Shenmue III is an action game developed by YS Net and published by Deep Silver. The open world game is the long-awaited continuation of the game Shenmue II. Players continue the quest of teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki as he pursues Lan Di, his father’s killer while revealing the secret of the Phoenix Mirror.

Decades in the Making

Shenmue was first released for the Sega Dreamcast. It was conceived by Yu Suzuki and was initially designated as a spinoff for Virtua Fighter. The game was an ambitious project but ended as a commercial failure due to low sales. Despite its poor sales, it remained a cult classic due to its innovative gameplay and immersive plot. The success of Shenmue also leads to the development of Yakuza, Sega’s spiritual successor. Shenmue II was also produced but deemed too inferior from the first game. When Yu Suzuki left Sega, he made a crowdfunding project to continue his beloved story while planning for future projects.

Continuing the Adventure

Shenmue III remains as an open-world, action role-playing game with an immersive plot. Set in the late 80s, players take the role of Ryo Hazuki. He continues to travel in Guilin, China to finally defeat Lan Di. He also teams up with a mysterious girl named Ling Shenhua who frequently appears on his dreams. Players must traverse across towns to find clues about his father’s assailant, learn new martial art techniques, earn money and even buy collectibles for the sake of completion. The main plot is also filled with mini-games to make the experience more immersive and alive. Players can expect cinematic sequences that are enjoyable similar to a movie. The in-game world consists of a colorful environment filled with intriguing NPCs. The combat consists of a realistic fighting system with quick time events where every button press matters.

The Story Carries On

Shenmue III continues what has left decades ago. It continues to innovate what it has established in the history of video games: a cinematic game with engaging plot and characters to remember.