The creator behind the Shenmue franchise has spilled more details on the hotly anticipated third instalment in the cult action-RPG series.
Speaking with RedBull, former SEGA legend Yu Suzuki confirmed that Shenmue 3 will feature the return of Quick-Time Events, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to fans of the series as both Shenmue 1 & 2 used them in abundance.
“While QTEs may feel a little wanting to some action gamers, I believe that it is a fundamental technique that allows a broad range of players to actively participate in the dramatic performances of a game. That said, I would like to take up the challenge of creating the next evolution of the QTE,” said Suzuki-san.
In addition, he confirmed that Ryo Hazuki’s epic revenge saga will not be concluded during the events of Shenmue 3, indicating the franchise may continue.
“I’m afraid that the story will not be concluded with Shenmue III," he said. "After thinking it through, we decided that forcing a conclusion in Shenmue 3 would only make the story feel rushed, and compromise the game as a whole."
Shenmue 3 is pencilled in for a release on PlayStation 4 and PC in December 2017. The game was announced as a Kickstarter-funded project at Sony’s E3 2015 press event, where it became the fastest video game project on the crowdfunding site to attract one million dollars.
The game eventually went on to raise an impressive $6.3 million over the summer period, and developer Ys Net recently opened a Slacker Backer initiative to allow gamers to continue funding the project after the Kickstarter drive concluded.
Shenmue was originally released on the SEGA Dreamcast in Japan back in 1999, and at the time was the most expensive video game ever created. The game launched in the west in 2000, with a sequel, Shenmue II, arriving the following year in Japan and Europe. However, the U.S. release was canceled on the Dreamcast and instead ported to Xbox in 2002.
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