Fextralife: 7.1/10
HobbyConsolas - 80/100
SegmentNext - 7/10
Polygon: no score
Video Games Chronicles: 4/5
IGN Japan: 9/10
Eurogamer: Recommended
Hey PoorPlayer: 5/5
Gameblog: 7/10 + Editor's Choice
Jeuxvideo.com: 10/20
Gamekult: 5/10 + Reviewer's Choice
Japanpop.fr: 6/10 - Interesting
VG247: 3/5
HobbyConsolas - 80/100
SegmentNext - 7/10
Polygon: no score
Video Games Chronicles: 4/5
IGN Japan: 9/10
Eurogamer: Recommended
And all these years later, it makes for an entry that, as unlikely as it is, is more finessed and fully-featured than the first two entries. A more astute critic might point out that the performances are uneven, the character models sometimes look wayward, you're kind of limited as to what you can do and nothing of note really happens. That's not me, I'm afraid. Yes, Shenmue 3 can look and play like a Dreamcast game. But it looks and plays like a Dreamcast game that's as off-kilter, maddening, magical and majestic as the original Shenmue games, both all-time classics. I think there's good reason to rejoice in that.
Hey PoorPlayer: 5/5
Shenmue III is for anyone who looks back on Dreamcast and PS2-era games fondly. It's for anyone who loves semi-realistic RPGs or who wants something new in a world full of dungeon-crawlers, post-apocalyptic wanderers, or space cowboys. For anyone who thinks there's a wealth of untapped potential in the not-too-distant past when it comes to storytelling. Who romanticizes the mundane in the same way Miyazaki movies capture the magic in minutiae. Who grew up in 1987 Japan, Hong Kong, or China and wants to walk familiar roads. Who loves the 80s. Who loves martial arts. Who loves Asia. Who loves video games as a whole.
Gameblog: 7/10 + Editor's Choice
No need to lie to each other, and even if Yu Suzuki and company would like to create new vocations, Shenmue III is a game that is primarily aimed at fans of the first two episodes. The others will certainly have trouble overcoming a very Dreamcastian gameplay and various technical problems (which will clearly not bother the fans). Despite the different development conditions from those of the first two games twenty years ago, the shift from an AAA with an unprecedented budget to an AA funded largely by Kickstarter has been made, Yu Suzuki has tried to compromise his vision as little as possible. The authenticity of the experience and its fidelity to what Shenmue was on Dreamcast makes Shenmue III a success. The immersion and pleasure are immediate and the player plunges back into Ryo's adventures as if Shenmue II had been released last year. So much so, that it is difficult to put the controller down once the game has started. People who are sensitive to the first two games can therefore darken with their eyes closed, and they certainly did not wait for this test to do so. Some novices fascinated by Asia and martial arts may also find it interesting. In any case, Shenmue III recalls the quality of the epic imagined by Yu Suzuki and, as it was 18 years ago, leaves only one desire, that of discovering what will happen next. All we have to do now is hope that Shenmue IV will be released before 2037.
Jeuxvideo.com: 10/20
Shenmue III seemed to be mainly intended for fans. In reality, Shenmue 3 is intended exclusively for fans and the curious and irreducible. Yu Suzuki manages to find what made his saga a unique work and to propose a contemplative approach to the adventure game. A gentle poetic breeze imbued with freedom runs through a story whose staging is too uninspired. The few attempts to modernize a formula that has been in existence for twenty years have been unsuccessful. The tactical combat system, however tactical it may be, convinces only partially, without forgetting the imbalance created by this constant need for money, which causes a persistent feeling of frustration. Shenmue 3 is an anachronistic work that is incapable of extricating itself from the grip of a distant past.
Gamekult: 5/10 + Reviewer's Choice
We are moved in different ways when we play Shenmue III. Depending on your investment, whether in money or passion, you may feel angry or relieved. This episode manages to evoke its predecessors while doing worse, on all levels. The emotion of the reunion is there, even if the economic and technical pragmatism once again catches up with the series. Sad to see that most of the additions to the basic mechanics are simply appalling. But Yu Suzuki can be credited with at least that: he understands the essence of his game perfectly and has not made it evolve one iota, he who was so far ahead of his time in 1999, and so anachronistic twenty years later. Always ready, Ryô Hazuki still spends all his adventure without the shadow of an emotion, quite the opposite of those who left touching little words in the Kickstarter's guest book. This is the degree of intimacy inspired by Shenmue, a unique case of video game that has touched its adventurers across generations. The fact that the third episode takes water from all sides does not change that. What made Shenmue so memorable is not only the QTE against chickens, turtle races and ridiculous situations that will brighten up Let's Plays for years to come. It's not only its insane absence for two decades, although it has played an important role. What makes Shenmue so unique is its animism and its way of telling the story of the essence of Asia. The mark it leaves in the hearts of players when everything else has unfortunately disappeared.
Japanpop.fr: 6/10 - Interesting
There is no doubt that Shenmue III will only speak to a handful of people. Those who, charmed by two incredible titles and frustrated by a cliffhanger since 2001, were waiting,body and soul, following the adventures of Ryo Hazuki. No, this game is not primarily intended to charm a new audience discovering the IP in 2019. Claimed by the fans, funded by them, and developed for them, the main question was to see if Shenmue III responded to these expectations. And it is a successful bet, even if the game suffers many defects for some unworthy of the status of the IP and its year of release. The sensations are there, the atmosphere at the rendezvous, and the magic operates again, despite everything. You don't play Shenmue III to be amazed by incredible innovations or to receive a "wow" effect in the face as in 1999, but simply to pursue a dream interrupted for far too long. Therefore, the contract can be considered as fulfilled.
VG247: 3/5
Gamesradar: no scoreStill, despite these annoyances, despite the fact that it's a game designed with decades-old sensibilities, I enjoyed my time with it. It doesn't have the conclusion we've been waiting two decades for and it barely drives the story forward at all, but the climactic battle is as satisfying as that 70-man tussle in the first game's harbour. When you finish, you're given the option to start again and carry all your skills and money over to a new game, allowing Ryo to become even more proficient a fighter. He's putting in the time and learning to check those legs yet again. The credits have rolled, but the story isn't over. And neither is the grind.
Last edited:
