are not forced to go to that place, like you are not forced to get some apples. So if people doesnt like that stuff, just dont do it.

It's just about framing and what you place the emphasis on in my opinion. It's like you can read the exact same story in two different newspapers, both can be factually correct, yet both can present the story in entirely different ways (whether it be with left wing or right wing slants, or whatever).

Super Eyepatch Wolf's video was pretty light hearted and entertaining. I didn't mind the hyperbole, but I have to admit that Virtua Bros retort was excellent and done very well.

Overall though, does any of it matter? Can I really say I'm a big fan of Shenmue 3 and that its quality comes anywhere close to the first two games? Not really. There are moments I enjoyed and I'm glad the game exists, but there are serious flaws and huge problems with the writing and pacing.
 
It's just about framing and what you place the emphasis on in my opinion. It's like you can read the exact same story in two different newspapers, both can be factually correct, yet both can present the story in entirely different ways (whether it be with left wing or right wing slants, or whatever).

Super Eyepatch Wolf's video was pretty light hearted and entertaining. I didn't mind the hyperbole, but I have to admit that Virtua Bros retort was excellent and done very well.

Overall though, does any of it matter? Can I really say I'm a big fan of Shenmue 3 and that its quality comes anywhere close to the first two games? Not really. There are moments I enjoyed and I'm glad the game exists, but there are serious flaws and huge problems with the writing and pacing.
I dont think its a subjective view here, because the original video hid stuff and made it seem something it isnt.

Here's some real talk from my pov. Everyone take it as as you will

I like youtube, but i stay away from mainstream youtube which is mainly drama filled negative cr@p.

I can respect eyepatch wolfs video creation skills and some of his points in his shenmue 3 vid, but i dont respect the man himself one bit. He seems like a very disingenuous, drama filled, whiney, sly weasal. Excuse my french

Everyone can see what his intentions were were with that video. From the title, to the thumbnail, to the dramatic hyberbolic talking points, to the disingenuous examples, to the destructive overall narrative, etc.

All good for him though as he easily made thousands of dollars off that vid. No different than what the dodgy journalists of today do. I can't respect that and will never respect that. There has to be some ethics and integrity involved.

I say this as someone who agrees with a lot of the criticisms for Shenmue 3... As long as its all in proper contex.

The virtua bros vid provides good context and good counter points with their claims. Although they dont address all of the genuine criticisms of shenmue 3 either, but i learnt a lot from their video and enjoyed the in depth comparisons with Akira and the additional information. Their vid is mainly a counter argument vid though, so i see where they are coming from. If it was a critique vid, you'd probably see a lot of the points/critques we've brought up on the forums in proper context

Its just a shame their vid wont receive mass viewership. Maybe if they started online drama or threw shite at eyepatch wolf, it would have. They seem too mature for that nonsense and have integrity though, much like @Oregon Pacifist which i respect & appreciate.

I hope to see more of the virtua bros videos in the future with this same level of production

Also, just to be clear, so no one twists my words, criticize Shenmue all you want, but be honest about your intentions. Keep it 100% real. If you're making a drama video to get paid, be upfront about it. It reminds me of the rubbish the usgamer journalist pulled with Shenmue 3. They wrote a hitpiece and lied. When fans called them out and found evidence of them lying, they started backtracking and deleting comments.

Its the same stuff that Spaghetti had to deal with during Shenmue 3s development and why he's no longer here. Or the nonsense about suzuki being a conman or the famous stupid article of Shenmue not being able to offer 60fps, but can offer"cute and sexy girls", which was also taken down when they were called out. Same deal with certain forums who preach all day about being self righteous and morally superior to everyone, but when you watch their actions, its really subtle forms of aggression and hate masked in virtue.

Scummy behavior if you ask me. I cant respect that.

Keep it real and be honest and transparent about your intentions.

Virtua Bros, you have a new subscriber.

Great content
Mate, get out of my mind. Now.
 
I'm gonna post a comment of the video:
Excellent video, I was skeptical about Shenmue 3 from the getgo and SEW's video only pushed the skepticism further but this and a few other reviews convinced me to at least give it a shot.
SEE?! This is what I'm talking about. If this guy and another people wouldnt make their good reviews, this user wouldnt give it a chance to the series because the hate train. And you could say "well, it's only 1 guy". No its not. There's a lot more, and if they like it, they are gonna to recommend it to even more people who starts giving it a chance, and so on. Yes, of course, you won't suddenly sell 15 million copies, but still this stuff helps to sell more, to make people entering in social media, in the dojo, giving support in forums and shitholes like resetera, to spread some love to the twitter of YSnet, and so on. Good reviews like the fucking number of metacritic, good comments on forums, good reviews on youtube HELPS to a small series like this one.

