User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1112 Ratings

User score distribution:
Buy Now
Buy on

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
  1. Oct 6, 2020
    3
    The best part of this game is the opening before the actual gameplay. After that you will ask yourself why am i even playing this.
  2. Jan 17, 2021
    3
    First of all, my review could be a little too positive as I'm a big fan of the series.

    Story telling: It is really disappointing as it doesn't come to a conclusion - it also lacks the shining moments of the predecessors. on the the Positive side: Some of the QTE scenes and videos are really polished, that's the best part of the game - when you are actually not playing. Gameplay:
    First of all, my review could be a little too positive as I'm a big fan of the series.

    Story telling: It is really disappointing as it doesn't come to a conclusion - it also lacks the shining moments of the predecessors. on the the Positive side: Some of the QTE scenes and videos are really polished, that's the best part of the game - when you are actually not playing.

    Gameplay: Walking around reminds the old, but lacks a fresh experience. It doesn't feel great like Shenmue 2 neither a typical nowadays experience.
    This is my big disappointment: the fighting system! It feels playing a game with input lag, the frame rate goes under 15 fps on a PS4 Pro. It is hard to believe that this was conceived by the same guy who created Virtua Fighter almost 30 years ago...

    Sound and musics: I've enjoyed, there's a solid piece of work there.

    Overall: This project generated hype, costed millions, and it is really underwhelming.
    Expand
  3. Mar 15, 2020
    1
    I don't understand the appeal of this game, it is completely horrible with a myriad of problems.

    First of all, the gameplay is so boring and repetitive. They just throw one gimmick after another at you and you grind away with frustrating controls and the combat system is so outdated that I'm ashamed to even call it a combat system. The models and animations are so barebones and basic,
    I don't understand the appeal of this game, it is completely horrible with a myriad of problems.

    First of all, the gameplay is so boring and repetitive. They just throw one gimmick after another at you and you grind away with frustrating controls and the combat system is so outdated that I'm ashamed to even call it a combat system. The models and animations are so barebones and basic, the lack of interactions break any hope of immersion you had.

    The voice-acting is also horrible, everyone sounds like they are dying inside and soul-less. The dialogue didn't help either as many of the lines between characters make no sense, was this game even made for English audiences? It sounds like a really poor translation attempt. It's just so damn cringey!

    The story is so bland I had to ask myself if anything worthwhile was happening in this game.

