Shenmue 3 is a perfect sequel. | Review & Analysis
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- Опубликовано: 21 дек 2024
- Shenmue 3 lets me experience another world and another life with relatively little compromise. It's a shockingly rare thing in our medium.
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#shenmue
![Shenmue - Behind the Scenes (Project Berkley / Virtua Fighter RPG) [Making of]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9Mpe3Yv4xfk/mqdefault.jpg)
"Life goes at its own pace, not at your pace." That hits hard.
thank you for this!
i felt like i was one of the few who WASN'T disappointed by 3. i thoroughly enjoyed my time with it- feeling ryo get stronger, rising the ranks in competitions, finding the emotional core with shenhua, exploring every inch of the map for herbs (in my mind, you're actually helping the village by giving them easier access to medicine!), fantastic music and beautiful views, and so much more
it's not my favorite in the trilogy but it still deserves so much more
I love shenmue. I play Yakuza because of Shenmue.
Haha me too and I love both
It's so nice to see that there are still people who understand this game. ☺We may not be many, but I am honored to be a part of this community. Great review man!👏
either u are a shenmue guy or not it was that way in 2000 2001 too and i like shenmue 3
i went from dreamcast to shenmue 3 the graphics are amazing to me great draw distance
yhe people shenmue 3 were intended for are guys like me outside playing the sega xmas nights theme song😂
It's funny how people only find a review great when it validates their opinion.
Really great review! I especially liked the bit near the end where you say if Ryo had slowed down and trained with Master Sun he likely would have taught Ryo the reverse body check. That's a great bit of Shenmue showing it's phlosophy through it's storytelling that I overlooked until now. A lot of the discourse around the series and this game in particular seems pretty shallow so it's nice to see a review talking about the themes that the games are really going for.
I'm glad you liked it
Cracking video. Well done.
Thank you
Thank you! Shenmue is my favorite Video Game Franchise of All-Time. Shenmue IV_Ever!
What a phenomenal vid! Great discussion on an amazing game, Shenmue 3 existing still feels like a dream. #LetsGetShenmue4
i love it
Small RUclips channel absolutely nails Shenmue 3. Thanks for a fantastic review. I'll never understand those reviewers who say "I loved the first two but not this one". I don't think they understood them in the first place. They simply can't have.
Yeah, it seems like some folks primarily enjoyed the first two for their impressive production value and not their themes
I remember Yu Suzuki mentioning not too long after the release of Shenmue 2 that Shenmue 3 would be, to quote him, "more internal", compared to the second game. The end of Shenmue 2 was clearly the introduction to that. I just think that a much higher budget for Shenmue 3 would have allowed him and his team to execute some aspects better.
What a wonderful video.
Thank you for this.
I'm glad you enjoyed it
Thank you for this. Thank you really. Let's hope that Shenmue 4 sees the light of the day, one step at the time, through the mountains.
It's good to see amongst all the negative opinions out there that some people enjoyed this game as much as I did. I hope we get another entry someday.
Really greatfull that from time to time another youtuber understands what the Shenmue series is all about and how it gives players such a unique experience unlike any other in the videogame world.
It is a shame how few folks listen to what the games have to say. But I love Shenmue deeply for what it is
Really enjoyed this review/analysis and your fresh take on the third game.
Glad to hear
Was finally able to watch this, awesome video. Thank you ❤
I'm glad it connected with you
Never thought of it that way. I've finished Shenmue 3 and I enjoyed most of it, but I did try speeding things up a little at times. Your video makes me wanna play it again and just go at a more leisurely pace.
The whole idea of forgoing vengeance is explored quite well in Star Trek: The Next Generation with Alexander, Worf's son. In a late episode, an elderly version of him goes back in time to try to change his younger self into more of a warrior, in a desperate attempt to fix a percieved mistake. When he finally admits why he's really there to Worf, (which is that he became the first Klingon politician and worked to unite the warring houses of Qu'on'os, and the other houses saw that as weakness and tried to kill him, which resulted in Worf's death) Worf's response is just "Dude, that's awesome. That's a really good goal, and I would happily give my life to see it done. You did absolutely nothing wrong."
Good episode that doesn't get mentioned much.
Everything I needed to know in life I learned from star trek.
Lol
You've definitely realized the purpose of Shenmue. I can tell you really paid attention when playing the games. With that said, Shenmue 3 still could of given gamers a wayyyyyyy better pay off when meeting Lan Di at the end. The 30 second "fight" was a profound mistake. We should of been treated with a longer session of battle with Lan Di. The main lessons and morals that you speak about could of still been executed. We didn't have to kill Lan Di in that confrontation, but an intense cinematic battle with moments of QTE , that was a missed opportunity.