I'm here because I was looking for games, and one youtube guy talked about Shenmue. But this wasnt a "yeah, this is a classic". It was deeper. It was like "dude this is the game of MY SOUL". And I was like "really? That much? Should give it a try someday". Then when Steam released it and here I am. If there wouldnt people out there sharing their passion for Shenmue, this would be a an even smaller (and weaker) series.
 
Just posted the video on Youtube; Hope everyone enjoy's it.


Changed the initial message in the video because I think it would send the wrong idea to the viewers.

Initial Message:
View attachment 9094

Final Message:
View attachment 9095

Hope that other gamers understand the message and start to respect the Shenmue series and its fans a bit more.
I saw your video and it was really nice seeing a lot of people having fun with Shenmue III, Watching this video made me want to play the game again.

Shenmue III is not outdated and things like that, it's just a different style of gameplay. I'm happy that Yu Suzuki didn't transform Shenmue into other modern games.

Shenmue games have a charm that I don't see in other games, and this is one of the reasons why Shenmue is so special to me. For Shenmue IV and V i really hope that the series don't lose the essence and the charm that makes Shenmue so special, the Shenmue DNA, and i really think that Shenmue IV will continue to have the essence of Shenmue and with improvements, i hope so.

Can you imagine a Shenmue game without talking with NPCs to learn more and find more information? can you imagine a Shenmue game without the notebook and things like that? i really can't imagine a Shenmue game without talking with NPCs and without the notebook, it will start to lose the charm and the essence that makes Shenmue so different and special.

I agree that Shenmue III is more about Ryo and Shenhua's bond, they are now more closer, Shenmue III is a more peaceful time in Ryo's Journey, specially in Bailu Village and i like that, even if the game was released on Dreamcast i think it will still have a slow pace, and i think Shenmue IV will be like Shenmue II with more action, big moments, revelations and much more.

When the saga ends i will play all the Shenmue games and i think will be a wonderful experience.
 
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SEPW has a personal message at the end of his video:

To all the fans who have waited many years for my review of Shenmue 3, and to all of the crowdfunding backers who wasted their lives to make the game possible: This project would not exist without your misspent money, and the disappointments we’ve experienced along the way. With profound despair for everything that Yu Suzuki and Ys Net have done, I am sorry to finally present to you my review of Shenmue 3.
During development of this review I expanded the scope beyond what I had originally envisioned to include a click-bait title and an illustrated alternate ending . I’m happy I was able to acknowledge that I wasted my life waiting for Shenmue 3. I hope I can move on with a new chapter of my life and that strikes even a small resonance in your heart.
For as long as there are those who wish to see Shenmue die, I will never give up on my own personal journey to kill the series. As with Shenmue 3, Shenmue 4 is a game that should never see the light of day.
I sincerely hope that, together, we can cease playing Yu Suzuki's pedantic Shenmue games and instead spin the tale of Ryo in an Anime.
This goes out to all who have ever hated on and bashed Shenmue.
SEPW
 
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Well, Super Eyepatch Wolf doesn't speak for me, and if I can't speak on behalf of the fans (I'd rather than that's for James Reiner or Adam Koralik) or the franchise, what authority does he have? I don't deny that Shenmue 3 is the best entry in the series, but do I like it more than most open-world games like FFXV or Yakuza? I sure as hell do. I feel at the end of the day Shenmue 3 still captures what FREE is all about. As I said before, a lot of open-world games are as wide as an ocean, but aren't that deep. Shenmue may be a lake, but it's as deep as an ocean. Shenmue 1 was more like the Atlantic. Shenmue 2 was the Pacific, but Shenmue 3 is more like the Sea of Japan, but still offers a lot.
 
That's the one thing that people like SEW conveniently overlooks about Shenmue III. While it's definitely not my favorite in the series either, it was quite apparent after about an hour of playing that the SOUL of Shenmue is there and very much alive in Shenmue III. That reason alone kept me playing through it despite my many criticisms of the game.

It's that same reason why I'm optimistic Shenmue IV will be better. Because for all the improvements it needs to make from III, the one thing they need to continue is to have the Soul of Shenmue in the sequel. Which I think many here are confident will transfer to Shenmue IV.
 
Yes, there are some things I saw in Shenmue III that can be improved. Much of Suzuki’s staff wasn’t familiar with Unreal Engine and now they have the experience (if he can maintain the same team), they sky is the limit. Can grappling come back? I suppose that’s in the cards but if it can’t, though I may be disappointed, it’s not a make or break for me.
 
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