Shenmue III

 PC
User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 434 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 239 out of 434
  2. Mixed: 29 out of 434
  3. Negative: 166 out of 434

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Apriarcy
    Nov 20, 2019
    0
    There's a reason SEGA let this series die in favor of Yakuza. The creator is a hack and this is another game with a huge budget that manages to feel low budget and dated at release. Avoid it like the plague.

    Also way to lie to the diehard fans who kick-started your project.
  2. doujin
    Nov 20, 2019
    0
    If you are a fan of this series, maybe it will worth a shot to play. But for a newcomers this is really really bad game, core game is a talking simulator 70% of your playtime will be talk to npc and walking to talk with other npc.
    The combat is not smooth and weird.
    Animation is really bad even the mc face look like a polygon game, if the game release in 10 years ago it will be a great    If you are a fan of this series, maybe it will worth a shot to play. But for a newcomers this is really really bad game, core game is a talking simulator 70% of your playtime will be talk to npc and walking to talk with other npc.
    The combat is not smooth and weird.
    Animation is really bad even the mc face look like a polygon game, if the game release in 10 years ago it will be a great game. Maybe......    … Expand
  3. tastytoaster
    Nov 19, 2019
    4
    The game seemed... Its disappointing. Like, you lose health too fast like wtf
  4. cigi_68
    Nov 24, 2019
    4
    I have found memories of Shemue. But the nostalgia seems to have ducked with me. It is nice looking but the controls have not agreed well. It really does not play like a modern game.
  5. GokuRedSS4
    Nov 23, 2019
    1
    Graphics are absolutely dire, gameplay is stuck in the 90s and the voice acting is an absolute abomination. Whoever thought releasing such a lazy and terrible game in this state needs to be sacked. I backed this game on kickstarter and sold my copy of the game. If you're a fan of the series and don't mind playing a game with dreadful voice acting in 2019 then go ahead.
  6. muzmuz
    Nov 20, 2019
    0
    A 2003 game released 1 month before 2020. Shenmue is a poorly made video game with a lot of negative reputation behind its back
  7. Mikki1986
    Nov 19, 2019
    3
    This game is for fans only. If you havnt play the other games and your not playig because of nostalogia dont even bother this title. This game looks like mobile version of yakuza.
  8. Gabacon
    Nov 19, 2019
    3
    Well people are loving this game but i don't see it. The voice acting and the dialogue is one of the worst i have ever seen. The animations are from 2005. I know it is a third game in a series from way back when because i played those game. I was just hoping they had moved out of 1998 and joined us here in 2019.
    It IS pretty though :D
  9. WolfRoot
    Dec 4, 2019
    0
    Вас наебали и съебались с деньгами. Автор наплевать на своих фанатов
  10. loci
    Nov 20, 2019
    0
    Very bad game. It is very dated..an embarrassment really, I'm shocked. I am trying to get a refund. AVOID!
  11. umbershap
    Nov 24, 2019
    0
    Grafikler rezalet oyun gerçekten kötü ve sıkıcı oyunu. Orjinal Shenmue oyunları dönemlerinin teknik açıdan ve oynanış açısından jenerasyon liderleriydi iki oyunda da inovasyon vardı ve oyun dünyasına bir şeyler katmışlardı.

    Epic'den aldım ve iade etme şansım yok. Keşke oyun Steam'de çıkmış olsaydı da iade etme şansım olsaydı.
  12. NeilNDM
    Nov 21, 2019
    10
    Another masterpiece from Yu Suzuki. Allow yourself the time to fully immerse yourself in the game. It may move slowly for some but there’s a reason for that. It’s to get truly involved in the life and story of the game
  13. leyt1125
    Nov 26, 2019
    0
    9 and 10 points to this game are voted by bots, just look at their profile - 2 ratings: 10 for PS and PC version of shinmue, and that's it
    Disgusting
  14. Gimbo98
    Nov 25, 2019
    10
    Great game, super. Up to the expectations for hardcore fans and new gamers. It suffers from uneven reviews.
  15. abraham_b
    Nov 24, 2019
    8
    If you are a fan of slow, relaxing games and more so, if you are a fan of the originals, then this is definitely worth picking up; however, I do recommend trying Shenmue 1 and 2 HD first to see if you'll be interested in this type of game as it is quite niche. It will also be cheaper. I have scored this one less point than the PS4 as I experienced some issues when playing it, like theIf you are a fan of slow, relaxing games and more so, if you are a fan of the originals, then this is definitely worth picking up; however, I do recommend trying Shenmue 1 and 2 HD first to see if you'll be interested in this type of game as it is quite niche. It will also be cheaper. I have scored this one less point than the PS4 as I experienced some issues when playing it, like the game freezing or crashing, although this was rare. But I believe the PS4 version to overall be the better one.… Expand
  16. Tuonelan_Eki
    Nov 27, 2019
    10
    I was on the edge about this game during opening hours, then picked it up again and something clicked. Landed a perfect dodge with slomo brawling uppercut-move and saw the whole first area countryside during nighttime from a vantage point near main heroines house. Also heard main character laugh for the first time(played also S1&2) and suddenly the game is alive! Good stuff.

    Hope all    I was on the edge about this game during opening hours, then picked it up again and something clicked. Landed a perfect dodge with slomo brawling uppercut-move and saw the whole first area countryside during nighttime from a vantage point near main heroines house. Also heard main character laugh for the first time(played also S1&2) and suddenly the game is alive! Good stuff.

    Hope all the best for future of Shenmue!    … Expand
  17. Mikedie1
    Dec 1, 2019
    10
    Finished the game Today. And enjoyed every minute of it. Its a true shenmue game!
  18. Vano_Sanchez
    Jun 21, 2020
    0
    This is the worst game ive ever played. Terrible gameplay. Terrible characters. Terrible story. Terrible promises... big disappointment.
  19. deanbrisko
    Dec 12, 2019
    10
    I'm so done with critics. I think it's obvious unless a company pays the big bucks then the "trusted" video game reviewers won't give them due credit. It's the same thing with the mainstream media, it's all garbage. But if they anticipate a game will sell well, they'll give it a 10/10, even if it's a monotonous, regurgitated FPS.

    This game was really great. I went into it with a mindset    I'm so done with critics. I think it's obvious unless a company pays the big bucks then the "trusted" video game reviewers won't give them due credit. It's the same thing with the mainstream media, it's all garbage. But if they anticipate a game will sell well, they'll give it a 10/10, even if it's a monotonous, regurgitated FPS.

    This game was really great. I went into it with a mindset that it was a lower budget indie game, but it looked and felt like any other contemporary title.

    There were a few glitches here and there, but overall Shenmue fans can rejoice: like a phoenix, the series returned to us, and it didn't disappoint. I just hope it sells well enough that they create a 4th title.    … Expand
  20. Kyra44
    Nov 23, 2019
    10
    Game totalmente voltado ao público que jogou as duas versões anteriores no Dreamcast e aguardavam a continuidade do enredo.
    Totalmente nostálgico, com uma brilhante ambientação da China e grandiosa trilha sonora.
    Nota 10.
  21. OldSilentHill
    Dec 11, 2019
    8
    People in PC don´t get it, they never experienced Shenmue in its time. Their lack of understanding about the escence of Shenmue is amazing.
  22. Gizilq
    Dec 6, 2019
    2
    Я не могу назвать ни одной причины, почему эта игра должна существовать. Да, я знаю, она во многом определила жанр Открытого мира и узаконила QTE, но это было 20 лет. Сейчас же, это набор раздражающих репетаптивных механик, ЗАГРУЗКИ, отвратительная анимация (хуже Greedfall, который сделали за 5 миллионов $), ЗАГРУЗКИ, хождение по карте в поисках людей, ЗАГРУЗКИ, таймер, нудноеЯ не могу назвать ни одной причины, почему эта игра должна существовать. Да, я знаю, она во многом определила жанр Открытого мира и узаконила QTE, но это было 20 лет. Сейчас же, это набор раздражающих репетаптивных механик, ЗАГРУЗКИ, отвратительная анимация (хуже Greedfall, который сделали за 5 миллионов $), ЗАГРУЗКИ, хождение по карте в поисках людей, ЗАГРУЗКИ, таймер, нудное зарабатывание денег и наконец ЗАГРУЗКИ.
    Особенно вся убогость игры заметна если сравнивать с серией Yakuza, которая является наследником Shenmue.
    2/10

    Google translation, sorry
    I can not name a single reason why this game should exist. Yes, I know, she largely defined the Open World genre and legitimized QTE, but it was 20 years old. Now, this is a set of annoying repetitive mechanics, LOADING, disgusting animation (worse than Greedfall, which was made for $ 5 million), LOADING, walking on the map in search of people, LOADING, timer, tedious making money and finally LOADING.
    Especially the whole wretchedness of the game is noticeable when compared with the Yakuza series, which is the heir to Shenmue.
    2/10    … Expand
  23. Ylyon
    Dec 2, 2019
    10
    Absolutely love this game. It's what the fans were waiting for 18 years and I cannot stop playing it :) I'd suggest to choose the PC version since it looks more optimized than PS4's.
  24. Karlito91
    Nov 30, 2019
    10
    Para o orçamento que teve está espectacular
    Que venha o 4 que é compra certa
  25. Chettytheyeti
    Dec 27, 2019
    10
    Amazing Shenmue experience. Thanks for making this happen Yu Suzuki and team.
  26. Whb
    Aug 5, 2020
    5
    This game would have been accepted if it was released ten or 15 years ago ... the game is so stiff ... the voice acting is robot like ... and some lines are just stupid ... I made myself endure all of that hoping that the story will balance things ... boy was I wrong .. the story takes you to many unrelated areas and you do not feel that what you are doing makes sense ... In other wordsThis game would have been accepted if it was released ten or 15 years ago ... the game is so stiff ... the voice acting is robot like ... and some lines are just stupid ... I made myself endure all of that hoping that the story will balance things ... boy was I wrong .. the story takes you to many unrelated areas and you do not feel that what you are doing makes sense ... In other words ... I wish they just stopped with shenmue 1 and 2 remastered… Expand
  27. MrLet53
    Nov 10, 2021
    0
    Gameplay time is 1 our. Cutscenes time 10 hour. Really bad game all around. I don't understand japannese game developers, Why ı can skip cutscenes. Timing push button game. I really hate this game. This game is not worth any price. If this game is free, I hate again.
  28. Pikathulhu
    Jul 26, 2020
    3
    Every single aspect of this game is bad except for the music. Avoid this at all costs.
  29. Burretploof
    Feb 29, 2020
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What a disappointment this game is.

