Shenmue 3 release date news – all the trailers, rumours and info so far
The cult classic Sega Dreamcast series is heading to modern consoles with the release of Shenmue 3, and we've got all the details on the fan-favourite game
Fans have waited almost 19 years to play the third instalment in the cult game series known as Shenmue.
And, after raising millions for the crowdfunded game, they're finally going to get the chance to play it.
If you count yourself among the title's devotees, then you've come to the right place.
We've got all the news, leaks, and rumours on the game, including its release date.
Shenmue 3 news – what is it?
A rip-roaring adventure yarn, Shenmue traces the saga of teenage martial artist Ryu Suzuki, whose search for his father's killer reveals a deeper mystery involving two magical artifacts, known as the Dragon and Pheonix mirrors.
Set in a detailed open-world, Shenmue boasts a mix of RPG and beat-em-up gameplay.
The game also doubles as a life simulation, boasting a day-and-night system, changes in weather, and daily schedules and side-quests.
The first and second games were released on Sega's short-lived Dreamcast console in 1999 and 2001 respectively.
Shenmue 2 was later released on the Xbox in 2002.
The game achieved cult status, but struggled to shift units.
Then, out of nowhere, Shenmue 3 was announced as a Kickstarter project in 2015.
And in less than nine hours it racked up its crowdfunding goal of $2million.
It turns out the fans still wanted in.
In July of that year, it had raked in over $6.3million from 69,320 backers, making it the biggest ever Kickstarter campaign for a video game.
Shenmue 3 will be made for Windows and PlayStation 4, according to its director Yu Suzuki.
The game will pick up the action from its predecessor, with Ryu having journeyed from Yokosuka Japan to the mountains of Guilin, China.
There he must embark on a new quest with local girl Ling Shenhua, one that will reveal their shared mysteries.
Cue the sweeping orchestral music.
Shenmue 3 trailers – watch the teasers here
The first, and only, trailer for Shenmue is big on nostalgia.
The clip boasts that awesome score, shots of Ryu and Ling staring longingly into the distance, and plenty of martial arts.
Upon release, the trailer was mocked over how stiff and expressionless the characters looked.
But the game's director assured fans that the facial animation hadn't been completed.
The criticism was tied to larger concerns over whether the game's $6.3 million funding would be enough to create a polished product.
After all, big titles cost a lot to more to develop these days.
Therefore fans would be advised to avoid comparisons with newer games going into this one.
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Shenmue 3 release date – when is it out?
Shenmue was initially pegged with a December 2017 release date on Kickstarter.
But it hasn't arrived yet.
Then, in June of 2017, it was announced that there was a delay.
The new release date is the second half of 2018, which is awfully close now.
Are you looking forward to Shenmue 3? Let us know in the comments.