People play lucky hit in the casino area. I got bored at 300k or so.
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Shenmue III |OT| Our Destiny Since Ancient Times
- Thread starter IrishNinja
- Start date
This and the 1,000 fish trophy just make me shake my head. To achieve either of these you need to spend an obscene amount of time either save scumming or mindlessly fishing. There's no way Suzuki didn't think that people would save scum to get 500k tokens, there isn't any other way you could do that legitimately. For the fish, it would be more doable if there wasn't an artificial cut-off point any given day when Ryo will just say "no more". To make matters worse, you can't rent the fishing equipment after 12:00, so if Ryo quits fishing for the day at 5, you're done fishing for the day.
Suzuki really wanted everyone to sit down and experience his world, but sadly he didn't think to make it compelling. Catching 1,000 fish could be a lot of fun, but the mini-game isn't worth spending that much time on it. Winning 500k tokens could be fun if the games were better and required user input, but they don't so now I have to sit through constantly reloading. No thanks.
I enjoyed very much sinking time into Shenmue 3's game world, taking things slow and experiencing pretty much everything. That said, neither the casino or fish grinding was particularly interesting because they put the targets too high. I enjoyed fishing each day, especially in Bailu for hours. I enjoyed doing the Forklift stuff and all the gambling/arcade games but that target was way too high for my liking, especially fish. I reckon I can catch maybe 20-30? in a session (which is roughly 3 hours in game time if not slightly more. So to get 1000 it'd take so damn long that Lan Di would probably get bored and attack Bailu village instead of waiting in his castle.
Those two trophies and the herb stuff are probably the blockers to me getting the plat trophy. I don't like trophies enough to grind them. Ironically I was asking for Shenmue 1 and 2 to have harder trophies because I felt they were too easy (at least make the Chai arcade win a trophy...) but I feel a couple of 3's trophies went a bit too far the other way. That said, Chobu Chan is still my favourite hidden collectible trophy challenge in any open world game.
Those two trophies and the herb stuff are probably the blockers to me getting the plat trophy. I don't like trophies enough to grind them. Ironically I was asking for Shenmue 1 and 2 to have harder trophies because I felt they were too easy (at least make the Chai arcade win a trophy...) but I feel a couple of 3's trophies went a bit too far the other way. That said, Chobu Chan is still my favourite hidden collectible trophy challenge in any open world game.
Yea i was just testing all the stands trying to earn tokens. I didn't reload too much. I'm sure there is a perfect easy way to earn tokens but it didn't know how when i played. Tons of devs don't know how to design trophies, that's how you end up with "collect 1000 items" trophies or a speedrun trophy in a game lika ICO, lol.
Thought it was interesting this guy was in charge of environments. Makes sense considering how good this aspect of the game looks:
Lot of interesting stuff to be found poking around the credits. For instance, the lead writer appears to have no other credits but one of the underlings worked on the first two games. I'm sure Moby Games is just missing information, but still funny.
Lot of interesting stuff to be found poking around the credits. For instance, the lead writer appears to have no other credits but one of the underlings worked on the first two games. I'm sure Moby Games is just missing information, but still funny.
Getting to an objective and being told to come back the next day is so annoying. I know the game is all about soaking in the world but I was ready to move on.
The lead background modeler of Xenoblade X was the lead environment artist? No wonder the overall environment is fucking gorgeous and by far the most impressive part of the game.Thought it was interesting this guy was in charge of environments. Makes sense considering how good this aspect of the game looks:
Lot of interesting stuff to be found poking around the credits. For instance, the lead writer appears to have no other credits but one of the underlings worked on the first two games. I'm sure Moby Games is just missing information, but still funny.
I think those look really good. I'm not sure how I feel about a Dreamcast model looking like an improvement though.
Straight up exploiting the book reselling tactic to make 5000 Yuan now so I have it later on. Can make 1000 Yuan in a few minutes, nice.
EDIT: ayyyy lmao
EDIT: ayyyy lmao
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What's this?Straight up exploiting the book reselling tactic to make 5000 Yuan now so I have it later on. Can make 1000 Yuan in a few minutes, nice.
EDIT: ayyyy lmao
In the second half of the game you can buy a series of books which, as a set, can be exchanged and net you easy money.