    I don't even mind that its mechanics are incredibly dated (it actually mostly plays like the original two games); the main problem is that this time around, there are even fewer story beats than in the previous games.

    The first game establishes Ryos motivation and has the player learn a bit about Lan Di and his relationship to Ryos father. It actually feels like a proper investigation with a few entertaining twists and turns.

    The second game is a journey; not just starting out in a different location but also featuring more than one place to explore. Additional major characters are added to the plot and they learn more about Lan Di and the Phoenix Mirror.

    But this third game? I'd be hard pressed to name even one story beat that is of any consequence to the overall story. The entire game is spent running the gauntlet, with almost none of the characters adding anything to the main story arc. The player learns literally nothing new until the ending cutscenes play.

    They also introduce a bunch of characters in this game but none of them are given any kind of proper introduction or motivation but at the end they're being treated as if they're all friends that help each other out? Ryo met Shiling once and only trained a few times with Hsu but even he was never established as anything more than a guy to spar with.

    Also, why is Feng Li doing what she's doing? Who even is she? No idea, as the game doesn't give her a proper introduction, either.

    This game is a mess and honestly, I consider it a waste of time and money - it seemed more like a cash-grab than anything of substance.
    Sure, I want to see where the story is going, but I would've been better off reading a synopsis of Shenmue 3 (which would probably be shorter than this casual review) than actually spending money on it and playing it for almost 30 hours.    … Expand
  30. TheKillerFries
    Jul 27, 2020
    5
    While the game definitely carries some of the Shenmue magic that the first two games had, it's impossible for me to recommend this game in full faith, even to fans of the series. Each step forward is met with a step back, and while the series has always heard complaints of a slow-pace and focus on realism and mundanity, never has the series included more padding than this one has.

    The    While the game definitely carries some of the Shenmue magic that the first two games had, it's impossible for me to recommend this game in full faith, even to fans of the series. Each step forward is met with a step back, and while the series has always heard complaints of a slow-pace and focus on realism and mundanity, never has the series included more padding than this one has.

    The visuals, like the rest of the game, are a mixed bag. Environments, items, collectibles, and effects are all met with an impressive amount of care and detail, while character models and animations are highly inconsistent and often breech uncanny valley. Similarly, it's refreshing to see Ryu acting much the same as he had before, many of the other characters don't have nearly as much charm as the quirky B-movie personalities from its predecessors.

    Most damningly, this addition's pacing has to be one of the worst I've seen in quite some time. The other Shenmue games suffered from pacing issues as well, but the third installation practically says "Hold my beer" as it prefers to make you train abilities and fighting moves for 40% of the game, collect increasingly ludicrous amounts of money for another 40%, and the remaining 20% includes much of the game's actual story and content, which often doesn't add much to the overall plot.

    I have to admit that I was disappointed with my experience. As a fan of the first two games, it pains me to see that such an anticipated sequel can fall so flat in terms of gameplay and story that it leaves me questioning whether I'd even support a similar Kickstarter for Shenmue 4. If they really want the series to achieve the highs that the prior two entries have, they're going have to try a lot harder than this.    … Expand
Page:

Awards & Rankings

33
#33 Most Discussed PC Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 14
  3. Negative: 1 out of 14
  1. Riot Pixels
    Feb 17, 2020
    84
    If the original dilogy is Iliad, Shenmue 3 is Odyssey, a sequel that even exceeds expectations in some regards.
    Read full review
  2. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Jan 14, 2020
    44
    Despite all Suzuki’s claims that this series is his life’s work, Shenmue 3 feels more like a quick cash-in. [Issue#242, p.62]
  3. PC Games
    Dec 16, 2019
    50
    Even connoisseurs of the first two parts will be a bit sober after taking off their pink glasses. The story is by far not as good as it seemed back then and the gameplay is completely outdated. The fact that Shenmue 3 doesn't come to a conclusion is unforgivable after the long waiting time and the (financial) support of the fans. Players who approach the title without a nostalgia bonus will be annoyed anyway. The grind is pretty hard, the wandering around and the bad dialogues are even harder, but the fact that the game keeps stopping you on purpose is just incredibly frustrating. Hardcore fans can add something to the rating, everyone else can even pull something off.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »