Ys Net boss Yu Suzuki has reiterated that the upcoming Shenmue 3 is not the end of the story, stating he wants to continue making new entries in the revenge-driven action-RPG franchise as long as people want to play them.
To be fair, a potential Shenmue 4 would be a pretty big deal at this point, considering Shenmue 3 took a whopping 18 years to arrive on the scene.
Shenmue 4 Could Happen
Speaking with the PlayStation Blog, Suzuki-san, who previously worked at SEGA where he created the likes of Hang-On and Virtua Fighter, revealed that attempting to wrap up Ryo Hazuki’s story with Shenmue 3 would have resulted in a “flat game.”
Rushing to tie up the plot here would have made for a flat game. And I hope to continue the series as long as people are interested. I made the game with that image of joyful fans always in mind, and it made Shenmue III grow in scale and quality.
If you hurry through the game, there is a good chance it will just stress you out. I would ask everyone to take your time to play and not hurry through. When you come upon something you like, just stop and hang out for as long as you like, trying all things the game has to offer. For example, if you’re someone who doesn’t like gambling, try it in Shenmue and you may just have fun.
Shenmue 3 is due for release on PlayStation 4 and PC on November 19. I was lucky enough to go hands-on with the game last Friday, so be sure to get my thoughts on the long-awaited sequel here.
The original Shenmue came out on the Dreamcast in 1999 in Japan before arriving in the west the following year. Shenmue II turned up in 2001, although due to the demise of the Dreamcast in the US, it was only available in the UK and Japan on Sega’s console.
Source: PlayStation Blog