Remember, a lot of players aren't THAT immersed or fimiliar with the wider, deeper themes of Shenmue.
And even the players that were there in the Dreamcast days felt cheated. Sentimental attachments aside
I know most people aren't immersed in the themes, but I don't think the game was made for those people, or should've been
The game definitely had its issues and they made choices.I wouldn't have but In all honesty Im just so happy they made it after so many years when I had given up on the possibility.
I think if you rush through Shenmue III, you'll inevitably have a bad time with it. My first playthrough took me at least a month. I figured I waited 18 years for it I most well savour the experience. And I had a genuinely great time with it. Yes, it has its issues. I miss the VF combat (although I don't think the combat in III is terrible...it just needed more time to develop). But as far as the Shenmue experience goes? I thought they pretty much nailed the day to day routine and in some ways did it better than the first two games. Like you, I just enjoyed living in this world day to day and I savoured my time with it. Sure, I wish there was more lore dropped than there was...but in terms of the actual Shenmue experience? I thought they mostly nailed it.
I got back to this video every couple of months--it's absolutely beautiful.
I wouldnt call it perfect but worthy. Nice video.
Currently replaying Shenmue 3 after a long period has passed and have a totally different experience around this time. Was curious if others feel the same after some time has passed. You nailed the vibe i am having now. The 3rd game is really awesome.
It is a very unique experience
I've seen others mention the same. I personally appreciated the game for what it was considering the budget and his new, less experienced team. I didn't dislike it as many did but didn't think the general flow of the game was as compelling compared to the others. I know that they couldn't add more cutscenes or the third promised area because of money though. But when I started replaying last year (with DLC), I noticed that I got even more into the atmosphere than the first time around.
Great video--all accurate points about Shenmue III and the series as a whole.
Thank you
Great review! If more people thought like this, we'd have shenmue 4 already.
Thank you. The game's eastern philosophy doesn't click with too many western gamers, but I think it's quite special
Shenmue is more than a game to me and you just explained why i love shenmue better than i could have myself.
Great review. I agree with almost everything.
Glad you enjoyed
I used to play shenmue 2 on the xbox n loved the game, loved the pace of the game , the graphics etc miss playing it tbh
Love this series replaying it on my PS5
great review.
I love you.
When Shenmue 1 came out in in the late 90s. There was nothing in console gameing that looked as even half as good as shenmue 1 did. The only game i can think of that was as close to it was half life. But by the time 3 was out. The Yakuza/like a dragon series was already what people wanted in a modern shenmue game. Shenmue was good in its day. But after three im glad its dead
I can't imagine playing Shenmue for its graphics, and the Yakuza series plays nothing like a Shenmue game
The stamina system and the new combat system ruined the game for me
The stamina system is to force players to slow down and think about their choices more, explore by buying food and looking at the scenery instead of rushing place to place
@@AddyLovestar I don't know if I agree with thinking about their choices more, there's a goal in the game, and I know how to complete it, but the stamina system makes completing that goal such a hassle. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if the combat system wasn't so forced on you.
That was such a wonderful video! Extremely well articulated and 100% fact 😊
I'm very flattered
Great video , i used to be chinese once , kinda ...
I completely agree. I absolutely think it’s possible to enjoy a quiet and slow-paced atmospheric game like Shenmue so much more than button mashing
What about the gameplay experience?
I discuss the gameplay experience during the video, it is an extension and expression of the themes
great stuff!
Thought part one and two were much better games. The first two used the virtual fighter fighting system. Which was good for its time. The new fighting system doesn't seem responsive...just a lot of button smashing until the fights are done. If Sega and Yu Suzuki could work out something so Yu Suzuki could use the Yakuza fighting system that would greatly up play quality. And I also fealt there definitely should have been a little more story progression. Especially after waiting 20 years for this game. I'm invested in Ryos adventure. Hopefully, we get to see a conclusion one day.
I love the Yakuza series, but its fighting system is just positioning yourself and repeatedly hitting square-square-square-triangle. Shenmue 3's system isn't as deep as 1 & 2, but it is deeper than Yakuza's. I haven't checked out the turn-based titles yet, so maybe that's what you're referring to.
@Zoyous I only played Yakuza 0. You get 3 styles with skill trees to fight with that are all satisfying, responsive and just fun. There's the brawler style, that allows you to pick up things like sign boards and street cones to hit enemies, there's a style called beast and another style called rush style, kind of a low break dancing type of style thats really quick. Your able to shuffle between these different ways of fighting at any time in the game. It does feel arcade like but the original shenmue had that feeling as well because they were using the virtual fighter system. I just think part 4 really has to go in another direction with the fighting system. The button smashing until you win really devalues the game greatly.
I think it is a really cool interactive world. Story wise, shenmue 3 feels like a filler episode.
The entirety of Shenmue is filler, that's the idea
@@AddyLovestar not really. Having a believable world with a linear story is a common trope that the old games balanced really well. The first game, stablishing the world, and second, advancing the story and expanding on scale.
The third one dropped the ball. Focus should've been put into finding that balance, and having priority on the story aspect, because this game had 20 years of hype on it's back, with people hoping on the story advancing at least on a meaningful level.
I love the franchise, i replay the games alot, but i can't deny they're niche. I'm the kind of guy that likes weird games that people dislike, and i defended this game at release, but after multiple playthroughs, it's undeniable that it has alot of grinding and very little in the way of meaningful story.
The story should not have been concluded here, obviously, but it should have a way better hook at the end, to let people thisty for more, just like the second one. I expected it to build on all the grinding and use it at the ending, giving some kind of payoff to the player. Nothing like that happens.
I disagree fundamentally that the old games accomplished those things. Most of the games are spent doing largely everyday nothing in realistic environment as the plot moves at a snail's pace. Plot developments far and away make up the minority of all 3 games
@@AddyLovestar for the first two games, alot of the menial tasks lead to something interesting, like character development and action sequences.
I'm not saying any of the games is quick in the way the story advances. The first one is a detective game in it's essence, and the second is a very exploratory adventure. But the third one has way more empty space and repetition between events. I don't even think that there would be the need for more environments, just more sprinkles of meaningful story here and there would do.
i like that you can play space harrier in the first one
We should all strive to play a variant of Space Harrier
@@AddyLovestar Yeah. Holding out hope someday it'll be easy to play Planet Harrier.
Huh, it's funny. At the time, I thought that the ending to the 3rd game was disappointing and underwhelming, but your explanation of the 3rd game's ending makes a lot of sense. I'm still conflicted over the 3rd game's gameplay, but at least I appreciate how the 3rd game's glacial pace and its ending reinforces the futility of revenge and the significance of the little things in life. This was a good analysis!
I agree personally in shenmue 3 the health bar goes down far to quick and effects you in battle if you don’t carry food items on you but it is a reality of life. I do think some of the story is there to slow the player down far to much and we don’t really move the story on in shenmue 3 from shenmue 2. I hate how difficult it is to get all the move scrolls and some are very expensive
When the game's entire purpose is taking things slow and enjoy life, is there such a thing as slowing the player down too much?
@@AddyLovestar people don’t mind slowing the player down but it’s when the story is slow as well and does not really go anywhere that’s when people get frustrated and when you have to grind for move scrolls
Very nice video and analysis. Shenmue 1 will always be my favorite, but I do love all 3 games.
Shenmue 2 is one of my favorites games ever. What really killed 3 for me was how bad the combat is compared to 2. I can somewhat forgive how little happened in the story. I can’t forgive this total disgrace of a combat system. Like every game before it ends with the friends we made along the way helping us confront the mobs hide out. Unfortunately because the 2 other playable characters were cut we never see why they join only told. This is the greatest failure of Shenmue 3’s story. It’s not all bad the world is super immersive like 1 & 2 and so is the music. 3 is just objectively a massive downgrade compared to 1 & 2 there’s no debate
this game is horrible. Love Shenmue 1 and 2 so this one hurt.
Would you like to talk about why it was horrible? I feel like a conversation is easier if folks go into detail about their preferences
@@AddyLovestar well off the top of my head, the food system was a horrible idea, the fighting was very bad the hits didn’t feel impactful at all could have stuck to the old system for that, the dialog tried too hard to capture the essence of previous Shenmue but just came across as overly bland. Yu Suzuki is still impressed with a game where you can open all the draws but it’s pointless when the majority of them have nothing inside. All together it’s just a very bad game and a horrible return to one of the video games that actually inspired me to become a game developer myself.
