From the time when Yu Suzuki announced that Shenmue would be revived as an orthodox sequel, to now when players finally followed Ryo Hazuki’s footsteps to the picturesque Guilin landscape, everything seemed like a real dream. In this dream, rational reality and emotional longing appear alternately like chasing stars and catching the moon. The initial ecstasy continued to update with the progress of game development, and the old-fashioned graphics and car accident-like character modeling reminded us of the caution that time has taught us. So the reality gradually prevailed. After all, the players who bought the last Sega console in the name of the master first witnessed Ryo Hazuki leaving home alone in the game, and then were involved in the world outside the game. Shenmue has thus become a treasured memory for many people.
Just like the title of an article in the “Video Game Software” magazine in March 2001 – “Sega DC is gone, and the world is no longer fragrant with safflowers.” Eighteen years later, the second half of the sentence that was sealed in the title was magically rewritten by Suzuki Yu and the players who liked and supported him.
Of course, continuing the myth is no less difficult than creating history. The problem that Shenmue 3 has to solve, or has to face, is: How can a producer who best represents the Sega hardware era, with a limited development budget at hand, continue a large-scale game project that once invested a large amount of development funds for the purpose of revitalizing Sega consoles and whose game design was completely centered around the producer’s personal ideas, when Sega hardware consoles are no longer available?
(Note: This article does not contain spoilers, but the key setting that Shenmue 3 is not the end of the series requires readers to know in advance)
According to Suzuki Yu’s original idea, the story of the new work is still closely connected to the previous one.
1. The former pioneers did not intend to be followers today – the style and form are all original
According to my original subjective imagination, Shenmue 3 may be like the evolution from Virtua Fighter 3 to Virtua Fighter 4. While retaining the original core gameplay and character settings, it will speed up the overall gameplay rhythm, use advanced image technology to add visual elements that suit the tastes of the public, and appropriately learn from other popular works of the same type, trying to make the new work more fashionable, so that new players who like this type can enter the work through their familiar paths. Especially considering that Shenmue has long been defined as “the most important pioneer of the open world game form”, and the open world has grown into the most popular game form in the market with extremely high commercial value after Shenmue retired, which has also largely verified the foresight of Master Yu Suzuki.
Before leaving Sega, Suzuki Yu also developed an arcade battle game that was completely operated by touch screen.
However, today, when the open world has branched out and evolved significantly, the pioneer Shenmue 3 “actually” chose to follow the content and form of the year, and thus produced a kind of “outdated advancement”. According to Suzuki Yu’s own explanation, the “FREE” concept advertised by the first generation of Shenmue is not as “free” as it literally means. He believes that in order to ensure that the main story can be strictly carried out according to the script, Japanese role-playing games will simplify and lock the scripts of passers-by NPCs, which will cause the gameplay processes between players to be solidified and repeated. Therefore, Shenmue will strive to create a scene environment with dynamic NPCs, allowing players to trigger more exploration elements. The earliest motivation for the establishment of Shenmue was to add a powerful bargaining chip to the Sega console to fight against the JRPGs that have shown a leap in performance since Final Fantasy 7.
Therefore, the so-called “openness” of “Shenmue” comes more from the summary of history rather than the first-hand experience of players in the first year (people were amazed at the authenticity of the details more than the openness of the gameplay back then), so young players will feel restricted and tied down when playing or “clouding” the first two games. “Shenmue 3” retains the traditional framework of the series. Compared with the open world, the gameplay is closer to “Persona 5”, a JRPG that incorporates AVG elements, but the frequent battles and leveling are replaced by more realistic training, and interpersonal relationships become more intimate as the plot progresses. In addition, within a certain time and space, players are allowed to freely allocate time for exploration, making money, leveling, etc.
There is no such thing as “killing wild monsters” to level up. Practicing martial arts means practicing well and learning seriously.
