Shenmue IV

[Neon Ignition]

https://jp.ign.com/shenmue-3/43425/interview/iii?amp=1&__twitter_impression=true

IGN Japan have had an interview with Yu Suzuki so whilst the next entry into the series isn't yet confirmed he does discuss his plans for it. The keynotes for Shenmue IV are:

-Shenmue III was designed as a fan project. The fourth game would advance the design to increase focus on making it profitable from a business standpoint whilst still making the game feel like a Shenmue experience.

-A focus on compact areas rather than try and make it open world

-Throw moves returning

-Answers to multiple aspects of the storyline

-Quest markers and improved fast travel/waiting

-Could be made in half the time Shenmue III took

Suzuki says he's optimistic that Shenmue IV will happen

[Super Monkey Balls]

Does he plan to ship all the Shenmue III rewards to Kickstarter backers first?

Seriously though, I know it's down to the fulfilment companies like Fangamer but there are people who put in a couple of hundred dollars and didn't even get the game. The comments page is quite a read!

[Neon Ignition]

Embedded Tweet

It's tenuous as best but this tweet has set the rumour mill going that we'll soon see Shenmue IV announced

[Ghost]

Embedded Tweet

It's tenuous as best but this tweet has set the rumour mill going that we'll soon see Shenmue IV announced

I really doubt it, that tweet reads to me that its going to be something like a comic book or an anime project (netflix maybe?) based on Shenmue. Or a collaboration of some sort. If it was Shenmue 4 you wouldn’t describe it as a “fun and unexpected” announcement.

[JazzFunk]

Hope this bears fruit. Tbh, I'm quite happy with the YAKUZA games as a natural spiritual successor to this series but I'd happily welcome a refinement of S3 to make the sequel a better game.

I'm on Xbox so can't play 3, anyway. I'm spoilt at the mo with Yakuza Kiwami and Zero to get thru, not to mention Shenmue 1&2 HD. Even Sleeping Dogs HD, ffs, even though it's neither!

Absolutely spoilt with Shenmuey options. I can wait. Don't rush it, boys.

[Neon Ignition]

It's beginning to sound like it's just going to be an anime spin-off or something that never warranted the hype

[monel]

They should end it as a radio play with a scratch and sniff card.

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-09-05-shenmue-anime-announced

As expected, it's an anime instead of a game

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.cbr.com/shenmue-4-mainstream-meaning/

Yu Suzuki says he wants to completely revamp the series for Shenmue IV and make it much more of a mainstream appealing product. He says that the fourth game, which increasingly sounds like a likely thing, will add proper time skip options as well as a fast travel system and new UI.

[Dogg Thang]

None of those things are what the game actually needs.

[Neon Ignition]

I expect he's seen the sales figures, has one more shot at making it work and things the best way is to add a lot more fighting, a tighter story and to give it a punchier title... like... Yakuza.

[Dogg Thang]

Well, he's not saying that. He seems to be saying that what the game needs is more ways to skip the game. That feels like a poor solution to a larger problem. Like when we all took taxis in GTAIV because the driving just wasn't fun. If you want to skip what is the main part of the game, that's not a great look.

[Neon Ignition]

As slow as I'm chipping at S3 and as glad as I am it was able to exist I don't think I'd mind at all if S4 completely overhauled the pacing, combat, movement, controls etc to the point it felt quite distanced from S1-3. S3 disregards the last 20 years of advancement too much and without a major shift I can't imagine we'll see a Shenmue V onward regardless.

[Yakumo]

The biggest issue with Shenmue 3 was all the BS we had to do just so the game was padded out. Way too much padding I though. It really dragged more than the first two game which I loved.

[Neon Ignition]

Pass some of the next decade plus wait with: