When the original Shenmue game was released in 1999 and was acclaimed for its open-world gameplay and the way it embedded elements of fighting games seamlessly. While Shenmue 3 managed to repeat these elements the audience had changed over twenty years later and as a result, the once revolutionary series received middling reviews. Yet it seems that Suzuki has some ideas of how a fourth entry could be more successful.

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The director of the Shenmue series has claimed that the third entry was “for the fans,” and noted that a future game would appeal to a wider audience, “If I have the opportunity to make Shenmue 4 - and I think I will - I know how to satisfy casual users, so I want to make a game that everyone can be satisfied with.”

This will excite players who want more titles in the series and who would like an easier introduction to it. While Suzuki made note of elements that he felt could have made the game have a wider appeal and warmer reception, such as fast travel, he also noted how the reaction to Shenmue 3 was helpful. The feedback from the title was considered important and Suzuki stated, “From a business perspective, it’s important to understand what people who don’t know Shenmue thought of Shenmue 3.” The director went on to reveal some further ideas about the future of the franchise.

The director pondered working in a closed space in a future title, as well as expressing his interest in doing other projects. Either way, it seems that the creator of Shenmue is confident that he will be able to implement more commercially viable ideas when he is asked to do another game. Shenmue 3 is still receiving a steady stream of updates and this will likely keep fans returning to the third title for a little longer despite its mixed reception.

It will be interesting to see how fans react if another title in the series is announced, as some may approach another game with less excitement. With that said, Shenmue 3 has given players requested updates, and it seems that Yu Suzuki has several ideas on how to improve upon the third game. The fact that the director is acknowledging areas for improvement, will generate anticipation from fans who would like the series to take greater steps forward.

Shenmue 3 is available for PC and PlayStation 4.

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Source: VGC