At the same time, the slow cooking method of Shenmue III has a disappointing effect. For example, every day when you talk to a character for the first time, the same opening remarks will appear, especially when you frequently use conversations such as buying things or asking for directions, which do not involve character settings and are purely functional. The same problem also occurs in the interaction of investigating items. Players sometimes have to investigate one by one in the drawers and cabinet doors that fill the screen. Every time, they have to “confirm – open – check the items inside – return the items to their original place – and then close the drawer or cabinet door.” This kind of process that should have been simplified can be considered to have intentionally or unintentionally pulled players back to the era when mobile Internet had not yet appeared and most players could focus on the things in front of them.
In contrast to the “slowness”, the QTE in this game is almost inhumane. This high-quality system that was once the finishing touch in “Shenmue” has greatly overestimated the player’s reflexes in “Shenmue 3”. For example, there is a QTE for catching chickens. Even if I concentrate highly, it is difficult to react immediately every time. Fortunately, the key presses follow a pattern to advance the process. As for other QTEs with fixed scripts, although the keys are fixed and you can pass them by memorizing the board after failure, you also lose the smoothness of the performance when the QTE succeeds continuously at one time (even the very strict return skills in “Virtual Fighter” are not so competitive).
If I look at it from the perspective of a game store sales and promotion staff, this kind of lack of attention to the details of the player experience is actually more likely to discourage young players who are now “served” by the service spirit of 3A games than subjective factors such as the game theme being “cheesy” or the subject matter being “outdated”.
2. All men are born equal, but Lingshahua is the most dazzling – the shape and personality of the characters
Compared to the outdated gameplay and rhythm, Shenmue III’s character creation is once again at the forefront of the industry. Almost every character has an unforgettable appearance, a personality worth exploring, dynamic functions, and an unambiguous background. The heroine, Sarah, almost single-handedly fulfilled the dream of loyal fans of the series in Shenmue III.
Although the development phase experienced a “collapse” of expression management, fortunately the official version bloomed beautifully.
Most of the NPCs in this game still retain the fine tradition of “passers-by also have souls” in the previous two games to the greatest extent. In Bailu Village, players can clearly feel that as the plot progresses, the relationship between the villagers and Ryo Ba Yue has changed from strangers to good neighbors through simple greetings or conversations. In addition to the functional guidance required by the plot, different characters also have their own way of speaking and background information that suits their identities. For example, when you need to listen to the topic of interpersonal relationships in Bailu Village, a certain elder sister who often moves around in the middle of the village and has the gossipy attributes of a “middle-aged woman” can definitely give you guidance; and the young man who was unhappy when he first saw Ryo Ba Yue and Shahua walking together was obviously not so polite when facing some of your inquiries.
Only a few casino NPCs do not have narratives and are just tools to watch you make money.
As for those minor NPCs who are responsible for the main or side storylines, in addition to being more unique in appearance, they can also help players establish a detailed perception of the worldview through observation and intervention in their own situations. The information conveyed by a character’s words or actions will make players unconsciously make various judgments based on their personal real-life experience, blurring the boundaries of the game and having a stronger human touch. It will also be easier for players to transition from a bystander’s perspective to an eyewitness to the adventure scene.
This is the prototype of the character. Those who are familiar with Jackie Chan’s movies or Hong Kong movies must be familiar with it.
Shun, the drunken boxing master in Virtua Fighter, is based in Guilin, the same city as Shenmue 3.
However, many NPCs in Shenmue III still “inherit” the appearance of the first two games, especially the general appearance of the “car accident scene” in Shenmue II. The new game has quite a few characters with similar appearances. If we didn’t know that Mr. Suzuki Yu has a deep and heartfelt affection for the local conditions and talents of our country, it would even make people misunderstand that they are deliberately ugly. On the one hand, the proportion of “ugly people” in the game is a bit high, and on the other hand, the ugliness is a bit too deliberately designed, such as the martial arts master who looks like a “hairy boy” in Bailu Village, the carving master who has a bloody mouth that swallows the world more than Cheng Yaojin in the storytelling “The Romance of Sui and Tang Dynasties”, and the female characters who usually use (their own or other people’s) feces to maintain their hair, etc. The number is so large that plastic surgery hospitals can definitely be included in the local medical insurance system. In comparison, the aunt in “Sleeping Dogs” can be considered to be “human”.