If you're struggling with cash I strongly recommend it. Takes less than 5 minutes a pop and can net you thousands. If you did it for an hour you could easily make 50k. No longer need to worry about the 5k pay gate or having to make more money to buy health items.
There's a big PS4 patch coming in January. I wonder what it's gonna fix. I also wonder when we'll hear about DLC.
Rarely have I fav'd a video so quickly. :lol
Thanks for the tip, I'm still working on Shenmue 2 but this will be very useful once I reach 3. The money making aspect of the Shenmue games is the part I dislike the most so this will make the experience better.
Yu gets into why the animations look stiff and the lack of throws.
Probably trying to get ahead of the 'lack of story' criticism:
Stiff animations:
On no throws:
He also says you'll be able to change Shenhua's clothes in the DLC.
Stiff animations:
On no throws:
He also says you'll be able to change Shenhua's clothes in the DLC.
I'd like them to fix the pop-in. The shadows and lighting can make the game look really disorienting.
I doubt the pop in will be fixed on the PS4. I don't even think its the games fault, but rather the Unreal Engine 4. I've seen several UE4 games have data streaming issues like this (Days Gone as well). Not the same engine but Judge Eyes from Sega has some pretty noticeable pop in problems as well. Really hope next gen consoles can curb these technical issues.
The pop-in is really noticeable in Shenmue 3. Everywhere you turn or walk the shadows, lighting and trees sort of just materialize as you go. It's really distracting to me. Haven't played Days Gone, but I didn't notice anything like that in Judgment.
On the other hand, I don't think I've ever noticed NPCs waking into walls and getting stuck in doorways in Shenmue 3. Can't say the same for Judgment.
On the other hand, I don't think I've ever noticed NPCs waking into walls and getting stuck in doorways in Shenmue 3. Can't say the same for Judgment.
NPCs got stuck in Shenmue 3. I saw them do it several times. The NPC's in Chobu are so bad, because they just aimlessly walk around at times. And for Judge Eyes - Certain parts of the map don't load correct - the pawn shop, Yagami's office definitely have issues. Also, the park between Tenkaichi and Nakamichi have NPCs that spawn in from nowhere. After putting 100 hours into that game I could tell exactly when NPCs don't appear.
pop in was bad for me in the second area. I had to wait for certain npcs to load in when i ran around the map. The first was fine.
They're doing the lord's work over on the Dojo. Mods, mods, mods:
We're gonna get the DC experience sooner or later...
We're gonna get the DC experience sooner or later...
Price has gone to £29.99 on Amazon UK. Dropping the price seems to have made it surge up the chart.
Really wish I had a working gaming PC, these patches are already looking fantastic. Amazing how just a few sound effects here and there can somehow make me more excited to replay the game!
Thank you. I read all three parts, very interesting.
Just finished up. I am happy I made the journey, but also a bit unfulfilled story-wise. Gameplay wise I can't complain because I enjoy the ebb and flow of Shenmue and III certainly has that, but it does lack some QoL polish, making several things more of a chore than they need to be.
Regarding the end, It seems like
I hope Yu can get IV made.
Regarding the end, It seems like
the red-headed lady (never got her name) has the real mirror and Ren chucked the fake out the window to distract Lan Di. If he ends up finding the fake I guess that sets up a showdown between he and the redhead, each with one (real) mirror (Lan Di still having the Dragon). She seems to want to be rid of Lan Di, so there is an apparent power struggle in the Chi You Men.
I hope Yu can get IV made.
I think I triggered a bug. For the life of me I can't find a way to talk with Bai to start the Capsule Love quest. I completed all the other quests and I think I'm near the end of Bailu, but no matter what, whe I focus on the kid in first person his name won't appear on the screen, with no way to talk with him, hoth by pushing X or Square.
Last few hours of the game have felt like such busywork. The martial arts part near the end is fucking terrible.
Finished this last night. As someone who's coming at Shenmue without the nostalgia of playing the first 2 games 18 years ago (i beat the collection only this past January), I have to say that while this is an admirable effort at recapturing the kernel of what Shenmue is, it ends up being more an approximation of the first 2 games than a worthy successor. It's quite clearly a step back in most areas, and sadly doesn't deliver on the promise of Shenmue 2's incredible ending.
