Shenmue 3 has been a long time coming- the previous two games came at the turn of the millennium. This has created the implicit question among many- will Shenmue 3 take into account the various changes and advances in game design that have happened since? Or will it hew close to the design of the original two games, and attempt to appeal to the existing fans, and avoid alienating them?
Inasmuch as the combat goes, at least, it sounds like the new game will be trying something altogether new. Speaking in a new video on the Kickstarter page for the game, director Yu Suzuki discussed a broad range of topics- but it was his remarks about the combat system of the game that stand out.
“I want to do something a little different with the battles. When it comes to fighting, there are things that I want to make my own, so I was thinking of doing things a bit different from last time. We have been running some tests, and well, it’s not a game like Virtua Fighter that is about timing. So, I hope it will take the form of a puzzle game that anyone can play with a strong emphasis on choreography,” he said.
“They may be influenced by whether you pick up some item, and so on, incorporating more puzzle-type elements. That’s what I would like to do. And QTEs, alongside some other things.”
Which all sounds interesting enough- I wonder how long time fans will take to the changes, though. Shenmue 3 is due out on PS4 and PC.
