The Shenmue 3 Review Thread

NeoSnk said:
5.9 is a red mark! 6.0 is yellow.
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I dont get what you mean? Like on metacritic? Cause no its still yellow its below 5 thats considered red, if you mean like on an overall grading standard, then anything below 70 is generally considered failing anyway or at the very best, really unsatisfactory.

its a 1/100th bit worse, it really makes no difference.
 
Been keeping an eye on YouTube and I've no idea how I missed this excellent review posted four days ago.


Never heard of GrizGaming before but he's done well with this video getting over 40k views. He explains the general history of Shenmue for anyone unfamiliar and talks about what newcomers may like about Shenmue 3.
 
Fuck, I just realised the guy that did IGN S3 review is Kyle Hilliard. The same KH formerly of GameInformer. I know because I watched their old letsplay Shenmue 1 vid not long ago. Go and watch it, you'll know what I mean, if you haven't already. I really didn't think he'd be so harsh. So that laughing while they were playing S1 wasn't because it was a charming old DC game, it was because he was being a wee condescending prick.
 
Hmm, it does seem as though the IGN review applied only for the PC version. I know you guys stated it would update on the PS4 versions as well, but it hasn't so far.
 
Kupo said:
Fuck, I just realised the guy that did IGN S3 review is Kyle Hilliard. The same KH formerly of GameInformer. I know because I watched their old letsplay Shenmue 1 vid not long ago. Go and watch it, you'll know what I mean, if you haven't already. I really didn't think he'd be so harsh. So that laughing while they were playing S1 wasn't because it was a charming old DC game, it was because he was being a wee condescending prick.
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You could like....read his review instead of flinging personal attacks, his main problem with the game seems far more to be the lack of story progression and the combat of 3 itself
 
jsh020 said:
if it needs to pull a yakuza 2 and drop the dub then maybe, but I think if they are getting that strapped for cash anyway shenmue 4 just straight up wouldnt be happening anyway. Like thats stuff super small games do that break even at like 20,000 copies and only expect to sell about little over that do such as digimon cyber sleuth of the new atelier games or whatever (granted ryza has tapped into that horny advertisement so the next one might aford a dub). I mean even yakzua eventually went back to adding a dub 2 games ago (fotns and judgement)

personally I dont want them to remove the dub, I just want them to actually try with it and above all a better translation anyway, some of this shit is truly awful and translates stuff so literally when you cannot translate japanese to english literally without it breaking the language. I dont blame the actors at all, I fully blame whoever was the adr person.
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My hope is that Shenmue IV comes back to Sega and then Atlus handles the localization. Even Indie games nowadays are getting acceptable acting performances (though to be fair, a lot of those are developed in the Western market). Just no excuse for this at all, and if it's intentional it's a huuuuuuuuuuge miscalculation.

Also, I don't want to come across as confrontational but I get a bit annoyed at the sentiment here that anyone who doesn't like Shenmue is just a dude-bro or a doesn't like "games as art", or any of those similar thoughts. The gaming landscape has changed a lot and there are a ton of slower paced games that are well reviewed and popular. We probably have the most variety of gaming experiences in this industries history.

I do think Shenmue is different from anything I've ever played and Shenmue II is my favorite game of all-time, but I don't think that anyone who doesn't like the series is a moron. I also don't think I'm some special being who's on a higher plane of existence just because I love these games.
 
Tomato Convenience Store said:
My hope is that Shenmue IV comes back to Sega and then Atlus handles the localization. Even Indie games nowadays are getting acceptable acting performances (though to be fair, a lot of those are developed in the Western market). Just no excuse for this at all, and if it's intentional it's a huuuuuuuuuuge miscalculation.
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If they get Scott who does the yakuza games from 5 and up (sole exception of him not being involved was fotns) to do the translation or even assist then we'd have some spectacular localization, Like keep in mind thats the guy that worked overtime with his team to make 2 different scripts one for the japanese track and one for the English track for judgement cause he wanted both the sub to be authentic and the dub to have a more natural sounding english track, that man is dedicated to make a damn good translation and then some. I think we all want sega to be involved in 4, but I just dont see them going near the series especially if 3 doesnt do great

Tomato Convenience Store said:
Also, I don't want to come across as confrontational but I get a bit annoyed at the sentiment here that anyone who doesn't like Shenmue is just a dude-bro or a doesn't like "games as art", or any of those similar thoughts. The gaming landscape has changed a lot and there are a ton of slower paced games that are well reviewed and popular. We probably have the most variety of gaming experiences in this industries history.