Right off the bat you have to confront the obvious: They didn't have the means to deliver something that matches or exceeds the bar set by the first 2 games, Shenmue 2 especially. Now while budget and production scale isn't everything, those are damn important aspecs of a series that shines in unique, one-off scenarios and indulgent scenes that are soley there for setting mood and spectacle. Shenmue 3 cannot stack up. They captured the adventure loop of reading your surroundings and asking random folks for direction, but that's basically all Shenmue 3 has. Anytime the game calls for a shift up in momentum or a sweeping emotional scene it falls flat, either though poor execution or outright omission. It can't be overstated how much this hurts the experience. Those peaks and valleys have been flattened into a much more gamey moment-to-moment loop where you grind for money to talk to NPCs. To some people that's all Shenmue has ever been, but the actual best story beats from the first 2 games are those grand moments of adventure. Those atmospheric detours, or cutscenes with an almost contrasting sense of epic presentation, whether you're in Ryo's basement, or riding a motorcycle, or at the top of a mountain. In a game that has the potential to stretch to double Shenmue 2's length, there are maybe 2 moments where you feel this intangible quality. That martial arts jouney mystique is missing, and that was one of the standout positives of the first 2 games, one of the few parts that hold up in 2019.
I mentioned the gameplay loop, and I'm conflicted on that overall. I understand what Yu Suzuki was trying to do here: In tying together health/stamina, training, minigames, earning money, earning skillbooks, and the buying/selling economy, it forces the player to interact with a wider range of what the game has to offer. In order to make it through a day without constantly watching your stamina, you have to train. In order to train you have to have skillbooks. In order to have skillbooks you have to partake in the capsule, herb, and mini-game prize meta. In order to do any of these consistently you need money, etc. etc. It's a solid loop in theory, offsetting the lack of spectacle and unique moments I mentioned before with day-to-day busywork, and giving players a bigger set of goals as you progress. Ultimately my problem with this is it overtly removes the player from what was previously seen to be a more mundane, immersive experience. The odd skillbook in the first 2 games being given as a prize was a conceit we accepted because why not. Here, with a more successful sparring and training system, it's strange to once again have moves awarded for completely unrelated activity. And if you want to buy them instead, prepare to save scum your way into the tens of thousands to get them from martial arts stores. On paper this is a good design focal point, creating a cycle of activity that feeds into itself for the player to attack XP and monetary roadblocks through a variety of actions, but in making the game design more overt the game loses that laid back, choose your route simulation. I really wish there was a more normal economy that kept martial arts and day-to-day income related events separated. Training in the ancient ways vs. living in 1987 should be 2 parallel progressions that intertwine through QTE based odd-jobs like carrying books in Shemue 2. They are fundamentally opposing ways of life, and that balance is what makes Ryo's journey interesting to experience as a story. When they depend on each other in such gamey ways you succumb to numbers and lose the mythical quality.
As an aside, not having as detailed day-to-day NPC routines and schedules really sucks. Sure Shenmue 2 already lost the minutia of Shenmue 1's scheduling, but that game made up for it in scale and variety. Shenmue 3 is sort of back to Shenmue 1's pacing and intimacy for the first half, but feels much less dynamic. Again, I'm sure this is a result of not having the budget and means to do something as detailed and immersive as the first game, but I have to mention it.
Combat's been touched on by everyone so I won't get too far into it here. Not having throws is a huge step backwards. Not only because Ryo's base Hazuki combat style fuses judo throws and jiu jitsu style manipulation with various striking disciplines, but simply for the sake of combat pacing and variety. This dial-a-combo, strike focused combat is much more detached and less weighty. It shows potential and is better suited for multi-person fights, but it feels like half a combat system compared to Shenmue 2.
Lastly, the story. There isn't much to say here because there honestly isn't much that happens here. As I said to open this post, there simply aren't enough moments throughout to make this feel like a significant entry post-Shenmue 2. Even beyond failing to followup on the potential of 2's cliffhanger, the cast of 3 don't shine nearly as much as the previous casts did, and you don't feel anywhere near the same kind of bittersweet vibes when it comes time to move on. Leaving Bailu Villiage and arriving in Niaowu is a high point in terms of cutscene presentation, but not much fanfare is made of the journey beyond that. With that said though, I was pleasantly surprised at just how much dialogue is in the game, particularly optional conversations and missable stuff that depends on story progression. This is the one area where it feels like few corners were cut in order to scale down as a Kickstarter game, and the one area that feels like a genuine extension of the final section in Shenmue 2. You really come to know Ryo and Shenhua on a deeper level through their nightly discussions that dig into their quirks and backstory. An entertaining highlight was Ryo admitting that he's conscious of the stoic demeanor that's made him such an endearing punching bag for jokes, and that he needs to learn to smile more. Special mention for the international phonecalls to the cast of Shenmue 1 and 2. Those are probably the most emotionally resonant conversations in the game, and really highlight how lightly sketched most of Shenmue 3 is in comparison to the old games.