    All in all, this was the most garbage game I've played in a long time with no redeeming qualities.
    Expand
  4. Feb 27, 2020
    4
    Was playing Shenmue 20 yrs ago on my xbox and decided to buy the new Shenmue 3 cause i was curious to see how story goes. Well as it was before it is still one of the most boring games i ever played as the only thing you do is just walk around playing mini games and ask people for directions. Only thing interesting is the story and some beautiful scenery in the game nothing else. By theWas playing Shenmue 20 yrs ago on my xbox and decided to buy the new Shenmue 3 cause i was curious to see how story goes. Well as it was before it is still one of the most boring games i ever played as the only thing you do is just walk around playing mini games and ask people for directions. Only thing interesting is the story and some beautiful scenery in the game nothing else. By the year 2000 game standards this game was revolutionary in terms of open world games and was highly rated. By today's standards this game should be rated no more than 5/10 Expand
  5. Jun 21, 2020
    0
    This game is absolute trash. Worst game ive ever played. Terrible story, characters, promises, animations, dialogues.
  6. Mar 22, 2020
    1
    This game, released in 2019, was dated back in 2005 when Yakuza came out. Terrible. Not worth a second of anyone's time.
  7. Dec 8, 2019
    0
    Симулятор гринда. Скучный сюжет (которого максимум час). Никакого прогресса по сравнению с 2 частью
  8. Jul 25, 2020
    2
    Boring, repetitive, no story progress. It's not really a videogame but a doing chores simulator.
  9. Dec 25, 2019
    0
    Shenmue 1 and 2 were good. This game is crap. They deleted throws in fight and story only progresses 10 minutes. The grind is heavy. Basically a flopped game
  10. Dec 1, 2019
    0
    продолжение, которое все ждали... но не в таком виде! с такой реализацией игру можно было выпустить на старте ps3. и даже тогда она многих бы разочаровала
  11. Dec 1, 2019
    0
    Абсолютная бездарщина, которой в принципе не должно быть в индустрии.
    Она не дает какой-либо прогресс, она лишь займет ваше время, рассказав целый ноль сюжета.
    Она заставит вас смотреть на тарелку из рулетки дольше, чем на сцены с героями. Она заставит ваши глаза потеть от увиденной боевки прошлой эпохи.
    Абсолютная бездарщина, которой в принципе не должно быть в индустрии.
    Она не дает какой-либо прогресс, она лишь займет ваше время, рассказав целый ноль сюжета.
    Она заставит вас смотреть на тарелку из рулетки дольше, чем на сцены с героями.
    Она заставит ваши глаза потеть от увиденной боевки прошлой эпохи.
  12. Nov 19, 2019
    4
    What an absolute disappointment.... probably on par with Duke Nukem Forever. i should add that it runs horrible on my PS4 pro
  13. Dec 4, 2019
    1
    Very disappointing. The game is buggy and slow, it looks like an early PS3 game, and is just plain unfun to play. The combat is so simple that I thought they were joking at first until I realized that there really wasn't any more to it. The voice acting is amateurish to say the least. And worst of all, the plot doesn't progress at all. As a fan of the first 2 Shenmue games, I was reallyVery disappointing. The game is buggy and slow, it looks like an early PS3 game, and is just plain unfun to play. The combat is so simple that I thought they were joking at first until I realized that there really wasn't any more to it. The voice acting is amateurish to say the least. And worst of all, the plot doesn't progress at all. As a fan of the first 2 Shenmue games, I was really looking forward to this but they might as well have not made it at all for all the plot movement this one has. Save your money and play the Yakuza series instead - they've taken some of the ideas from this series and improved them dramatically. Expand
  14. Nov 20, 2019
    0
    This is what I waited 17 years for? It's so bad, kickstarter was a fraud. Hope its the last one.
  15. Nov 19, 2019
    1
    Got this from my local store 2 days before it's release and i've been playing it since. it looks like a PS2 game, story is a complete downgrade from the masterpieces that were Shenmue 1 & 2, and to top it off it keeps crashing.
  16. Nov 19, 2019
    0
    I am very sad to see what this classic franchise has become. on my PS4 the graphics are blurred, 720p and 30fps. In the game the commands do not respond well, the mini games are very poorly done and boring, turtle racing.... Where are we? in 2019? very disappointed.
  17. Dec 7, 2019
    1
    am i the only sane person left on the fu cck ing planet? this is legitimately one fo the worst if not THE worst game I have ever seen in my entire life. and you people are giving it 10's and "professional" reviewers are giving it high scores like what in the f uck? are you people out of your minds? I got a few more recommendations for you guys, its called Anthem and Fallout 76 and Supermanam i the only sane person left on the fu cck ing planet? this is legitimately one fo the worst if not THE worst game I have ever seen in my entire life. and you people are giving it 10's and "professional" reviewers are giving it high scores like what in the f uck? are you people out of your minds? I got a few more recommendations for you guys, its called Anthem and Fallout 76 and Superman 64 because this game ranks down there with the worst of the worst and you guys are all going "oh man best game ever i love shenmue yaaaayy"

    just.... I'm disgusted. too disgusted for words. neck yourselves all of you. I'll give it a point because it gave me a good laugh from how audaciously awful it was but I'm not laughing anymore.
    Expand
  18. Dec 6, 2019
    2
    its a 100% shenmue game ok i get it.
    The graphics barely hit ps3 level.
    The interactions with the other characters and npcs are a joke. Framerate?? i swear its not hit 15fps in some places, and the combat???, the qte events, the mini games?? wtf is this??? The whole game feels like some fans made it not a professional game designers, such a shame and insult to the original first 2
    its a 100% shenmue game ok i get it.
    The graphics barely hit ps3 level.
    The interactions with the other characters and npcs are a joke.
    Framerate?? i swear its not hit 15fps in some places,
    and the combat???, the qte events, the mini games?? wtf is this???

    The whole game feels like some fans made it not a professional game designers, such a shame and insult to the original first 2 games and disrespect toward the fans!
    Expand
  19. Nov 27, 2019
    2
    Убогое, устаревшее дерьмо, выпущенное в 2019 ради сруба денег на фанатах. Да, в своё время игра выглядела и игралась круто, ибо была прорывной как визуально так и по части геймплея. Но сейчас, Игра как визуально выглядит отсталой..так и все геймплейные механики тут за 20 лет ни на грамм не претерпели эволюционных изменений. Бессмысленная бродилка по городу, с наитупейшими диалогами иУбогое, устаревшее дерьмо, выпущенное в 2019 ради сруба денег на фанатах. Да, в своё время игра выглядела и игралась круто, ибо была прорывной как визуально так и по части геймплея. Но сейчас, Игра как визуально выглядит отсталой..так и все геймплейные механики тут за 20 лет ни на грамм не претерпели эволюционных изменений. Бессмысленная бродилка по городу, с наитупейшими диалогами и тупыми, картонными персонажами.
    Кто то скажет, что это всё специально..в стиле игры и лора..Но это лишь бред сумасшедших. Посмотрите на Ту же Зельду - вот это пример игры для фанатов старой серии которая на стоит на месте, а из раза в раз разработчики делают шедевр.
    Expand
  20. Nov 20, 2019
    0
    An insult to the backers. I spent $100 when it started on the kickstart, then I had to change to PS4 version cause PC changed from Steam to Epic (a really nice backstab), and on top of that we don't even get the pre-order bonuses that regular people get buying the game.
    We made the game possible and treat backers as sh*t.
  21. Nov 19, 2019
    0
    Health drains too fast, the camera angles are **** **** this game, shouldn't have backed it on kickstarter
  22. Nov 20, 2019
    0
    As a Kickstarter backer at a high level, I can say without exaggeration that Shenmue III has been the single greatest disappointment in my decades of gaming.
  23. Nov 25, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. unfortunately time has not been kind and the developer refused to take on board any of gamings advancement in the past 20 years.

    If you want to play a dream cast game in 2019 there are cheaper ways to do it.
    Expand
  24. Dec 3, 2019
    0
    The game is a poorly envisioned pile of wank. Shenmue fans (I was one of them) are the ONLY people who are happy with the finished game, and even then I'd argue that there's a great number of them, myself included who are less than happy with the finished game. Is it all the Shenmue you could want? sure, if you want to play the worst, most grindy and mind numbing game of your life withThe game is a poorly envisioned pile of wank. Shenmue fans (I was one of them) are the ONLY people who are happy with the finished game, and even then I'd argue that there's a great number of them, myself included who are less than happy with the finished game. Is it all the Shenmue you could want? sure, if you want to play the worst, most grindy and mind numbing game of your life with graphics from the PS2 era.

    I enjoyed Shenmue 2, which is why I kickstarted Shenmue 3 however I was super un-impressed when they forced Epic exclusivity on us and all the game updates I've seen since have been getting worse and worse.

    The lip-synching and voice acting (bar maybe 2 or 3 voices i've heard) are completely atrocious!

    The method of levelling up your fighting skills is mundane, uninspired, grindy and boring as all hell.

    Ys Net haven't learned ANYTHING since the last Shenmue game, it's as if Yu Suzuki has been hiding in his bedroom for the last 20 years with his hands over his eyes and hasn't taken on board a single development from an entire 2 decades of awesome games throughout the years.

    If you're gonna sit there and try to tell me that this game is 'good' in any capacity, compared to the plethora of indie and double A titles we've had over the years... then you have lost all integrity as a gamer.

    Do you know what you should be playing instead of this drivel? - Yakuza, pick one, any of the Yakuza games are basically this but 100x better in every freaking way.
    Expand
  25. Dec 4, 2019
    2
    Really badly mad game, so boring and slow. The voices on this game are laughable and this could have been a PS2 game with poor graphics...
  26. Nov 27, 2019
    3
    Honestly a middle of the road mediocre game series but the repetitive and unintuitive gameplay bumps my rating of the game down a notch which doesnt help that the game is mostly cashing in on nostalgia alone.
    Also the faces are an absolute train wreck.
    The game is so niche its hard to recommend a good substitute but i think id still keep my money in my pocket for doom or cyberpunk instead
    Honestly a middle of the road mediocre game series but the repetitive and unintuitive gameplay bumps my rating of the game down a notch which doesnt help that the game is mostly cashing in on nostalgia alone.
    Also the faces are an absolute train wreck.
    The game is so niche its hard to recommend a good substitute but i think id still keep my money in my pocket for doom or cyberpunk instead of this heap of a mess.
    Expand
  27. Nov 20, 2019
    0
    Es un gran juegazo, no hagais caso a las review de la prensa ya que falsean la realidad, merece el precio que tiene.
  28. Nov 19, 2019
    0
    Fans are overrating this, beware. 20 years after the second game and the story doesn't move an inch, what a joke.
  29. Nov 20, 2019
    0
    Looks like a Playstation 2 game and plays like a Playstation 2 game. An insult to the backers.
  30. Nov 20, 2019
    4
    se ve muy bien el juego y la banda sonora esta genial la verdad pero las fisicas y animaciones no me terminaron gustando parece un juego de la epoca de ps2 en pleno 2019 solo por las animaciones y fisicas
  31. Nov 28, 2020
    0
    Hacía tiempo que no sentía lo que he sentido con este juego, que basura mas grande, que aburrido, tosco y lento es este juego. Una tortura es mas simple y mejor que esto
  32. Nov 23, 2019
    1
    Shenmue 3 is what happens when you take a 15 year old game and put it through an HD filter. While this game might have been incredible 15 years ago, times have changed. Shenmue has not. It continues to use an old and dated graphics along with voice acting that is mediocre at times and awful at others. Unlike other games from that period that have made it to this time period such as the newShenmue 3 is what happens when you take a 15 year old game and put it through an HD filter. While this game might have been incredible 15 years ago, times have changed. Shenmue has not. It continues to use an old and dated graphics along with voice acting that is mediocre at times and awful at others. Unlike other games from that period that have made it to this time period such as the new Resident Evil games and the Yakuza games, Shenmue has failed to improve on its existing systems, making its gameplay clunky and awkward. On top of that, the game comes to a screeching halt during the climax. There is no epic boss fight, just an unwinnable one where the bad guy is completely invincible and just throws a few punches before the entire game abruptly ends. The result is that you get a game that is woefully incomplete. At least Shenmue 1 and 2 had the decency to wrap up the story in their respective regions by the conclusion, but Shenmue 3 cannot even do that. Instead, it feels like much of the game's length was being dragged out by arbitrary grinding and the game stopped before the story even began in earnest. Expand
  33. Nov 20, 2019
    0
    Worst game ever made the graphics and gameplay very disappointing i really feel bad
  34. Nov 20, 2019
    0
    Graphics are outdated, animations are very stiff.
    Voice acting is horrible.

    This game is a waste of money, that's the truth.
  35. Nov 20, 2019
    1
    Looks like it's coming from 1997. Maybe only a true fan can barely enjoyed it.
  36. Dec 1, 2019
    1
    The author of the game is a total scammer. Not only is there nothing new in the game, it does not seem to have advanced for 15+ years. And not even that she goes to EGS. The story is empty and not interesting. Graphics from 2005. Grind money (chop wood, fish seriously?).
    When raising funds promised:
    3 locations (2 in fact) skill tree (none at all)   And this is just the tip of the
    The author of the game is a total scammer. Not only is there nothing new in the game, it does not seem to have advanced for 15+ years. And not even that she goes to EGS. The story is empty and not interesting. Graphics from 2005. Grind money (chop wood, fish seriously?).
    When raising funds promised:
    3 locations (2 in fact)
    skill tree (none at all)

      And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Who are the people who value her well? Do not buy this game!
    Expand
  37. Nov 19, 2019
    0
    Bad Story, bad Gameplay and even worse graphics. This is one of the worse games ever released.
  38. Nov 20, 2019
    1
    mala jugabilidad, mala historia, pesimos gráficos es peor que death stranding
  39. Nov 19, 2019
    2
    After 5 hours on the game so far, i am not very impressed. Most elements are average to good. Nothing is great in this game, where as Shenmue 1/2 there was lots of great elements. It might improve the more I play, but so far it is decent, but far from great. Check some reviews before you buy
  40. Nov 28, 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 shenmue3 and that's it
    Disgusting
  41. Nov 19, 2019
    3
    The Wait is Over & the game is a Big Flop Boring, monotonous, graphics of 15 years ago, this game is lame and I think is one of the worst games of this year, Yu Suzuki what a shame you are.
  42. 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
  43. Nov 24, 2019
    2
    Huge fan of the original two games, played them both on release. The third instalment almost 20 years later feels like a step backwards. Interacting with NPCs is awful, as is the dialect, the whole food system is poor (feels like there is going to be a Shenmue store coming soon where you buy food with real money).
    I know a lot of people will be marking this 10/10 because they are loyal to
    Huge fan of the original two games, played them both on release. The third instalment almost 20 years later feels like a step backwards. Interacting with NPCs is awful, as is the dialect, the whole food system is poor (feels like there is going to be a Shenmue store coming soon where you buy food with real money).
    I know a lot of people will be marking this 10/10 because they are loyal to the series, as am I, Shenmue 1&2 are hands down my most played and favourite games. Shenmue 3 is just not a scratch on the originals.
    Expand
  44. Nov 21, 2019
    2
    Unlike most of these fake reviews I've actually completed the game. The game is as stiff and wooden as the horse stance. The environments can sometimes look good but that is about it. Animations are god-awful. The ending sequence is okay. The story hardly moves at all. The combat system is worse than the originals somehow. The gameplay is awful and is extremely boring and does not haveUnlike most of these fake reviews I've actually completed the game. The game is as stiff and wooden as the horse stance. The environments can sometimes look good but that is about it. Animations are god-awful. The ending sequence is okay. The story hardly moves at all. The combat system is worse than the originals somehow. The gameplay is awful and is extremely boring and does not have much substance. The music is harsh, on short loops and can get very irritatingly repetitive. Seeing all the unwarranted 10s from fans is expected but still disgustingly dishonest. Fans of this series truly deserved far better than what Yu Suzuki gave us. Pathetic. I'm glad to have gotten something after 18 years of waiting but this is not a good product.. Expand
  45. Nov 19, 2019
    3
    Loved the originals, but this series did not age well. The few charming bits are buried under a dump truck full of sub-par gameplay, story and just about everything else.
  46. Nov 22, 2019
    3
    This wasn’t the game that we wanted. It’s so broken that it’s almost unplayable. Tedious, broken and boring. The terrible translation is funny for two minutes, and then it’s just annoying and insulting. Yu Suzuki really dropped the ball here. Instead of making a satisfactory ending he decided to barely move the plot. And there will never be another game in the series after this. Don’t kidThis wasn’t the game that we wanted. It’s so broken that it’s almost unplayable. Tedious, broken and boring. The terrible translation is funny for two minutes, and then it’s just annoying and insulting. Yu Suzuki really dropped the ball here. Instead of making a satisfactory ending he decided to barely move the plot. And there will never be another game in the series after this. Don’t kid yourself. This thing is over. Make up your own ending and move on. Expand
  47. Nov 21, 2019
    4
    El juego es más ABURRIDO que oir una plática de tus abuelos con tus tíos.

