Though it might be something of a distant memory now (how has it been over 10 years already?!), the Shenmue III Kickstarter campaign is still getting talked about even to this day. The latest article to mention this legendary chapter of Shenmue’s history is long-running gaming website DualShockers.
In their new article 8 RPGs Born From Kickstarter Campaigns, Shenmue III is rightfully listed as one of the most well-known gaming releases to have been born out of a crowdfunding initiative. Here’s what they have to say:
Shenmue III was a labor of love, and one that was brought to life through Kickstarter by passion for a long dormant franchise that last saw a release on the Sega Dreamcast for an idea of how silent it’s been.
It’s an RPG that is half slice of life game and fighting, and it’s one of the more bizarre and unique games ever made. It was a remarkable game when the first one came out in an era where open cities to explore and a heavy focus on narrative were not synonymous with games featuring a lot of action as well.
The third game, though, was pretty divisive. For fans of the first 2 games, they were likely thrilled, but for fans of modern RPGs, it felt pretty archaic in multiple areas. Ultimately, it was a welcome return to a long-gone franchise that at least kept the fans of the original games happy, but it’s unlikely we’ll see another one anytime soon.
We couldn’t agree more that the third title was a long-awaited and very welcome return for Shenmue. That said, let’s hope that the writer of the article turns out to be wrong about seeing Shenmue IV anytime soon. With Shenmue III Enhanced due to release later this year, fan interest piqued by the fake Shenmue IV trailer, and a more assertive community push for the next game, we’re hopeful that the tide is starting to turn in our favour.
#LetsGetShenmue4
