Shenmue is a series close to many people's hearts. The 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dreamcast cult classics aren't as well-known as other open-world games, but those who have played it sing its praises until the cows come home. They are especially vocal now, with 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Shenmue III's release date inching ever closer.

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Our mouths are watering to finally get a taste of this long-awaited third installment. While most are excited, a few things are still giving people pause. The following list will detail five reasons the game is a surefire hit and five things we are still worried about. At the end of the day, however, most are confident that longtime Shenmue fans will be pleased with the outcome.

10 Worried: It's Not The Conclusion🌃

Shenmue III Ryo
Shenmue III Ryo

Yu Suzuki already said Shenmue III will not conclude the series. Assuming the game is a success and the resources are available, he wants to continue the franchise. For fans, more Shenmue is always a good thing, but it also makes one worry about the story never actually reac🌺hing an end.

If the game has lackluster sales, no other publisher will likely touch a sequel. It's possible to give this one a sense of finality while keeping the door open for something in the future, but the game will ꦗlikely end with a cliffhanger like🐻 the prior two entries.

9 Exciteཧd: Bailu Village

Shenmue III game play in Bailu Village
Shenmue III game play in Bailu Village

Shenmue II ends with Ryo heading to Bailu Village to find the man w🅺ho crafted the Phoenix and Dragon Mirrors. He never actually gets to the village, and the last act is spent walking towards the area with a mysterious girl he saves from drowning.

Finally, after almost twenty years, Ryo will be able to explore this small Chinese village. Playe♋rs will eventually venture ꧒to other parts of China during the story, but the journey begins in Bailu.

8 Woꦫrried: Spoilers

Some have waited almost two decades to get their hands on this game. It seemed like an impossible dream until its announcement at E3 2015. Having some inconsiderate stranger on Twitter blurt out 🀅a major plot detail would devastate a patient fan who wanted to experience the game without spoilers.

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Revealing important moments and twists is alway🅘s a poor move, but it is especially retched in t🌠his case, considering the long wait many endured.

7 Excite🎐d: Corey Marshall 🐼

Corey Marhsall and Yu Suzuki
Corey Marhsall and Yu Suzuki

The voice acting in the first two games is endearingly cheesy, but it's also a part of the series' identity in the same way 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:GoldenEye on the Nintendo 64 wouldn't feel the same with modern 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:first-person shooter controls. Miraculously, Corey Marsh☂all returns after all these years 🧸to provide Ryo Hazuki's iconic voice.

In an unconventional move for video games, Corey recorded his lines for the English language version in Japan even though he was living in New York during the first game's production. A ga꧒mer hi𝓰mself, Corey takes the job seriously and feels honored to be a part of such a revered franchise.

6 🃏 Worried: Feeling Outdated

Shenmue III mini game in the arcade
Shenmue III mini game in the arcade

To some, this is a plus. The slow movement, quick-time events, and dialogue aren't so much outdated features as they are facets that define Shenmue. It would b𓆉e wrong to say the original two games are typical products of their time in the first place, asꦬ no other games .

At the꧅ same time, newcomers may be turned off by theও unique gameplay and slow pace. Fortunately, the remasters came out a little over a year ago and reminded gamers what the series is all about. Any new faces interested probably discovered back then whether or not they would like the series.

5 Excited: It's Still Yu Suzuki🎀's Bab𒀰y

Yu Suzuki creator of shenmue
Yu Suzuki creator of shenmue

Any press who got the honor to visit Ys Net's offices came out with a similar impression - Shenmue III is still Yu Suzuki's baby. All decisions are✃ ultimately made or at least app🥀roved by him.

He is still the captain of the ship steerin꧃g in his desired direction. In the modern gaming landscape, publishers often butt in and force features into a game, but none of that seems to happen at Ys Net.

4 Worried: Budꦦget

Shenmue III close up of Ryo
Shenmue III close up of Ryo

The originals were monumental undertakings and turned out to be two of the most expensive games ever produced. Shenmue III was partly funded through K♏ickstarter and Deep Silver only later came in to further finance the project. With this in mind, one shouldn't expect AAA production💛 values.

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Fortunately, they are using the template already established by the first two games, so they don't have to craft a whole new genre, which is basically what Shenmue did. At the same time, fans should go in expecting more Shenmue, and not a reinvention of the wheel.

3 ꦗ Excited: Previews 🅠

Shenmue III game play coin machine
Shenmue III game play coin machine

With the release in sight, a large handful of people already got some time with the game. Impressions from Shenmue fans are almost universally positive. For those familiar with the first two, jumping into the third will feel lik💝e riding a bike.

Except for the graphical facelift, the game just as well could have come out in 2003 in how faithful it is to the Shenmue blueprint. ✱It is not attempting to cater to outsiders, opting insꦗtead to go all-in with the niche gameplay.

2 ꦉ Worried: Butꦯton Mashing

Shenmue III turtle racing

These games aren't perfect, and even fans disagree on what is or isn't great about Shenmue. Some people despi𝐆se quick-time events, but at least they are logically mapped out onto the controller and🎃 feel like they have the appropriate context.

Button mashing, o🌠n the other hand, just hurts thumbs🌼. One turtle racing minigame uses this mechanic, and previews describe the endurance test as grueling. No one likes having to hit a single button as fast as possible, and it doesn't make sense how doing so would get a turtle across the finish line faster.

1 Excited: Continuing The Story 𝓀

Lan di Shenmue III
Lan di Shenmue III

Shenmue II en🦩ds on a bizarre cliffhanger, but the agonizing antic🌌ipation will pay off in less than two weeks. The game won't conclude the saga, but the promise of unraveling a few more threads of the mystery is more than enough to have fans licking their lips.

It's hard to think of any examples of direct sequels taking almost twenty years to come🌸 to light in the medium. Even if the game turns out to be lackluster, continuing the story will still be a treat.

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