Shenmue III Reviews
Shenmue 3's real strength is in the way that it suggests a different way of looking at the very storytelling of videogames.
Will you like Shenmue III? I can't say. This is likely the last new game I'll play before the year ends, and it's a sure win for my Game of the Year. Shenmue III spoke to me on a level few games have. I thought about giving it a 10/10, even began gearing myself up to argue that with my editor. But Shenmue isn't perfect. It defies real perfection, because life is imperfect. Shenmue III is knobby and requires tremendous, repetitive effort before it gives up the special, unique warmth.
With this new entry, only 40 percent of the entire Shenmue story has been told according to the game’s creator. While Shenmue III doesn’t move the plot as far as I’d like, I’m hungry for more.
The game fulfills a vision of steadfast humanity within the framework of a martial arts revenge tale.
Shenmue III isn’t for everyone, but anyone who was waiting for it will be amazed at how perfectly it captures the gameplay, atmosphere, and world of Shenmue so many years later.
Shenmue III feels like a remake of the Dreamcast game that never existed, for better and worse. It's got everything fans loved about the Sega classics, along with some of their baggage. Still, the best of the series is the greatest it's ever been. It can feel as bloated as the originals, and some mechanics feel unnecessary or are poorly explained. If you're curious about that fabled Shenmue charm, though? This is the best entry to date.
A throwback to be appreciated.
A seamless continuation of the series that makes up for its limitations with pure heart. It's like Ryo never left us.
A magnificent, authentic, totally uncompromised sequel that crucially ignores virtually every gaming trend of the past 18 years.
Picking up exactly where the Shenmue franchise left off in 2001, Shenmue 3 is a marvel of persistence and vision.
Shenmue III has some issues and it is not a game for everyone, but, if you enjoyed the two first games and you know what kind of game this is, it will satisfy you, as far as gameplay, setting and plot are quite good and remain loyal to Dreamcast era. It was worth waiting eighteen years. Now the question is: when will we be able to play Shenmue IV?
Review in Spanish | Read full review
With Shenmue III, we are offered a glimpse into a gifted mind, constantly turning the everyday into play.
Is Shenmue III dated? Absolutely, but the game proves that, like most genres, open-world adventures still have a thing or two to learn from the past. Shenmue III isn't always as player-friendly as it could be, but its lively, uniquely-handcrafted world is truly absorbing. Here's hoping this isn't the end of Ryo and Yu Suzuki's epic journey.
Shenmue 3 is an uncompromising love letter to fans of the original games, make no question about it. If you weren't on board before, then this will do little to sway your opinion, as modern conventions have been largely ignored in favour of preserving a 20-year-old experience. While it's not perfect, Shenmue 3 is about as solid of a sequel as we could have expected after all this time.
Shenmue III had to noticeably cut some corners, but is a true sequel with some new tricks up its sleeve. Newcomers will likely not really get what the fuss is about, but this is a very enjoyable game that I think will be appreciated more as time goes by.
If you’ve never played a Shenmue game, that honestly might give you trouble. But if you have played Shenmue, then you’ll feel like you’ve come home with Shenmue 3.
Shenmue IIII pushes its epic story forward while holding firmly onto dated concepts, game design, and narrative presentation, but it will likely please die-hard fans of the series. Everyone else, meanwhile, might wonder what all the fuss is about.
For better or worse, Shenmue 3 is a blast from the past. It's a beautiful world marred only by its insistence to stay the same.
A direct continuation of a classic series that acts like it's still the early 2000s, for better or worse! For returning fans this is precisely what you wanted. It's possible for newcomers to enjoy but you should probably play the originals first.
Shenmue 3 is an acquired taste, very acquired, but it’s everything I ever wanted it to be. As a Shenmue sequel it’s fan-pleasing perfection. As an actual game it leaves some things to be desired: combat is clunky , facial animations are unpleasing and there are numerous translation oddities. However, at the end of the day, it’s a game I’ve awaited for years and I’m far from disappointed.