Would you take a 'dumbed-down' Shenmue 4 over the alternative?

mjqjazzbar

mjqjazzbar

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Expanding on a post in another thread. If you were given the following choices, which would be your preference?

1. Shenmue assets, music and gameplay from Shenmue 3 to tell the remainder of the Shenmue story. There might be a tweak here or there, but you're gonna turn it on and know you're playing not much more than an expansion of Shenmue 3

2. Telltale Shenmue. Decrease most interactivity and now Shenmue is essentially a visual novel with some light gameplay touches. Combat is a nonstarter.

3. Change the genre entirely. Hire a competent studio to make a brawler with quality cutscenes, but with gameplay that mostly focuses mostly on combat. We're four games into the series now; shouldn't action take precedent over investigation anyway? Give Shenmue the Spikeout or Streets of Rage 4 treatment and see what happens; you'll probably pick up a few casuals along the way. I'm sure these games cost way more to develop than I could ever imagine, so maybe it's a nonstarter... Maybe the Battle Rally engine could be tweaked a bit? Sega has so many talented companies to out-source their franchises to these days....

What other ideas do you have? My least favorite outcome for Shenmue is an anime, manga or novelization. I want to play Shen ue. I want to listen to Shenmue music. I want to see Shenmue ambience.
 
Option 1, for sure. I would be more than happy with that.

If even that weren't feasible, I wouldn't be totally distraught by a manga, with art by Miyawaki, or just having the original novels released. Anything else, and my interest level drops off severely.
 
I would even be okay if they just went back and used the assists from Shenmue 1 and 2 and used its engine to make Shenmue 4. but it would be a waste since they have all the assists from Shenmue 3, we don't need 4 to have better graphics then 3, just create the minimum amount of new assists and reuse what is already there and for the music I'm cool with every song from 1, 2, or 3 being reused to cut down on costs, well every song but this one

It sounds to much like the Willy Wonka theme at times and I hate it


but to change Genre completely to a Brawler, Visual Novel, or a Telltale like game at that point I would rather the medium just change from VideoGame to a Manga/Comic/Novel/Movie/Anime/OVA ETC. I know its not the popular opinion but If I'm not in full control of everything its just not a Shenmue game to me.
 
I just don't have much interest in Shenmue as a non-interactive piece of media. I think accepting Shenmue as a brawler would make sense 4 games into the series, with Ryo's martial arts skills as high as they've ever been. Throw in some training and adventure elements, and it'd work for me. Certainly not the outcome I'd prefer above all other outcomes, but one I could accept.

I'd take any of the three options suggested in my post, but option 1 & 3 are the most appealing to me right now. I have little interest in the Telltale treatment. I'm looking forward to some real action now.
 
I'd play a Shenmue spin off brawler all day, but as the main series, i find the joy of virtual tourism too strong. Planning my day is the true Shenmue slice of life experience and no other series does it as well. The mix of exploration, jobs, fighting, arcade visiting through a realistic passage of time and dynamic and often beautiful weather too good.
 
I wouldn't mind if they leave the original outline, improvise a new ending, and finished the series with 1 more game and 2 towns. I don't want a bad Shenmue game though, to me that's what your description would be. Shenmue needs explorable towns.
 
If push came to shove I could accept scenario 1, maybe scenario 2. Anything else and I’d rather the story remained unfinished.
 
I think that even with a low budget they can improve the Shenmue 3 formula a bit.

-On Ps5 they can increase fps, boost visual quality a bit, get more npc on screen and remove tedious pop ups

- When it comes to the fighting engine, Add more animations, Throwmoves and parry moves and improve collisions

- Better writing

- Remove the food system for normal walking and running

- If Sega steps in they could provide some more classic arcade games like Outrun.
 
I think that even with a low budget they can improve the Shenmue 3 formula a bit.

-On Ps5 they can increase fps, boost visual quality a bit, get more npc on screen and remove tedious pop ups

- When it comes to the fighting engine, Add more animations, Throwmoves and parry moves and improve collisions

- Better writing

- Remove the food system for normal walking and running

- If Sega steps in they could provide some more classic arcade games like Outrun.
 
Absolutely.

I'd take a visual novel. It doesn't mean that a game can't still happen afterwards. I know I'm gonna get hate, but just know I'm a huge fan, and I have a copy from the first japanese shipment from 1999 that I bought myself.

And I just cannot wait a for a new game. And I don't mean that in a "I'm excited" way. I literally can't wait. I want to know the rest of the story. It doesn't even need video or pictures. Just release the story in text form and I'll be super happy.
 
I choose option 3 with a twist. Use the Dragon Engine from Yakuza to finish the Shenmue series. Keep voice acting though.
 
BruceWayne911 said:
I choose option 3 with a twist. Use the Dragon Engine from Yakuza to finish the Shenmue series. Keep voice acting though.
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This is what I want. I know it may be blasphemous but I just want the Yakuza team to make Shenmue. Looking at Judgement, they could still incorporate the investigative elements of Shenmue with no problem
 
I was thinking something more linear, but I suppose that’s an option. I just don’t see how a Yakuza Shenmue would be much easier to pull off on a shoestring budget unless it completely recycled RGG’s other assets. I also can’t see how they’d handle it without tons of humor, which would be a jarring tone shift for Shenmue.

If Sega completely reinvented Shenmue from the very beginning, which seems very unlikely, then maybe I could see it...but that’s not what I want. Any of these options would ideally keep the tone and plot of the series in tact.
 
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No. 1 sounds fine. I could live with no. 2 if that was the only option.

No. 3 I just don't think would work. Shenmue as a combat-heavy game, as in beating up dudes 90% of the time with no real exploration, wouldn't be Shenmue at all. Same goes for almost any other "cheap" genre-specific game types I can think of.

A walking sim might be the closest you could get, but that's only one step removed from no. 2 anyway.
 
If there were no other options and it was between whatever they put out or nothing I would take any compromise that continued the story.

If we are looking at the options above only I would probably lean towards 2. It's not my preferred format but it would at least streamline the story to a conclusion.
 
I will go wherever Yu's vision goes regardless of the medium it's expressed in. However, given the options proposed, I would go with option one. While I believe Shenmue III's framework is flawed it's definitely solid enough. I believe a potential Shenmue IV could easily rectify issues such as animations or improving combat. My problems with Shenmue III were less about game design and more about being a lackluster experience for me. Something you don't need a forty-seven million dollar budget for.
 
Tsukuyomimagi99 said:
I will go wherever Yu's vision goes regardless of the medium it's expressed in. However, given the options proposed, I would go with option one. While I believe Shenmue III's framework is flawed it's definitely solid enough. I believe a potential Shenmue IV could easily rectify issues such as animations or improving combat. My problems with Shenmue III were less about game design and more about being a lackluster experience for me. Something you don't need a forty-seven million dollar budget for.
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The only place I'll never follow Shenmue to is comics, manga or novels. If Yu wants to offload a few chapters into manga or novel to make Shenmue 4&5 easier I'm down, I still want Shennue 4&5 in video game format.

Shenmue does not have a deep complex storyline, its just a tale about revenge. What makes Shenmue so special is its intricate gameplay mechanics. Shenmue is such a different game that even if its core mechanics are outdated you still can't change them, because in essence in doing so it would no longer be Shenmue. IMO
 
I wouldn’t say it’s just a tale about revenge, I think by Shenmue 2 it evolved into something more. (Uncovering the secrets behind the mirrors, the prophecy, shenhua’s potential, etc) revenge is the main motive but there’s so much surrounding it that I personally can‘t consider Shenmue a typical revenge story
 
This is such a funny post, you clearly think that the third option is the best and everyone is excited for the first. I'm excited for the first as well, and I hope that's what Shenmue 4 ends up being (new music, obviously, but reused assets could go super far in other areas).
 
The Hero Spot said:
I wouldn’t say it’s just a tale about revenge, I think by Shenmue 2 it evolved into something more. (Uncovering the secrets behind the mirrors, the prophecy, shenhua’s potential, etc) revenge is the main motive but there’s so much surrounding it that I personally can‘t consider Shenmue a typical revenge story
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I think it could be a tale of revenge, but not just between Ryo and Lan Di, like the CYM want the treasure, retribution against the old empire that cast them out (maybe killed Shenhua's parents), or Sun wants revenge against Tentei because Lan Di was the favourite. I think revenge and retribution could tie it all together, that's why Shenhua's closeness to nature is so important, because she's so above all this historical crap her ancestors may have got tied up with.
 
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