@@SWVNGGVNGYou're not lying. I even backed this one, I still didn't enjoy this game at all. I adored the first 2 when they came out too. I think Shenmue is one of those games that fully lives in the era it came out. Add in the nostalgia bias all humans can feel, and it can explain why Shenmue is still appreciated today. I wanted to enjoy this game, but it's an overall bad title.
Great summation. I've always wanted to play these games, (ever since my Dreamcast days). They have a wonderful aesthetic that seems to promise much. But games that try to simulate actual life, have no enjoyment value to me. It must be a very particular type that can extract pleasure from these types of games. Enjoy.
Indeed
You know why you won’t remember the fighting because it was terrible. Shenmue and 2 combat was a modified virtua fighter combat system. Idk what shenmue 3 was.
I don't care for the fighting in shenmue 1/2, either, so I don't think that's why
Exactly lol. There was depth to shenmue combat and i wish there was more combat like random encounters in yakuza because it's so spread out at times. Meanwhile shenmue 3 had no depth. Fans often do this when there's a bad title to appease a specific demo. But this game wasn't good and hurt being a long time fan of the series
@@EddiePReacts Oh God, the random fighting encounters in Yakuza are HORRIBLE and very, very unrealistic. Awful game.
Try Shenmue 3 in VR with UEVR mod its amazing like playing the first 2 games it opens up a whole new window. I just wish I waited as like alot of fans was very dissapointed on release, overexpetations kicked in. Im loving it this time around
To me Shenmue 3 works as a game as the point of the stamina system is meant to remind the player how real life works as you need to eat sleep and work to be at your best well Yakuza is the over the top story of the day well Shenmue is trying and still is being realistic with the players that real life works and you need too see it
I loved the stamina system
i love shenmue 3 very flawed but still breathtaking graphics funny moments and 420 friendly im an oldschool sega nut im happy with it the make u go right to the area when u dont move for a few minutes bs kinda sucks but it isnt everywere ahenmue 3 was as close to the first 2 as possible with the budger 8 outta 10 in my review
The game is terrible though. Regardless of correcting the theme, this game has a fraction of the content previous titles had, you learn the same move multiple times, and there is no depth to the combat. This game needed 2 more years with more developers. The hate was well deserved. 0 innovation and it only takes the worst parts of the old title. This feels revisionist at best. It sucks when fans do this. I hope the devs never see this lol. They need to overhaul the entire title
I've played the original two games alongside this. To call it revisionist would be inaccurate, because the others were fresh in my mind at the time
to say this game has a fraction of the content is just wrong.
#LetsGetShenmue4
I wish the combat was better. The reaction time is delayed... button delay 😂 the first two games did it perfectly. And part 3 is way too slow. The psychic crap..then you have to place bets 🤬 God it takes forever. The first two games had some slow parts; but this one was unbelievable. I hate the storyline too
I feel like you're missing the point of the games a bit
@@AddyLovestar it was boring & slow.. the first two was fun. And the sells proved it too. People didn't like it.
When's the last time you played the first two? Do you remember that sequence where you walk two hours through the forest with Shenhua? How was that not slow?
@@AddyLovestar years ago.. but the story & combat was so good i still remembered it. Part 3 was boring & there's nothing you can say to change my mind. The combat was better in part 2 & 1. Part 3 was too slow. Having to see the psychic over & over to win money was bs. That was a horrible game. The combat was the worst I ever saw in a game in a long time.
🔥
Shenmue 3 needs stutter removed , rebalance and rework. Recons from shenmue 2 was not good for me as the other two were seamless.
You did such a great review until I had to download the game and Subscribe. I had it for a while but put off playing due to all the bad reviews & slow pasting.
But you reminded me of why I loved Shenmue 1&2..They were slow and had parts that were frustrating but once you got though them you felted like you earned it.
I just think the world is too fast past and narrowed minded to appreciate it.
Bro someone kill ya dead you ain't gonna just get on with life while he's out there. lmao
Why? What does worrying about him accomplish? Aren't you just letting him win by thinking so much about him?
@@AddyLovestar No, you are letting him win by letting him just get on as if he hasn't just murdered someone. Now he is just gonna move on to someone else's Dad, I mean if it worked once.
@@HybridEnergyexactly
Lmao!
The video right above this was titled SHENMUE is a terrible game! What a waste!
Lol
Its a perfect game!
Great video !
You should try friends of ringo Ishikawa :)
Thanks for the recommendation, I've added it to my wishlist
I wonder if Shenmue 3 would have came out on Dreamcast in 2003 would it have had Power Drift, G-Loc, and Virtua Racing
I've been thinking about my comment regarding equestria girls review and you know what you don't have to do it but at least make a video on why you don't like sunset shimmer like the rest of the Fandom you can still review equestria girls if you like.
