Fans have been clamoring for the classic "Shenmue" franchise to make a return, judging by the Kickstarter campaign for "Shenmue 3" breaking its $2-million target by at least three times more. Meanwhile, series creator Yu Suzuki tells that "Shenmue 3" is a continuation of where the second installment left off 11 years ago and may even continue on depending on its success.
In a previous exclusive with RedBull, Suzuki assured fans that the cliffhanger on "Shenmue 2" will be answered in the upcoming new installment.
The creator stated, "Shenmue 3 will be based on the original 11 chapter story I planned during the [Sega] Saturn era." Suzuki added that not only is the new game for the hardcore fans, but the players new to the series will also catch onto the story quick. He stated, "Using that story, we put the game together in such a way that people new to Shenmue, as well as fans of Shenmue 1 and 2, will be able to enjoy the game."
Meanwhile, Suzuki hopes that fans will be able to welcome "Shenmue 3," as the creator envisions the story of Ryo to continue. Suzuki hints, "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. I hope we can make Shenmue 3 a success so fans will be excited for a further installment."
The "Shenmue" franchise is one of the classics in the gaming industry. Building up the original game on the Sega Dreamcast, it spawned "Shenmue 2" on the console and the original Xbox. However, even with a good story, better graphics, and the introduction of Quick Time Events (QTE) in games, the franchise met stiff competition with the launch of the PlayStation and its follow-up, the PS2, together with the games for the Sony console.