I will be back if they manage to get funding for a 4th game, and I do hope that happens so Ys Net can interate on what they did here and maybe make something great.
Right off the bat you have to confront the obvious: They didn't have the means to deliver something that matches or exceeds the bar set by the first 2 games, Shenmue 2 especially. Now while budget and production scale isn't everything, those are damn important aspecs of a series that shines in unique, one-off scenarios and indulgent scenes that are soley there for setting mood and spectacle. Shenmue 3 cannot stack up. They captured the adventure loop of reading your surroundings and asking random folks for direction, but that's basically all Shenmue 3 has. Anytime the game calls for a shift up in momentum or a sweeping emotional scene it falls flat, either though poor execution or outright omission. It can't be overstated how much this hurts the experience. Those peaks and valleys have been flattened into a much more gamey moment-to-moment loop where you grind for money to talk to NPCs. To some people that's all Shenmue has ever been, but the actual best story beats from the first 2 games are those grand moments of adventure. Those atmospheric detours, or cutscenes with an almost contrasting sense of epic presentation, whether you're in Ryo's basement, or riding a motorcycle, or at the top of a mountain. In a game that has the potential to stretch to double Shenmue 2's length, there are maybe 2 moments where you feel this intangible quality. That martial arts jouney mystique is missing, and that was one of the standout positives of the first 2 games, one of the few parts that hold up in 2019.
I mentioned the gameplay loop, and I'm conflicted on that overall. I understand what Yu Suzuki was trying to do here: In tying together health/stamina, training, minigames, earning money, earning skillbooks, and the buying/selling economy, it forces the player to interact with a wider range of what the game has to offer. In order to make it through a day without constantly watching your stamina, you have to train. In order to train you have to have skillbooks. In order to have skillbooks you have to partake in the capsule, herb, and mini-game prize meta. In order to do any of these consistently you need money, etc. etc. It's a solid loop in theory, offsetting the lack of spectacle and unique moments I mentioned before with day-to-day busywork, and giving players a bigger set of goals as you progress. Ultimately my problem with this is it overtly removes the player from what was previously seen to be a more mundane, immersive experience. The odd skillbook in the first 2 games being given as a prize was a conceit we accepted because why not. Here, with a more successful sparring and training system, it's strange to once again have moves awarded for completely unrelated activity. And if you want to buy them instead, prepare to save scum your way into the tens of thousands to get them from martial arts stores. On paper this is a good design focal point, creating a cycle of activity that feeds into itself for the player to attack XP and monetary roadblocks through a variety of actions, but in making the game design more overt the game loses that laid back, choose your route simulation. I really wish there was a more normal economy that kept martial arts and day-to-day income related events separated. Training in the ancient ways vs. living in 1987 should be 2 parallel progressions that intertwine through QTE based odd-jobs like carrying books in Shemue 2. They are fundamentally opposing ways of life, and that balance is what makes Ryo's journey interesting to experience as a story. When they depend on each other in such gamey ways you succumb to numbers and lose the mythical quality.
As an aside, not having as detailed day-to-day NPC routines and schedules really sucks. Sure Shenmue 2 already lost the minutia of Shenmue 1's scheduling, but that game made up for it in scale and variety. Shenmue 3 is sort of back to Shenmue 1's pacing and intimacy for the first half, but feels much less dynamic. Again, I'm sure this is a result of not having the budget and means to do something as detailed and immersive as the first game, but I have to mention it.
Combat's been touched on by everyone so I won't get too far into it here. Not having throws is a huge step backwards. Not only because Ryo's base Hazuki combat style fuses judo throws and jiu jitsu style manipulation with various striking disciplines, but simply for the sake of combat pacing and variety. This dial-a-combo, strike focused combat is much more detached and less weighty. It shows potential and is better suited for multi-person fights, but it feels like half a combat system compared to Shenmue 2.