    Me aburrió, me aburrió, me aburrió y me aburrió. El juego es caminar y hablar y hablar.
  48. Nov 22, 2019
    4
    Stack in the past nothing repeating and
  49. Nov 22, 2019
    1
    Los graficos son basura, las mecanicas son basura, el sonido es basura, no merece absolutamente nada la pena.
  50. Nov 21, 2019
    2
    I do not recommend it, it is ridiculously outdated, I did not know this saga and starting to enter it with this second sequel is a great waste of time and money
  51. Mar 25, 2021
    3
    (I will admit I am only 50% through the game)

    (-) Boring

    (-) Slow

    (-)Awful english voice acting

    (-)Stiff combat

    (-) Terrible dialog

    (-) Stiff character animation

    (-) A story that loses focus

    (+) Good minigames

    (+) beautiful backgrounds and Colors

    (+) Catchy music
  52. Jan 4, 2022
    3
    Juro que tentei jogar mas não consegui. Para ser sincero, acredito que as pessoas que deram uma boa pontuação para esse jogo estavam sendo movidas pela nostalgia. O jogo progride de forma lenta. As conversas são lentas. Os personagens se movimentam de forma lenta, parece até que estão cansados. A música até traz a sensação de estar em um ambiente chinês, mas depois de um tempo começa a seJuro que tentei jogar mas não consegui. Para ser sincero, acredito que as pessoas que deram uma boa pontuação para esse jogo estavam sendo movidas pela nostalgia. O jogo progride de forma lenta. As conversas são lentas. Os personagens se movimentam de forma lenta, parece até que estão cansados. A música até traz a sensação de estar em um ambiente chinês, mas depois de um tempo começa a se tornar insuportável. Sei que os jogos anteriores foram muito importantes para o desenvolvimento dos jogos de hoje em dia. Mas sinceramente o volume 3 é um jogo cansativo que me dá vontade de dormir. Expand
  53. Jun 18, 2022
    4
    Made for fans, the magic of shenmue still here, but it need a new orientation and finishing the storie making a Shenmue 4.
Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 78 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 78
  2. Negative: 7 out of 78
  1. May 18, 2020
    30
    What a horrible experience this was. Whatever minuscule redeeming qualities this game might have are drowned out by just how infuriating it is. And I can’t think of anybody who is a fan of this franchise that can honestly call this game good with a straight face. Get this game if you’re a fan of the series, but don’t be surprised if it just ends up making you hate yourself for waiting nearly two decades for what is essentially the video game equivalent of Freddy Got Fingered.
  2. May 18, 2020
    30
    What a horrible experience this was. Whatever minuscule redeeming qualities this game might have are drowned out by just how infuriating it is. And I can’t think of anybody who is a fan of this franchise that can honestly call this game good with a straight face. Get this game if you’re a fan of the series, but don’t be surprised if it just ends up making you hate yourself for waiting nearly two decades for what is essentially the video game equivalent of Freddy Got Fingered.
  3. Apr 13, 2020
    50
    Shenmue 3 is a tough recommendation for general audiences. It won't please the die-hard fans of the originals due the step backwards in terms of game design. Neophytes who are curious about it will be confused and bored by the sleep-inducing pace, plus the how the voice acting has not changed since the early '00s. The visuals may have improved, and the loading times are a thing of the past, but this is still has the soul of a Dreamcast title. It won't live up to the expectations that fans have, nor will it excite interest in the franchise. Nothing of substance gets solved by the conclusion, and there's a lack of a pay-off to playing such an intentionally slow experience. The highs in Shenmue 3 involve doing what amounts to nothing; that is just taking in the atmosphere and exploring.