Then there was the behemoth of them all, the stuff of gaming legends that no one believed would ever come to fruition.
E3 SHENMUE 3 FULL
Three full E3 shows later and the title appears to be no closer to actual release, Square Enix placing listings to recruit “core members” as late as 2018. The long-teased and highly-requested remake of Final Fantasy VII was confirmed to be an actual project, receiving an overly enthusiastic standing ovation from the audience.
18 months later, it went on to receive tepid reception from journalists and fans alike, most generally agreeing that it under-delivered on what was promised almost a decade ago. The Last Guardian was finally revived and proudly previewed for PS4, rising from what had previously been a comatose state of development hell. I didn’t head into Shenmue 3 with high expectations due to its budget but the game still failed to meet even those lowered expectations.Among other things at Sony’s E3 2015 press conference, three huge announcements stood out from the rest. It’s a game that I could only enjoy in spurts since so much of my experience was marred by mediocre, repetitive gameplay, terrible characters, and a disappointing, meandering plot. With all this said, Shenmue 3 is a game that I wished I loved or at least liked. The game’s environments look like they should be full of life but actually playing in them doesn’t invoke the sense that this is a living, breathing world. That said, these environments lack immersion since so many of the NPCs don’t really do much of anything. Despite clearly being a budget game, Shenmue 3’s environments are truly stunning at times. Niaowu has similarly impressive visuals with its highly detailed building interiors, slick city streets, and colorful pagodas. Bailu’s lush green fields, beautiful blue rivers, and simple, homely houses create a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere. Speaking of Bailu, both the village and the city of Niaowu look fantastic.
E3 SHENMUE 3 UPGRADE
The worst parts of the game were whenever I had to look for herbs to exchange for skill books in order to upgrade Ryo’s attack power or participate in fighting tournaments in the hope of being awarded a skill book. On paper, this upgrade system seems like a great way to immerse players into the role of a disciplined martial artist like Ryo but in practice it acted as a roadblock multiple times since you’re basically forced to grind until Ryo’s stats are good enough to beat up enemies and progress the plot. These can be bought from pawn shops or exchanged for sets of specific items such as capsule toys and herbs. At first, Ryo has a few default moves that he can practice to raise his Attack power but you’ll eventually run out of moves to practice and will need to acquire skill books. The Endurance stat can be leveled up with endurance exercises but the Attack stat won’t improve unless Ryo practices fighting moves in sparring sessions. Ryo also has Attack and Endurance stats that you’ll need to upgrade throughout the game. Whenever Ren and Ryo are paired together, Shenmue 3’s dialogue actually becomes unironically entertaining since these two polar opposite personalities bounce off each other so well. Other characters are similarly uninteresting aside from the mischievous thief Ren, voiced by Greg Chun. Instead, he insists that she’s been doing enough already despite all evidence to the contrary. Eventually, Shenhua tells Ryo that she plans on working to help him raise the money he needs but he then tells her that she doesn’t have to work. Since Shenhua is a character with very little agency, her relationship with Ryo ends up feeling shallow and Ryo barely has to interact with her throughout the game.įor instance, there’s a late-game plot beat where Ryo needs to raise an exorbitant amount of money in order to buy an old martial arts book. It’s honestly bizarre how poorly the game handles their relationship. When the two are together, their dialogue often lacks any chemistry or spark due to how perfunctory and bland their conversations are. Meanwhile, Shenhua, voiced by Brianna Knickerbocker, is a passive, unmemorable character who spends most of the game just sitting around and having Ryo do everything despite her missing father’s life possibly being in danger. Ryo, voiced by a returning Corey Marshall, is as dull and monotone as he was in previous games and only occasionally shows actual personality.
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