Tag: Shenmue - Page 2
Gamescom 2018 Shenmue III Continues the Saga on 27th August
That's next year, to be clear
Shenmue III will release on 27th August, 2019, a new trailer from the Gamescom 2018 opening ceremony has confirmed. As part of a Deep Silver segment, Yu Suzuki showcased a new trailer from the game, which is by far the best we’ve seen thus far. While it’s clear that there’s still a lot of work to do, we get a...
Guide Shenmue - How to Get into Warehouse 8 and Meet Master Chen
Break and enter
Once you reach New Yokosuka Harbor in Shenmue, one of your first tasks is to break and enter Warehouse 8 so that you can meet Master Chen – but this can be a bit of pain. To begin with, there are two warehouse districts, and you’ll need to pay a visit to the Old Warehouse District in order to infiltrate the Warehouse 8 that...
Soapbox 5 Things I Wish I Knew About Shenmue Before Playing for the First Time
About that day...
Thanks to the HD re-release of these two Dreamcast classics, many of you will be experiencing Shenmue for the very first time. I'm one of those people too, and after receiving my pre-order a fair few days early, I've been able to make a decent amount of leeway into my search for the killer of Ryo Hazuki's father, the...
Gamescom 2018 Shenmue III Announcement Scheduled for Opening Ceremony
Kiss off, twit
We’re regularly writing about Shenmue again and it’s really bloody strange. Coinciding with tomorrow’s Shenmue I & II release, Yu Suzuki is lining up some kind of Shenmue III announcement during the Gamescom 2018 opening ceremony. The show – which will also showcase world premieres and reveals from a variety of publishers...
Hands On Is Shenmue I & II a Knock Out on PS4?
The day the snow turned to rain
Even in 2018, there’s something unusual about Shenmue. While most games strive to create lush, idyllic fantasy worlds, mid-80s Yokosuka is a claustrophobic dive, inhabited by everyday people living uninspiring lives. It’s this slice of life format that’s made the series a mainstay in gaming culture for almost...
Sammy Barker recalls his history with Yu Suzuki's hit series
Republished on Thursday, 18th August 2018: We're bringing this article back from the archives in celebration of Shenmue I & II's impending release on the PlayStation 4. The original text follows. Originally published on Thursday, 16th July 2015: I don't remember the day that the snow...
Guide Shenmue - How to Find the Flashback in the Dojo
Treasure your friends
Your main goal in Shenmue is to avenge the death of your father, and so in the early exchanges the game goes to great lengths to depict Ryo Hazuki’s relationship with Iwao. Much of this is achieved via flashback scenes, and in this guide we’re going to show you how to find the flashback in the dojo, which will unlock the...
Guide Shenmue - How to Find Charlie in the Tattoo Parlor in Dobuita
Needle in a haystack
One of the early objectives in Shenmue is to find Charlie in Dobuita, a man who wears a leather jacket, black sunglasses, and has a tattoo on his arm. The problem is that not many of the locals have heard of him, so we’re going to help you to track him down in the local tattoo parlor. Once you’ve found him, you’ll be able...
Guide Shenmue - How to Find the Flashback in the Kitchen
Yummy meal
Throughout the course of Shenmue, Ryo Hazuki will reminisce about his relationship with his father, and the lessons he taught him. Specifically there are a sequence of cut-scenes throughout the campaign which act as flashbacks, in which Iwao imparts valuable information to his son. In this guide, we’re going to show you how to find the...
Guide Shenmue - How to Find the Flashback in the Yard
Simpler times
Shenmue is a revenge story, wherein Ryo Hazuki seeks vengeance for the murder of his father, Iwao. In order to highlight the protagonist’s relationship with his parent, there are a series of flashback cut-scenes to find throughout the campaign, which can be triggered by looking at an object or even standing in the right place. In...
News Shenmue I & II Scores a Gorgeous Japanese Collector's Edition
Only on PS4
Shenmue I & II will not release in Japan until 22nd November, but fans’ patience will be rewarded in the form of a stunning Collector’s Edition only available overseas. The pretty PlayStation 4 exclusive will cost ¥5,990 (~$54) and will come with a copy of the game and a 40 song soundtrack in a special presentation package...
News Ryo Hazuki Recaps Shenmue's Engrossing Storyline
Maybe another time
In the latest of a string of Shenmue I & II promotional videos, SEGA’s roped in Ryo Hazuki’s voice actor Corey Marshall to offer some insight on the story. Yu Suzuki’s innovative adventure game is perhaps so beloved because it was one of the first games to really emphasise story-telling and cinematics – something...
