'Shenmue 3' News, Release Date: Series Creator Teases Fourth Installment
It looks like "Shenmue 3" will not be the end of Ryo Hazuki's story.
Series creator Yu Suzuki has confirmed in a recent interview with French website Gamersflag that a new game is on the table with the upcoming title's ending "open for a sequel."
This is not the first time Suzuki hinted he wanted to go beyond "Shenmue 3" for the series. During the third installment's announcement, which was back in 2015, he revealed at a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) session that the whole story will be covered in 11 chapters.
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He said that he originally planned to lay the "Shenmue" story out in four to five games. "If at all possible, I would still like to realize the full story of 11 chapters," Suzuki went on to say.
Indeed, fans will be happy to know that there will be a lot more of "Shenmue" to look forward to. After all, they have been waiting for almost two decades for the return of the series.
It was back in 2001 when the second and most recent game in the franchise came out. A third installment was not announced until 14 years later, and even after that long wait, a lot of fans showed their support and excitement in full force.
"Shenmue 3" was set up as a crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter that went on to break the record on Guinness World Record after it was fully funded just nine hours after it was launched, which goes to show that there is so much love for the series despite its long-time absence.
Fans should expect some big changes though. While Suzuki wants to continue the series, he is also very keen on making some tweaks. For "Shenmue 3," the changes will be seen mostly in 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," Suzuki said.
"Shenmue 3" will be released later this year.
