Random Shenmue III Thoughts

As far as i know the meaning of the 3 kanji from up to down is the name Hazuki Iwao 芭月 巌 and the other 2 kanji i don't know the meaning, someone can correct me if i'm wrong.
That's right. The other two kanji are 奉納 which means an offering, so basically the writing says it's a gift to the temple from Iwao. I guess it was supposed to have an on-screen English translation.
 
We can learn many things about asian culture with Shenmue and to me this is one of the beautiful details about this wonderful series, i will share now interesting things i found in Shenmue III about this subject.

Kuan Yin, who is also known by the names of Guan Yin or Guanyn, is considered the goddess of kindness, compassion, mercy and love. Therefore, in many places she is compared to the figure of a mother.

Including, her name would mean something like "the one who observes the sounds of the world" or "the one who cries for humanity".

In Buddhism, her title is bodhisattva. That is, someone who managed to reach enlightenment and could get rid of human suffering, but decided to give up going to nirvana to dedicate himself to helping the people of the world.

Devotion to her is very old, having emerged in the 1st century, and also widespread in some regions of Asia. You can find people who revere her in countries like China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Thailand and Vietnam.

This statue in the game is the statue of Guanyin.


IMG_6855.jpgimage0.jpg


The Jade Emperor is one of the most important gods of the Chinese Taoist pantheons. Supreme God of Chinese folk religion, the Jade Emperor is Ruler of all Heavens (of which the Chinese have over 30), Earth and the Underworld/ Hell, Creator of the Universe, later the Emperor of the Universe, and Lord of the Imperial Court.

This statue in the game is the statue of Jade Emperor.



IMG_6856.jpgIMG_6857.jpg


Feilian Thigh
This technique involves rotating in mid-air to deliver a vicious roundhouse kick. Feilian is the Chinese wind god that serves the sun. This technique can be mastered through sparring.

Feilian is a wind god from Chinese mythology. It's described as having a head of a sparrow, horns of a bull, body and legs of a stag, leopard spots and the tail of a serpent.

tumblr_f70d17ff3b4b81eb2472405103f42567_b4811abc_1280.jpg
 
That’s interesting about Kuan Yin. I’m sure it’s more coincidental but really reminds me of Maiden Astraea from Demon’s Souls.

Haven’t really touched 3 since I first finished it but one day I might replay the whole series just because. Unsure how I’ll feel about it then. The first Shenmue I definitely loved despite some issues in the later half, 2 has a ton of neat things but felt very bloated to me, 3 on the other hand I felt had an alright pace to start but kinda dragged just doing the same things again in the city as we did in Bailu unfortunately. But maybe my mind will change on these things now.
 
I'm on my second playthrough now and it is so interesting how a new playthrough can make me see some things in a different way, a new playthrough made me understand the game even more.

I enjoyed Shenmue III on my first playtrough but at that time i didn't understood some things, i didn't understood the food system a lot so i thought it needed some improvements, now on my second playthrough and with a better strategy i understand how the system works, and now i love the food system even more.

I use lots of types of different foods and so many foods are better than the black garlic, and this way i never run out of food, this way i don't have problems with the food system, with this strategy the game is so much more fun and enjoyable in my opinion.

On my first playthrough i didn't understood everything about the fighting system, now i understand more things and to me the fighting system is really good, there is room for improvements like adding throws and improve other things, but now in my second playthrough i enjoy the fighting system even more.

In my first playthrough i had some difficulties and I didn't understood everything about the game, it was my first time playing the game and without the updates, in my second playthrough the game is so much more fun and enjoyable now that i understand more how everything works, and now i'm playing even more slowly than the first playthrough.

I even think that Shenmue III has evolved the gameplay of the series.

In the first game we can train alone or with Fuku-san, when we train with Fuku-san is just one time per day. I don't view this as a flaw in the game, in my opinion Ryo only training alone or with Fuku-san fits the vibe and atmosphere of the game, in the first game Ryo is more sad and distant, Ryo is focusing in his objective and don't want to interact with people that much, so training alone fits the game really well.

In the second game as far as i know the only way to train the moves is with Tao in Lotus Park, and we can train only one time per day, it is something very limited, i don't view these things as flaws but Shenmue III took the training to a whole new level.

In Shenmue III we can train alone but we also can train with a lot of characters in Bailu Village and in Niaowu, it is not something limited, we can train as much as we want and we have many ways to train in the game.

In the first game we are forced to work in the forklift job, i don't view this as a flaw and i like the first game this way, in Shenmue III we have so many ways to work and we can choose when to work, the time limit in each job is great and i think this is friendly for casual Shenmue players too.

Yesterday i even won all the battles in the Rose Garden and i did max level Kung Fu for the first time. I'm having so much fun in my second playthrough.

Shenmue III is a kickstarter game, i can see the limitations of the game because of the limited budget, in Niaowu i saw many NPCs that was not possible to talk with them.

Even with limited money and time Yu Suzuki and his team made a beautiful game.The game could have been better in some aspects? yes, but overall the game is wonderful to me.

To me Shenmue III have a gorgeous world and the best gameplay of the Shenmue series so far.


shenmue3-win64-shippirvknp.png

Niaowu.jpg
 

Found this video of games with Wasted Potential. Shenmue 3 isn't in the top 10, but appears as a bonus at the end, because apparently they were expecting the game to end the saga but it didn't.

And my random thought is just how the game during its kickstarter phase was announced as NOT the end of the story, and yet 7+ years after its KS announcement, and 3+ years after its release, people are still like "why wasn't it the end of the saga ?"

Edit : I timestamped the video right when he starts talking abt S3
 

Found this video of games with Wasted Potential. Shenmue 3 isn't in the top 10, but appears as a bonus at the end, because apparently they were expecting the game to end the saga but it didn't.

And my random thought is just how the game during its kickstarter phase was announced as NOT the end of the story, and yet 7+ years after its KS announcement, and 3+ years after its release, people are still like "why wasn't it the end of the saga ?"

Edit : I timestamped the video right when he starts talking abt S3
People who complain about Shenmue III not ending the story and/or not being able to hit Lan Di don’t understand Shenmue and can be safely ignored.
 

Found this video of games with Wasted Potential. Shenmue 3 isn't in the top 10, but appears as a bonus at the end, because apparently they were expecting the game to end the saga but it didn't.

And my random thought is just how the game during its kickstarter phase was announced as NOT the end of the story, and yet 7+ years after its KS announcement, and 3+ years after its release, people are still like "why wasn't it the end of the saga ?"

Edit : I timestamped the video right when he starts talking abt S3
Not sure how anyone can argue 3 1/2 years later and no sequel in site that Shenmue 3 wasn’t a missed opportunity… The story absolutely does not deliver, even as a mid chapter…
 
People who complain about Shenmue III not ending the story and/or not being able to hit Lan Di don’t understand Shenmue and can be safely ignored.

Honestly we can't ignore these people. Even if it isn't true most gamers believe it to be true. We have to educate people when we have the chance.
 
The story absolutely does not deliver, even as a mid chapter…
I respect your funded opinions. Dont you think that's a subjetive affirmation? I agree on it not connected with its time like the previous chapters. But the story delivering depends on one self opinion. Is like those movies that floped and you defend, not because "so bad that good/guilty pleasures" stuff but because you really think the movie is good and so, misunderstood/underrated.

Then also the lack of sequel is influenced by that, of course, but its not the only reason. There has been many factors, some widely known and others not.
 
Not sure how anyone can argue 3 1/2 years later and no sequel in site that Shenmue 3 wasn’t a missed opportunity… The story absolutely does not deliver, even as a mid chapter…
While I kinda agree (but it's more complicated than that imo), it's not quite the subject here. Here it's not someone who says "maybe Yu and his team should have aimed at ending the saga here as a trilogy", but he argues that the fact that Shenmue 3 wasn't the end came "as a surprise", like it wasn't announced before the game released. Again it's this misinformation going on of the game and Yu "scamming" players by not delivering the game he supposedly promised, which was not the case since it was announced during the KS campaign that Shenmue 3 wouldn't close Shenmue's story.
 
I can’t see how anybody can really complain about Shenmue 3 not finishing the story. However, if the next game doesn’t make some serious inroads, it’s difficult to see the story finishing in video game form. With that in mind, talk of Yu making a spin-off game rather than Shenmue 4 is pretty worrying.
 
With that in mind, talk of Yu making a spin-off game rather than Shenmue 4 is pretty worrying.
It would but, has been a recent comment from YS about it? I'll worry* when he confirms spinoff.

*A Shenmue spinoff would be kind of a Shenmue 4😯 and another YS game since Air Twister 😯 New threads and ramblings here

Shenmue 4: Fighting Spirit, Fighting Spirit: A Shenmue spinoff... That potatoes stuff that you english people say.
 
People who complain about Shenmue III not ending the story and/or not being able to hit Lan Di don’t understand Shenmue and can be safely ignored.

I agree and i really don't understand this critics about the game.

As far as i know Shenmue III was never supposed to be a trilogy, Shenmue was never supposed to end in the third game, so is not a flaw that Shenmue III ended on a cliffhanger.

In Shenmue II Ryo was not able to defeat Xiuying in a fight.

Xiuying said this to Ryo... "You won't survive if you can't even defeat me."

it wasn't a surprise to me that Ryo couldn't defeat or hit Lan Di in Shenmue III, it was the first real fight and it makes sense that this was the result of the fight, it makes sense and i enjoyed the fight.


It is clear to me that Ryo is not ready to defeat Lan Di. Probably one day Ryo will be ready both mentally and physically but is not time yet.

With this fight i can see that Ryo improved as a martial artist, before the fight even Lan Di recognized that. It was not enough to defeat Lan Di, but Ryo is improving little by little with the things he learns with the people he meet along the way, and to me this is beautiful, i enjoy the slow pace in Shenmue about these things, i love that Ryo's journey is a slow pace journey, i love that Ryo's journey is this way.
 
Last edited:
I agree and i really don't understand this critics about the game.

As far as i know Shenmue III was never supposed to be a trilogy, Shenmue was never supposed to end in the third game, so is not a flaw that Shenmue III ended on a cliffhanger.

In Shenmue II Ryo was not able to defeat Xiuying in a fight.

Xiuying said this to Ryo... "You won't survive if you can't even defeat me."

it wasn't a surprise to me that Ryo couldn't defeat or hit Lan Di in Shenmue III, it was the first real fight and it makes sense that this was the result of the fight, it makes sense and i enjoyed the fight.


It is clear to me that Ryo is not ready to defeat Lan Di. Probably one day Ryo will be ready both mentally and physically but is not time yet.

With this fight i can see that Ryo improved as a martial artist, before the fight even Lan Di recognized that. It was not enough to defeat Lan Di, but Ryo is improving little by little with the things he learns with the people he meet along the way, and to me this is beautiful, i enjoy the slow pace in Shenmue about these things, i love that Ryo's journey is a slow pace journey, i love that Ryo's journey is this way.
100% correct. There are flaws with Shenmue III, which is very far from perfect, and I had my own issues about the ending, but this particular criticism does not make sense to me and never has. Indeed Ryo being able to hit Lan Di at all at this point would make the whole Shenmue story nonsensical. He still has a very, very long way to go to reach anything approaching that sort of level.
 
100% correct. There are flaws with Shenmue III, which is very far from perfect, and I had my own issues about the ending, but this particular criticism does not make sense to me and never has. Indeed Ryo being able to hit Lan Di at all at this point would make the whole Shenmue story nonsensical. He still has a very, very long way to go to reach anything approaching that sort of level.

Ryo was not able to defeat Xiuying, he was not able to defeat Master Sun before training, he was not able to defeat Grandmaster Bei, he had difficulties to defeat Yanlang and Longqui Ge.

Just with this scene in the game it is clear that he still need to improve a lot both mentally and physically. This scene is one of my favorites of the game, really well done scene.





I noticed one thing, Lan Di did with Ryo the same thing Grandmaster Bei did.


1675556773162.png1675556958579.png
 
It's the best kind of madness that it beat The Last of Us Part II, both Horizon games and Persona 5! I'm well chuffed Shenmue made the list, but wouldn't have made too much fuss if Persona and Shenmue swapped places haha.

And what a beautiful write up ❤️ - and a brilliant review from that writer too.

1676155164352.png
 
Accidentally clicked on this thread and was reading some initial story plans. This particular quote stuck out to me-

The game's "key points," according to Yu Suzuki, are "romance, characters' life and martial arts."Where romance is concerned, Yu Suzuki would like to portray the differences between how men and women think [4] [39]

We know a lot changed but I am curious what planned romance there was. With Li Feng, or a different character that got scrapped? Curious to think about.
 
Back
Top