Lastly, the story. There isn't much to say here because there honestly isn't much that happens here. As I said to open this post, there simply aren't enough moments throughout to make this feel like a significant entry post-Shenmue 2. Even beyond failing to followup on the potential of 2's cliffhanger, the cast of 3 don't shine nearly as much as the previous casts did, and you don't feel anywhere near the same kind of bittersweet vibes when it comes time to move on. Leaving Bailu Villiage and arriving in Niaowu is a high point in terms of cutscene presentation, but not much fanfare is made of the journey beyond that. With that said though, I was pleasantly surprised at just how much dialogue is in the game, particularly optional conversations and missable stuff that depends on story progression. This is the one area where it feels like few corners were cut in order to scale down as a Kickstarter game, and the one area that feels like a genuine extension of the final section in Shenmue 2. You really come to know Ryo and Shenhua on a deeper level through their nightly discussions that dig into their quirks and backstory. An entertaining highlight was Ryo admitting that he's conscious of the stoic demeanor that's made him such an endearing punching bag for jokes, and that he needs to learn to smile more. Special mention for the international phonecalls to the cast of Shenmue 1 and 2. Those are probably the most emotionally resonant conversations in the game, and really highlight how lightly sketched most of Shenmue 3 is in comparison to the old games.
I will be back if they manage to get funding for a 4th game, and I do hope that happens so Ys Net can interate on what they did here and maybe make something great.
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I finally got the Niaowu herbs Trophy yesterday (already had the Bailu one)! I thought that I'd never get it.
Couldn't get Ren's substory prompt this time though so it looks like I'll have to do a third run. But I want to get the thousand fishes Trophy before I end my second run.
Couldn't get Ren's substory prompt this time though so it looks like I'll have to do a third run. But I want to get the thousand fishes Trophy before I end my second run.
The end of this game is fucking maddening. So much busy work. I just want to push through to the end but I need to pick up a few skill books to beat the 9th Duan without using any health pots.
It took a while but I'm now in the second city and this game has fully gripped me.
I love how much more depth and opportunity to emote they have given Ryo. Chatting with Shenhua at night in Guilin and all his old friends on the phone hads made him feel much more like a real character this time around.
I love how much more depth and opportunity to emote they have given Ryo. Chatting with Shenhua at night in Guilin and all his old friends on the phone hads made him feel much more like a real character this time around.
Is that a requirement for the end game? I'm curious as I trained daily (loads) and managed to clear both the martial halls AND all the Rose Garden fights before the end of the game on my own volition, so I'm curious if the game actually forces you to do some of that as part of the story anyway. I'd wager the Rose Garden stuff is optional though (aside from the one story fight) as the 3 on 1 fights at the end are no laughing matter, even if your fully leveled. I never used any healing items in battles either though, I completely forgot they existed (oops!)
Well its unknown if that's even a legit thing, or just a legend passed down by generations. There's a couple of mystical elements in the series, but the whole "big demon" thing sounds like an old man believing in a silly legend. Because Ryo can't land a solid hit on Lan Di, he's not taking down a Demon God!
Also Zhu and later mirror revelations contradicted the whole story Chen gave - Chen said it summons a demon. Zhu said its just a treasure map, while later this was sorta revealed as part of a larger treasure hunt.
I think it was legit. Shenmue has had some supernatural elements in the past, but Yu Suzuki decided to tone done the supernatural elements of the story after Shenmue II, I think.
In Shenmue III, one of the main characters says that the mirrors are supposed to lead the person possessing them to some sort of "treasure", but in Shenmue I, Master Chen said they could be used to resurrect a monster named the Chi You who could destroy the world. I just hope that detail wasn't removed. :(
I don't remember Zhu saying that. It's been awhile since I've played Shenmue II though... I'm pretty sure Shenmue III was the first time it was revealed that the mirrors led to some sort of treasure rather than resurrect a monster.
I'd say its definitely still possible things go in that direction, especially with Shenhua and her abilities being further teased
Yeah, what was that about? Are you referring to the scene between Shenhua and the thug boss in Bailu?
i hope they don't have to animate some kind of monster anytime soon. Stick to your kung fu flick unless you get mega funding.