I appreciate your passion for this topic, but when I'm talking about one of my favorite videogames, I'm not really looking to discuss Sunset Shimmer. I'm also not doing this whole "me vs the rest of the fandom" thing. I just dislike a character that most people like, it's not an event. People should be secure in their own enjoyment, regardless of my opinion
@@AddyLovestar okay how about your thoughts on make your mark coming to an end this year while tell your tale being the one and only pony contact in g5 next year?
Still waiting to replay 1 and 2. Ive never played 3
The beginning of the game did gave me a Shenmue feeling, the game just lacked soul. Shenmue 1 and 2 were put together better from start to finish. The 2nd part of the game that level was very ugly and full of death empty streets. The ending part with Lan Di was also the worst. All these techniques Ryo learned and combats he did and nothing changed, did the developers even played Shenmue?
The same director who worked on the first two games made the third, yes. Shenmue is effectively Yu Suzuki's baby. And the whole time, in all three games, everyone is telling Ryo he's too weak for Lan Di
I'm confused why anyone thought Ryo would win. It's only been a few months
Man it saddens me that this video has way less views than Super Eyewolf Patch's terrible video. Absolutely nailed the essence of what makes Shenmue. Loved this video! Thanks for making it.
I think people are just used to game worlds which are for plundering, not for exploring and experiencing, so this is a very stark reminder that our medium can do more than entertain
Negative nitpickers criticize Shenmue 3 but I staunchly defend Shenmue 3 as a great and unique game. Love the ambience of the harbour level.
shenmue 1 and , brilliant, i waited over ten years 18 years for shenmue 3....not buying shenmue 4 if it ever happens
I probably won't be buying Shenmue 4 either, but that's because the director said he'd make it different from 1-3
Perhaps you have found the secret. Shenmu is not a video game it’s an interactive art piece. And that’s exactly how you talk about it. The problem is that isn’t how it’s advertised it’s advertised as a game. One that, while ahead of its time 20 years ago, has stayed the same and even regressed in some ways. That is full of technical and writing errors that could be acceptable in its time but now is only seen in bottom of the barrel shovelware. It’s the equivalent of going to an art museum that charges you a fortune to enter then forces you to paint a picture that is worth hanging in the museum before you actually see anything then after weeks of trying your painting is accepted and you are let in only to see that you were in an performance art piece that expresses the difficulty of being an artist. You can dress up the experience with big words and long winded explanations for what everything represents but in the end, Shenmu 3 is just a banana duck taped to a wall.
Shenmue 3 isbeautiful tranquil heartwarmng after nearly 2 decades its great to me it was made for dreamcast fans we love it
3:43 -- I think to some extent, that's what people completely miss. Most people are not capable of seeing any beauty or meaning in their lives. I certainly know that I don't see much beauty or point in my own life, but that doesn't mean such things aren't really there. Granted, there is also the point, in a video game, that there is no way to be sufficiently immersed in a game to not realize that you're still playing a game, and that this, sadly, comes with expectations.
Anecdote here, but I remember trying to get into Pokemon and working on powering through the story. Unfortunately, the sheer emphasis on collecting and training your pokemon (read, the whole freaking point of the actual gameplay) kept me from getting to anything even remotely interesting, and I just gave up on it because I didn't think it was worth my time. I just lost interest and decided it wasn't for me.
5:23 -- Okay, this is interesting. But I think the biggest obstacle for something like this is the fact that people have a way of valuing their time that's, honestly, really freaking weird when you aren't living it yourself. In our workaday lives, we put ourselves to the grind because we need to do so in order to live. We let ourselves be exploited because no other option exists (unless you're super rich yourself in which case you're the one who benefits the most from exploiting others). As a result, when we do get leisure time, we would rather put that time into doing something that we feel engages us, even if it's just by entertainment. Unfortunately, small talk like in that 2+ hour walk is the sort of thing that keeps many people from going to any large social gatherings that can be avoided. People, by their very nature, tend not to care about the "little things" that don't affect them directly.So as a result, this is inevitably, and tragically, written off as padding.