And this is not because the development team did a bad job or had aesthetic problems. Look at the heroine of this game next to Ryo Hazuki – Ling Shahua. This woman can be called the biggest surprise of “Shenmue 3”, because old players can foresee the retro style of this game, and new players without sentimental filters can recognize the “outdatedness” of this game. But only this light and pure girl, who seems to be out of touch with the world, but inadvertently conveys subtle feelings, makes players fascinated with her every frown and smile. Even those daily “work summary” conversations become vivid and lively because of her listening. The back figure leaning against the window in the night is better than the worldly scenery of Guilin. Even the appearance of the funny part, because of Shahua’s unexpected “fierceness”, makes people laugh.
Gu Long once said: “A woman is not lovely because she is beautiful, but she is beautiful because she is lovely” – the blooming Shenmue flower in “Shenmue 3” fits the second half of this sentence.
It is impossible to describe Shahua’s spirituality outside of the game, so readers can just watch her back.
But the energy and resources used to shape Sarah did not benefit the key plot NPCs who also play an important role in the plot. The reason for this is that the development funds based on crowdfunding have brought a series of objective limitations in the actual project operation. What corresponding solutions or compromises did the development team make to finally successfully launch the game?
Whack-a-mole is a game that Yu Suzuki used to play with his children. This time, it also appears in Shenmue 3.
3. The way to choose from luxury to frugality – objective restrictions caused by limited resources and content adaptation
Despite some financial support from game developers and distribution channels, and breaking a series of crowdfunding records for game-related projects during the crowdfunding stage, the shopping cart of Shenmue 3 is still far from being comparable to the lavish spending of the original game. Therefore, it is necessary for Yu Suzuki and his development team to tailor the original data and core elements according to certain priorities. Ultimately, this is reflected in the game content, which is that while ensuring the visual experience of the picture, this game weakens the depth of the battle and limits the large-scale development of the plot, concentrating this adventure on the scale of “a semi-free trip to Guilin with unique local customs and interesting things, and you won’t be allowed to leave unless you buy something.”
As mentioned above, the controversy over “gameplay” had already spread among the media and players when the first Shenmue was released. But one thing everyone agreed on was that Shenmue’s graphics were indeed groundbreaking. For the first time, this game restored the real world to its original appearance in a nearly 1:1 ratio in the game environment.
In this era when development funds are strictly proportional to the level of game graphics and content, the comforting thing about Shenmue 3 is that at least the game graphics do not appear “poor”. From the underlying technology, in order to revive this time, Suzuki Yu specially found his core programmers at that time. After leaving Sega, he and some old colleagues set up their own studio, and preciously retained part of the original data of Shenmue (Note: This is what Suzuki Yu said in an interview with overseas game media). In addition, the original texts such as the character design and concept map of the work were originally done by Suzuki Yu himself. Therefore, in the development process with high personnel turnover, the overall coherence of the core content was guaranteed.
The most intuitive feeling is that Shenmue III is visually seamlessly connected to the previous two games, and can basically meet the sensory requirements of players of this era for the picture. After all, green mountains, clear waters, pavilions and towers can always exude a refreshing aesthetic rendering when placed properly. We Chinese players will also enjoy a unique sense of closeness in the cultural field, including the setting of the time and space background of “Guilin, 1987”, which allows those who are interested to explore various details in the game – according to Suzuki Yu himself, it contains both the results of his research and the memories of his visit to China when he was young.
Shuttled through beautiful scenery, the main storyline and combat system of this game have been visibly reduced. The grandeur of Shenmue, in addition to the time and space span of the story background, the fate of each major character is also an important reason for old players to look forward to the sequel for many years. To put it bluntly, they are waiting for Suzuki Yu to “fill the pit”. When Suzuki Yu talked about the topic of the revival of Shenmue in the past few years, he always emphasized that this game must be completed by him personally according to his own planning and design (it is conceivable why the Shenmue online that he cooperated with a Korean manufacturer was stillborn), and he refused all so-called spiritual sequels in the form of “name only”.
However, the plot of Shenmue 3 is somewhat disappointing. Although players are getting closer to the secret of the Phoenix Mirror little by little, the huge waves that should have been set off when the key characters appeared still remain at the incomplete development of “to know what will happen next, wait for the next chapter to find out”.
Moreover, because the number of scenes and the real time of the plot are limited, in order to ensure the playability, there are some slightly delayed aspects in the advancement of the game process, such as collecting money and learning boxing, which will make players feel unwilling to be forced into a mini-game. The hardcore combat system originally derived from the “Virtual Fighter” series has also been simplified into a set of action combat templates with rich moves but insufficient space for full display. The accuracy of the judgment of the inch punch practice and the originality of some of Ryo Hazuki’s classic Bajiquan moves that old players feel are the best feedback brought to us by the combat system of this game.
4. Recording sincere encounters between people – scattered details and sublimated feelings
Unlike Bloodstained, Mighty 9, and other crowdfunded games that summoned industry veterans to return to the forefront of development, Shenmue 3 is not a “spiritual sequel” that was created from scratch, so the close connection between the game’s plot and the long-term silent anticipation outside the game make this game very nostalgic. And this nostalgia is not an additional copy added during the promotion, but a real memory, tribute, and gratitude in the game.
Although Suzuki Yu said in the “roadshow” before the game was released that he recommended new players to experience the “Shenmue” series in reverse order of 321, friends who have played the first two games can understand that the master is actually worried that the graphics and systems of the first two games will scare off new players, thereby affecting the spread of “Shenmue 3”. In the actual game, new and old players can learn about or relive the past through the already written diary, and the most direct “conversation” between “Shenmue 3” and the first two games appears in the long-distance telephone communication between Ryo Hazuki and his relatives and friends in his hometown. When the player takes the phone card and dials the corresponding phone number according to the phone book like the first generation, he will not only hear the dialogue audio track specially invited by the voice actors of the original game to record for this game, but also see the scenes of the past games appearing on the screen like Ryo Hazuki recalling the past.
For example, I personally recalled the National Day holiday in 2000 when my parents went on a trip and I stayed at home alone. Following the guide in the magazine, I played Shenmue until the early hours of the morning, and then, because I was so energetic and not sleepy at all, I rode my bike to Tiananmen Square to watch the flag-raising ceremony.
The “Save Shenmue Museum” turns menu options that are responsible for similar content in other games into landmark buildings built directly in the scene. This is equivalent to a spiritual treasure house centered around the work “Shenmue”, which brings together original game paintings, developer personal information, Suzuki Yu’s travel photos, and precious memories of “Shenmue” players around the world. Each of us, through the identity of Ryo Hazuki, has met various people in the game and left our own memories. And when countless “Ryo Hazuki” around the world unite to participate in crowdfunding regardless of national boundaries and races, just like the kind-hearted people who helped Ryo Hazuki in the game, this journey can still continue today.
Be it boxing or revenge, in the final analysis, Shenmue tells a simple story about people meeting each other. Even if there are some inappropriate aspects in the gameplay, when you see the sincere messages from crowdfunding players from all over the world in the hotel notepad, you will definitely hope that the legend of Shenmue can continue.
Shenmue III certainly has a variety of retro forms and sentimental content, but from my personal point of view, this game is definitely not as “isolated” from new players as imagined. Because compared to the era when Shenmue was born, the connotation and extension of game works have been greatly enriched, and players’ tastes can accommodate more distinctive games. Shenmue III does not have to bear the heavy fate of saving a console platform. Players who are interested in this game do not need to prepare for the extension homework such as “Review of the key plots of Shenmue” or “Why is this work of Yu Suzuki worth looking forward to” before playing the game.
All you need is a state of mind that can temporarily slow down, so that Lingshahua can accompany you and integrate into the Guilin of “Shenmue 3” that is between the world and the world, bringing today back to the past.