News Good News! Shenmue III's Scope Just Increased Again
Game reaches another stretch goal
Shenmue III’s stumbled over $7 million in fan funding through slacker backer support, which means that the scale of the project has increased again. As per its stretch goal obligations, Ys Net will now be adding a new system named AI Battling. We’ve read the developer’s description of what it actually is a...
News Revisit Shenmue's Famous Dobuita Street in the Flesh
Through the power of YouTube
Dobuita Street is perhaps the most memorable location from the original Shenmue game. Home to Tom’s hot-dog stand, Nozomi’s flower shop, and… Like, a car park, it’s the central shopping district in the first instalment. It’s also a real-life place with real-life inspirations, as explained in this excellent...
News Shenmue I & II Sure Have Scrubbed Up Nicely on PS4
New trailer celebrates release date
It took one small screenshot of Shenmue in EDGE magazine to sell 11-year-old Sammy on the Dreamcast, and it still holds up today. Okay, so this trailer for the PlayStation 4 version of Shenmue I & II looks like it’s stepped out of the early 2000s – but it was a handsome title back then, and it remains so...
News Shenmue I & II PS4 Release Date Revealed
Race ducks and drive forklift trucks in August
Though no official confirmation has been made by SEGA, the release date for Shenmue I & II appears to now be set in stone. According to the bundle's listing on the PlayStation Store, the PS4 ports of these influential Dreamcast adventure games is 20th August in North America and 21st August in...
News Shenmue III Celebrates Backer Surveys with New Footage
For the Rin
Those of you who backed Shenmue III on Kickstarter should receive a survey soon, allowing you to select your t-shirt size and share other details depending upon the tier you chose. And to celebrate that news, developer Ys Net has released a cute little clip starring one of the title’s characters: Rin. It’s obviously not...
News Shenmue III Looks Like It's Going to Need Every Minute of That Delay
And probably more
Shenmue III was delayed recently, and by the grace of the Phoenix Mirror it looks like it needs it. The title just doesn’t seem to be coming together at all: new footage (skip to 2:15 in the embedded video) shows an improvement to Shenhua’s character model, but protagonist Ryo Hazuki and the rest of the cast still look...
News Shenmue III in Delay to 2019 Shocker
Changed my mind
Shenmue III was never coming out this year, but now publisher Deep Silver has confirmed. In an outstandingly brief statement, the firm said that the “extra time will be used to polish the quality of the game even further”. Considering the scant snippets of gameplay we’ve seen thus far have been barely polished at all, it’s...
News Shenmue I & II Will Not Add Time Skip to the First Game
Changed my mind
Back when Shenmue was first announced, SEGA leaned heavily into a buzzword: FREE. An acronym, the term stood for “fully reactive eyes entertainment”, and it was essentially used to describe the type of gameplay that we more commonly consider open world today; it meant that the title enabled you the freedom to go anywhere and do...
News You Won't Need to Win Many Games of Lucky Hit to Afford Shenmue I & II
Collection will cost $29.99
The Shenmue series includes a variety of ways to make in-game money, whether it’s operating a forklift, gambling, or moving crates (yes, seriously). In real-life, you won’t need to spend too much time grafting to afford SEGA’s anticipated compilation collection, as Shenmue I & II will retail for $29.99 in the...
Soapbox Why You Should Play Shenmue I & II on PS4
But why you need to be very careful
If you could hear beyond my screams of elation, the announcement of Shenmue I & II for PlayStation 4 overnight brought with it murmurs of excited curiosity: a new crop of gamers are finally going to get their opportunity to try out this cult series for themselves. That’s a good thing, as Ryo Hazuki’s...
News Shenmue I & II Searching for Sailors on PS4 in 2018
The day the snow turned to rain
Wow, we never thought we’d see the day. SEGA has followed up on its promise of a “huge surprise” by announcing that Shenmue I & II will be coming to the PlayStation 4 later this year. Considering we’d written off the possibility of this ever happening, that’s a pretty gigantic surprise indeed. This...
News Shenmue III Celebrates MAGIC 2018 with Four New Screenshots
Lan Di drama
Fans were disappointed by Shenmue III’s presence at MAGIC 2018 in Monaco this weekend, as Ys Net opted to show an extended version of last year’s awkward Gamescom 2018 trailer instead of all-new footage. The developer did, however, release four new screenshots, which we’ve embedded in this article. The character models are...
News Shenmue III Shows Impressive Progression in New PS4 Screenshots
More details at MAGIC Monaco next month
Shenmue III’s scheduled to release in 2018, and a trio of new PlayStation 4 screenshots show the progress that the project’s making. First up we get a new glimpse of protagonists Ryo Hazuki and Shenhua, who are beginning to resemble their Dreamcast counterparts. There’s still work to be done, but at...
News Shenmue III's Looking Like a Lock for 2018
That's the plan, anyway
Shenmue III will finally continue its search for Lan Di later this year – at least, that very much appears to be the plan. The title was originally scheduled to launch in 2017, but never looked like it was going to hit its ambitious ship date. However, Cedric Biscay – who fronts up Shibuya Productions, one of the many...
News Shenmue III Introduces New Character, Partnership with Lakshya Digital
I see
With publisher Deep Silver involved and a year of development still to go, expectations for Shenmue III have been raised. The good news is that Ys Net has been able to recruit some external support, with Lakshya Digital being brought on board to render the various non-playable characters that you’ll encounter around the world. If you’ve...
News This Shenmue III Facial Animation Video Will Not Alleviate Concerns
Her face is scary
The team making Shenmue III seem pretty naïve to us. So, you may recall the title’s first trailer releasing recently, and the ribbing that ensued regarding its non-existent facial animations. Well, now Ys Net has clumsily deployed a video showing it faffing about w
News Shenmue 1 & 2 Could Keep Friends Close on PS4 This Year
Those you love
It’s the rumour that won’t stop running: the two Shenmue titles could be coming to the PlayStation 4 this year. Just like the Bayonetta and Vanquish double-pack we reported on earlier, a bunch of Eastern European retailers all seem to think that Yu Suzuki’s legendary Dreamcast adventures are coming to Sony’s current console...
News Shenmue III Shows Off Three New PS4 Screenshots
Chillin' in Guilin
Shenmue III got a new trailer and details at Gamescom 2017, which generally divided opinion despite being a work in progress. While the new footage showcased some stunning environmental artwork, it also spotlighted some truly woeful animations. Series creator Yu Suzuki has said that
News Shenmue III's Character Models are Temporary, Facial Animations Were Removed
Yu Suzuki weighs in on game length, improvements, and forklifts
Shenmue III received its first PlayStation 4 teaser trailer this week, and it came in for some criticism. While the environments showcased certainly looked impressive, many felt disappointed with the title’s wax-work character models and non-existent facial animations. Speaking with...
Gamescom 2017 Shenmue III PS4 Screenshots Show Stunning Locales, Waxy Characters
Yu Suzuki targeting improvements
Shenmue III’s debut trailer has been met with a mixed response: fans love the look of the environments, but pretty much everyone is in agreement that the animations need work. It’s no surprise, then, that Ys Net’s long-awaited sequel looks much better in stills – with its oversaturated art style augmenting...
Gamescom 2017 Here's Your First Look at Shenmue III on PS4
And thus the saga begins
What a surreal moment this is: we’ve waited over 15 years, but here’s our very first look at Shenmue III on the PlayStation 4. We’ve got to be honest with you, it’s hard to believe that we’re even writing this. So, the good: the environments are excellent. Yu Suzuki’s adventure series is famous for its...
News Shenmue III Lands New Character Art, Global Publishing Partner
Silver lining
We were promised new Shenmue III information at Gamescom 2017 next week, and developer Ys Net has prefaced that with fresh artwork and news of a publishing partnership. Deep Silver – who seems to enjoy working with Kickstarter successes – has announced that it will publish the long-awaited sequel on the PlayStation 4 (and PC,...
News Shenmue III Footage to Debut at Gamescom 2017
Sequel scores new logo, too
After an extremely disappointing E3 2017 no-show, Shenmue III will be taking the trip to Gamescom 2017, where new footage of the anticipated PlayStation 4 sequel will debut. “While we are still working out the details with our partners, we plan to show our newest movie clips, share the latest updates, and even make some...
News Shenmue III Stalls the Search for Lan Di Until Second Half of 2018
Game is "bigger and more beautiful" than expected
Shenmue III is returning to the dojo until the second half of 2018, series creator Yu Suzuki has announced. The game was previously scheduled to launch later this year, but even the most ardent fans of the franchise must have anticipated a delay – especially when developer Ys Net ruled out an...
News Shenmue III Will Not Be At E3 2017
Here's a new character, though
Many had expected Shenmue III to be on display at E3 2017 next month, but developer Ys Net has ruled that out in an update on the title’s Kickstarter page. “We will be devoting June to game development and, as a result, will unfortunately not be participating in any game shows,” the studio said. It’s still...