10:10 -- "...in hopes that maybe one day he'll get it." A certain Futurama clip, one that became a meme, comes to mind with that. Specifically, Bender laughing, saying, "Wait, you're serious? Let me laugh even harder," and then laughing harder. But I don't mean that to mock you by bringing this up. Rather, it's maybe being a little mean to Ryo as an expression of how most people seemingly cannot ever learn to appreciate the little things of life. And to be fair, I'm just as guilty of this inability as all the others I condemn with that sentiment, and am just as condemned by it. i mean, who hasn't fantasized their own "if I were rich" fantasies? Who hasn't felt that they just don't have time for "someone else's shit" like those rambling stories or talk of pretty flowers? Who hasn't decided that some small thing, like a video game, just isn't worth their time? We all do that. Some grow out of this mindset, but many simply can't.
I understand all of that, and sympathize with it. I like to believe we can be better, which is why I do what I do
I have a very strong Supsension of Disbelief, since I've spent my life telling and engaging with stories. I don't generally engage with art to get entertainment, but instead to listen and communicate. I think that's a fundamental change in perspective which makes enjoying art much easier
@@AddyLovestar And to some extent, we communicate with art in very different ways. I like filling in the blanks and speculating, hence why I'm more forgiving of the gaps in the lore of some shows, And I see that as an essential element in Media Literacy (a little something called "subtext").
In contrast, most people simply cannot wrap their minds around the concept of thinking off the page as a part of searching for meaning, and just treat anything that requires them to think about what's not being directly said as incoherent and lazy.
Subtext is also highly important to me. Almost everything I write is made with subtext in mind. Either to encourage thought in others, or inspire their own creative interpretations
I'm not sure a writer exists who hasn't (intentionally or otherwise) included subtext in their work
@@AddyLovestar Well, the snarky A-Hole in me wants to suggest the average "Tell Your Tale" short as an example of subtext not actually existing, but my brother and I tend to think a bit on that and see things in G5 that I feel most folks consistently (or, the more it seems, insistently) miss.
The feeling is lost if i look the new shenmue. Wheres the underground, mystery feeling, ;D by fighting and walking.
i see
Absolutely Not. Absolutely Never.
Would you like to provide counterpoints to the arguments presented in this video?
its like a dreamcast game in modern times❤
Shenmue 3 sucks. It did everything wrong. sad.
shenmue fans like it the fact you dont is great go play the same shooter game year sfter year😂
You sound like Donald Trump making an angry tweet at 3 in the morning
Yu Suzuki asked gamers if they wanted an old school shenmue or they wanted a next gen and the players chose old school,blame it on them. I'm sure if people voted on an updated Shenmue he would've delivered. Besides it wasn't made for people like you that never played the original,enough said it's a good game get over it!
@@SwedishMeattballI’m a shenmue fan. I’m playing the original right now. Shenmue 3 is trash.
You suck I want to see you do better and you probably didn't even buy the game or play the originals 👊
Shenmue 3 was garbage as frick!
I well and truly tried to enjoy Shenmue as a series.
I was there in 2007 on release day, with my buddy, cash in hand, ready to sink ourselves right into it. We beat the entire game in a few weekends, with him enjoying the game far, far more than I did. I straight up did not see the appeal, and a 2014 replay of it didn't help in the slightest. I even imported a copy of Shenmue II from Europe, from a buddy in . . . France, I think? Maybe Britain. Can't recall. He sent it to me in exchange for a copy of the LE release of Final Fantasy XII on PS2 (I even sent him a copy of the LE Bradygames guide as a gift to go along with it).
I never modded my Dreamcast to play it, but never really felt compelled to. The first game's glacial pacing and awkward gameplay looks like it was retained for the sequel. I'll get to it eventually, but everytime I look at it, it makes me sigh heavily, like I need to pass a kidney stone.
I was shocked and amazed that A) a kickstarter for Shenmue III was started, and B) it reached its' goal in the time that it did. I was confident that time would have granted a bit more wisdom on Yuu Suzuki's part for game design, but the few videos of gameplay I watched didn't justify that confidence. Reviews from people I trust didn't help matters.
Despite that, I started to see why people liked the series so much. It has gorgeous graphics, even for today, across all games. The music is absolutely sublime (I own the soundtrack for the first game, as well as an orchestral disc, never could find one of the second game, not sure if it ever got an official release), and it has a completely unique setting, rural 80's Japan.
Shenmue remains a bittersweet game series to me. I really wish I liked it, and really wanted to, but I just don't. If Suzuki is ever granted the chance to do the series up the way he originally intended, here's hoping he surrounds himself with a team who can help him rein in his design sensibilities a little bit so I can hop aboard.