In reference to the logo on page 6 of the comments, I'm hoping for the return of the original logo. I still really don't like the Yu Suzuki drawn logo.

Nice to see everybody is so positive. I saw the IGN video and they said it will be delayed as a negative.


IGN paints every delay as a negative. It doesn't matter which game it is. They value not impeding on their impatience more than the quality of the product.


Granted more development time does not always equate to a better game, however YSNet had received a substantial injection of funds midway through development (which is rare in game development as the budget is established upon the initiation of the publishing deal - however Shenmue 3 was without one until August 2017) which allowed Yu to broaden the game beyond was initially envisioned.

When you look at the average game development cycle, 36-48 months is typically the norm. If anything, it was premature of Yu to target a 2017 release.

An example of various game development periods:

Shenmue I - 48 Months
The Last of Us - 44 Months
Until Dawn - 42 Months
Ico - 44 Months
Uncharted 4 - 42 Months
Heavy Rain - 48 Months
Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) - 49 Months
Resident Evil 5 - 50 Months
Max Payne 3 - 58 Months
Killzone 2 - 51 Months
Beyond: Two Souls - 43 Months
Resident Evil 6 - 43 Months



It's likely that Shenmue 3 will fall between a 46-48 month cycle for a May - July 2019 release. Contrary to the popular opinion of IGN editors this shouldn't be a cause for concern.

Edit: Added additional game titles.

adom11800 wrote:I think we might all go crazy when we see what the actual game looks like.

Trust me, you will.

Yu Suzuki emphasizes the "humidity" word to define Shenmue. He actually thinks that modern technologies make possible the feel of this humidity to recreate some reality. According to him, being only realistic is not interesting because realism is not an end in itself. The Suzuki's intention is to offer something more attractive, more aesthetic than the reality, to embellish it.

Source: https://shenmuemaster.fr/page.php?cat=shenmue3&page=gamescom-2017-the-recap

Just to point out- Hellblade has a cast you can maybe count on one hand (haven't played it but I know it's very limited with characters), and one of Ninja Theory's key design goals was AAA visuals on an indie budget.

Shenmue III has to realise a semi-open world with hundreds of NPCs. Although the aesthetic was an art choice, there's an element of practicality to it that probably informed the decision.

I was kind of hoping for something more along the lines of the modern Yakuza aesthetic, but w/e I guess. I trust that Suzuki knows what he's doing.

This is a topic that's been discussed before. The fact is, Shenmue has always had stylized (or, if you will, "cartoony") art direction. Anyone who thinks Shenmue was photorealistic is mistaken. To me Shenmue III looks like a perfect continuation of the established style, updated with contemporary tech.

I always respond to this question with this:

http://zoonbats.com/s3/shenmue_stylized.jpg (c/o Centrale et al)

So, personally, my answer is no. Shenmue has always been highly stylized imo, and I believe it's just the difference in fidelity and graphical tech between a 20 yo game and an UE4 game that is causing the perceived dissonance between the old games and 3. Just my personal opinion, though.

I always respond to this question with this:

So, personally, my answer is no. Shenmue has always been highly stylized imo, and I believe it's just the difference in fidelity and graphical tech between a 20 yo game and an UE4 game that is causing the perceived dissonance between the old games and 3. Just my personal opinion, though.

Agreed. Shenmue has always been a bit exaggerated, the colors always a bit saturated.

The unknown grandma in SIII looks to be a perfect continuation of this art style.

https://i.imgur.com/ltV1Mkn.jpg