News Yu Suzuki Discusses Shenmue III's Story Development
Cool story, bro
It's another Shenmue III update with very little on the progress of the project. This time, director Yu Suzuki talks about the development of the title's plot, and how he uses films as a reference for the cinematography. It's a very top-level look at the creation of games, and doesn't really provide many hints on the nature of the...
News Shenmue III Clears Some QTEs in Cruddy Dev Diary
Changed my mind
Shenmue III's supposed to release this year, but we'll save you the disappointment of a delay right here and now: it's not. Ys Net has uploaded its first developer diary in months today, and it's basically two minutes of next to nothing, as the team laugh and joke their way around the company's distinctively pokey office. There is a...
Rumour Shenmue HD Will Search for Sailors This Year
The day the snow turned to rain
A remastered version of Shenmue and its sequel will apparently release this year, according to a "trusted" Atlus source who spoke to Rice Digital. The two games will apparently deploy as a single package rather than separately, and are being prepared ahead of the release of Shenmue III, which is currently slated for...
News SEGA Raises Hopes with Shenmue HD Domain Registration
Snow turns to rain
The 'will they, won't they' saga surrounding Shenmue HD is becoming as drawn out as Ryo Hazuki's revenge, but SEGA Europe has raised hopes by registering a domain for the aforementioned compilation. According to the Who Is data, the publisher bought ShenmueHD.com back in September, perhaps suggesting that PlayStation 4 ports of...
News Shenmue III's Shaping Up Nicely in New PS4 Screenshots
Way cool
Following confirmation that Shenmue III is about to enter full-production, developer Ys Net has released a brand new batch of screenshots showing off the upcoming sequel. The studio still seems coy regarding actual character models – the early images of Ryo Hazuki and Shenhua looked all kinds of wrong – but these do look pretty. In...
News Shenmue III Headed Towards Full-Scale Production At Last
Expect new videos early next year
Many had hoped that we'd get a glimpse of Shenmue III at PSX 2016 this month, but the show came and went without word of Yu Suzuki's long-awaited sequel. However, the former SEGA man has provided an update on the project at long last, revealing in the latest issue of Japanese mag Famitsu that the title will be...
News SEGA's Still Investigating Those Oft-Requested Shenmue Remasters for PS4
I see
SEGA's still very much looking into those Shenmue remasters that we're all screaming for on the PlayStation 4, so its stance hasn't changed since… Well, it last gave lip service to fans a few months ago. "The issue is that it is a big game," a SEGA Europe representative told MCV, clearly forgetting that there are actually two She
News Shenmue Sub-Director Searches for More Sailors in Shenmue III
Back on the bike
Yu Suzuki's name will forever be tied to Shenmue – it was his magnum opus, after all. But as is the case with so many projects, he had a team around him to realise his vision, and one such person was Keiji Okayasu. He served as a sub-director on the SEGA Dreamcast original, and also contributed to its sequel massively. And now...
News Shenmue 3 Isn't Going to Be Ready for a Long, Long While Yet
Yu Suzuki tells us where it's at
Yesterday, Shenmue III celebrated its first Kickstarter anniversary with a short video from series creator Yu Suzuki. "Your cheers at the Sony announcement still ring in my ears," says the veteran developer, before going into detail about how the project is progressing. According to Suzuki, things have "really taken...
News Learn Why Shenmue Is Held in Such High Regard
Courage shall determine his fate
Not going to lie: Shenmue III's reveal almost had your humble host in tears last year. It's a game series that's had a profound effect on this author, as illustrated in this soapbox article. But many who missed out on the original – or perhaps were too young to play it – may not understand why Yu Suzuki's...
News SEGA Wants Shenmue HD on PS4 As Much As You Do
And thus the saga begins
Shenmue III is in active development for the PlayStation 4, but many of you have never played the Dreamcast originals. Talk of high-definition remasters of Shenmue and Shenmue II have been swirling since the PlayStation 3 days, but have never come to fruition. However, the publisher has reiterated that it's "investigating"...
News Shenmue III Sizzles in Scintillating New PS4 Screenshots
Bailu's lookin' beautiful
The first Shenmue III screenshot released didn't exactly capture the imagination, but the project's been in development for a little while now, and is slowly beginning to take shape. These images, deployed to coincide with a Shibuya Productions hosted event named Magic Monaco earlier today, really impress, showing shots of...
News Yu Suzuki Wants to Evolve the QTE with Shenmue III on PS4
Push square
Back when Shenmue launched for the Dreamcast in 1999, the concept of QTEs was brand new. Yu Suzuki's pioneering 80s adventure for the first time ever required you to be paying attention during cut-scenes: a flailing fist, a falling pot, a slippery road – button prompts would appear on screen and require inputs lest the sequence branch...