I do think Shenmue is different from anything I've ever played and Shenmue II is my favorite game of all-time, but I don't think that anyone who doesn't like the series is a moron. I also don't think I'm some special being who's on a higher plane of existence just because I love these games.
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Oh my god yes, I hate that elitist crap, like its fine to not like shenmue its not something to do with only liking big dumb action games or some shit. Even then theres nothing wrong with that different strokes for different folks.
 
jsh020 said:
I don't think you really understand what he was saying at all, your not just putting words into his mouth, your starting and finishing an entirely different conversation than what hes talking about and somehow getting offended by the topic you started.

Like man he wasnt even specifically talking about ign but modern perceptions overall let alone anything close to cod, the fuck you even on about.
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Exactly. Thank you.

Most of us who are on this site probably love this series and by default we are biased towards it. Shenmue 3 is a love letter to the people who love the original ones and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. That being said, we are a very small minority compared to the audience that IGN caters to which is the modern gaming world. Whether or not you like that, it's a fact. A game should stand on its own. Swap out Shenmue 3 with literally any other game that you come across on a GameStop shelf. I highly doubt you'd be defending it with all these excuses and relying on nostalgia from 20 years ago.

Once again, I love Shenmue 3 and am having a blast with it. I'm also mature enough to comprehend it's short comings as a modern game.
 
jsh020 said:
You could like....read his review instead of flinging personal attacks, his main problem with the game seems far more to be the lack of story progression and the combat of 3 itself
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I did read the review before I posted ( how else would I know it was him ). My point still stands. In what world does that read like a 5.9? Since that's the case, then it doesn't justify the score he gave, does it, would you agree Yes/No?
 
Kupo said:
I did read the review before I posted ( how else would I know it was him ). My point still stands. In what world does that read like a 5.9? Since that's the case, then it doesn't justify the score he gave, does it, would you agree Yes/No?
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Jesus its just a different opinion, he wasn't lying or being disingenuous, hell he took the time to finish the game evne if it'd be a few days late he just expressed that the game wasnt good for him. It reads like far worse of a 5.9 cause he didnt have many if any positives, if anything he seems to be generous.

I mean come on we have got to have more backbone than to fling personal insults over a guy not liking a video game.
 
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Kupo said:
I did read the review before I posted ( how else would I know it was him ). My point still stands. In what world does that read like a 5.9? Since that's the case, then it doesn't justify the score he gave, does it, would you agree Yes/No?
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A lot of the reviews read more positive than the scores they give imo. It's like a reverse Death Stranding situation.
 
I see that a lot of people in here don't have a favorable opinion towards the dub which is completely understandable given how awkward and unnatural it sounds, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a mistake. Dunno about you guys, but I see the route they've taken as an homage to the old martial arts films with bad dubbing and that makes it all the more endearing for me. I might just have a weird taste though.
 
jsh020 said:
Jesus its just a different opinion, he wasn't lying or being disingenuous, hell he took the time to finish the game evne if it'd be a few days late he just expressed that the game wasnt good for him. It reads like far worse of a 5.9 cause he didnt have many if any positives, if anything he seems to be generous.

I mean come on we have got to have more backbone than to fling personal insults over a guy not liking a video game.
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Just to be clear, my insult was to do with the letsplay, not the review. You're right, it is just his opinion. I respect that, we all have one. Not the 5.9. Why not round it to a 6 ( they class that as "okay" rating ) The thing is most people don't read reviews. They skim to the bottom to find the score, which as you know is pretty crap, mediocre, to be precise.
 
Kupo said:
Just to be clear, my insult was to do with the letsplay, not the review. You're right, it is just his opinion. I respect that, we all have one. Not the 5.9. Why not round it to a 6 ( they class that as "okay" rating ) The thing is most people don't read reviews. They skim to the bottom to find the score, which as you know is pretty crap, mediocre, to be precise.
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I totally agree with this comment, not round it to 6 is ridiculous.
 
taciturngreyhound said:
I see that a lot of people in here don't have a favorable opinion towards the dub which is completely understandable given how awkward and unnatural it sounds, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a mistake. Dunno about you guys, but I see the route they've taken as an homage to the old martial arts films with bad dubbing and that makes it all the more endearing for me. I might just have a weird taste though.
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Obviously you're entitled to your opinion on this, but whenever I read this argument I always feel that it's some sort of coping mechanism. My counter argument is that intentionally bad dubbing is the antithesis to the high production values, thought out story, and attention to detail the series is known for. These games were never cheesy martial arts flicks turned into video games, but the dubbing definitely presents it that way.

The dubbing was barely passable in Shenmue 1 and 2, even for its time. I understand that localizing the VO in a Japanese game was somewhat new back then, but some games pulled it off pretty well (MGS 1). Sure, there were some unintentional endearing moments in Shenmue 1, but to try to intentionally replicate this in Shenmue 3 seems forced and makes this game look like a joke.
 
Yeah, saying the dubbing is bad on purpose is a hell of a stretch, with all respect. Saying it's an homage to old martial arts films doesn't hold any water, since the English dubbing on these games doesn't replicate any of the other nuances of those. It's just bad dubbing.

Some of the conversation trees don't make a lot of sense, either. But since I don't speak Japanese, I'm not sure if that's inherent to the original game, or a translation issue.

I've been reading some of these reviews, and the negative points they're making don't make a ton of sense to me - except for the audio. If they're playing in English (and I bet most of these reviewers are), I understand why their reception would be so lukewarm.
 
Yokosuka said:
I wouldn't mind if they wrote the game was poorly executed and lacked of content, because it's true. But the argument about "ignoring the trends" is the perfect way to demonstrate you're a complete tool.
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Given that most publishers seem to be trending towards rehashing the same game time and time again (FIFA, COD, Assasins Creed, etc), I’d say that S3 very much reflects other modern game franchises.

The only way that it really bucks the trend is by not forcing micro transactions down the player’s throat and holding their hand every step of the way through the game, and I think it’s a better game for that.

It certainly has its flaws, but refusing to conform isn’t one of them.
 
The fact that I've seen so many reviews for Shenmue III mention the terrible combat of the first two games is a complete and utter joke that shows these monkeys never got it. The combat in the first two games (SII in particular) is actually rather good once you learn it. Shenmue II's combat is beautiful. The problem with the original games combat being bad comes down to the end user and the end user not getting it.

I read the IGN review. Like actually read it. Some of the complaints in there I do actually agree with and some left me scratching my head over. In terms of general plot and QTE's? I actually kind of agree with his points there. The storytelling in 3 is....decent at best, but could have been MUCH better.

As I've mentioned in the Spoiler forum, it feels like they're giving us filler as opposed to a delicious steak. At this point in the game, I guess I wanted more than just bread crumbs. I'm not down on the game entirely and I'm still playing (haven't finished it yet)...the story structure is what I expected from it but I do feel character development is my let down as a whole in III. It's a bit of a mixed bag because I really feel the conversations with Shenhua in Bailu added a ton of interesting moments between Ryo and Shenhua but other characters kind of fell by the way side.

As for QTE's? I think QTE's are WAY better in the older games. In the older games, the QTE's were awesome because of how they dynamically changed. If you failed a prompt, it didn't just fail you, it changed the progress of the scene but kept the scene flowing. Whereas in III, you fail a QTE and you're made to repeat it completely. Bit disappointing. Again, I know, budget constraints, but I will say the IGN US review maybe has a point about the QTE's. I liked the QTE's of the first two games much better and am kind of glad they've been really minimal in III thus far.

Those are the two major points I would agree with in that review.

Combat? Like I said above, he mentions the first two games had mediocre combat. In what world is the VIrtua Fighter engine mediocre? As for SIII? I don't think the combat is that bad once you get the hang of it. It's rough around the edges and could be FAR better with refinement. But it's not bad. I've actually had a lot of fun with it after learning its strengths and weaknesses.

But most people I've seen playing it in streams are all more concerned with bum-rushing enemies with constant attacks and button mashing and then complaining when it doesn't work because the enemies punish them. Because everything about this system still has obvious frame data to it. You can't play it that way...you kind of have to bait your opponents out and catch 'em. That's when I've found it works best and had the most fun with it. I don't think the combat is the greatest combat I've ever seen...but it's far from terrible. I've really kind of been digging it with the more time I put into it.

I don't think that review reads as a 5.9 though...it reads more like a 6.5 at best. I can guarantee he was rushing right through the game..if you're rushing through the game then I can very easily see the disappointment as the story telling beat to beat hasn't been great so far. And I feel like that's what most reviewers will do while completely ignoring the interesting aspects of the game (talking to Shenhua at night and developing a friendship of sorts...or just wondering around the village helping people)

Like I said, don't expect anything more from Game Informer either (I think it's safe to say their review will be along the same lines)

And people wonder why there were some of us bracing ourselves for these types of reviews...we knew they were coming. The thing is if you look past the score and read his review it doesn't sound too bad. But that's the problem with numbers. It's all anyone wants to see.
 
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