30
What a horrible experience this was. Whatever minuscule redeeming qualities this game might have are drowned out by just how infuriating it is. And I can’t think of anybody who is a fan of this franchise that can honestly call this game good with a straight face. Get this game if you’re a fan of the series, but don’t be surprised if it just ends up making you hate yourself for waiting nearly two decades for what is essentially the video game equivalent of Freddy Got Fingered.
30
What a horrible experience this was. Whatever minuscule redeeming qualities this game might have are drowned out by just how infuriating it is. And I can’t think of anybody who is a fan of this franchise that can honestly call this game good with a straight face. Get this game if you’re a fan of the series, but don’t be surprised if it just ends up making you hate yourself for waiting nearly two decades for what is essentially the video game equivalent of Freddy Got Fingered.
50
Shenmue 3 is a tough recommendation for general audiences. It won't please the die-hard fans of the originals due the step backwards in terms of game design. Neophytes who are curious about it will be confused and bored by the sleep-inducing pace, plus the how the voice acting has not changed since the early '00s. The visuals may have improved, and the loading times are a thing of the past, but this is still has the soul of a Dreamcast title. It won't live up to the expectations that fans have, nor will it excite interest in the franchise. Nothing of substance gets solved by the conclusion, and there's a lack of a pay-off to playing such an intentionally slow experience. The highs in Shenmue 3 involve doing what amounts to nothing; that is just taking in the atmosphere and exploring.
10
Amazing game i hope they make a shenmue 4 it needs to continue, and I hope they bring it to Switch 2
10
My first shenmue game! The world is so beautiful I just want to get lost in it. Theirs some jank in the combat but it’s surprisingly addicting.
1
A genuine disappointment. I played the original two in the year of 2021 (for reference), and so I didn't play those two with the expectations of a "modern game", but more so a game for the years of 1999 (I) & 2001 (II). In the case of Shenmue I, I wasn't huge on it, but for its time it was a masterpiece. Shenmue II, I loved it, an action packed, engaging story, that kept you on your toes from the beginning until the fight with Dou Niu. The final act with Shenhua, which this game continues from, was a change of pace, and although kind of boring, it was a good change of pace needed. In Shenmue III, while the graphics looked solid and the music was nothing to complain about, the voice acting sounding straight out of 1999. I get capturing on nostalgia, but I can skip out on that type of nostalgia. The combat system in Shenmue III was somehow worse than a combat system made about 20 years before it in 1999, which was in itself one taken from around 1995-1996 (Virtua Fighter). I lost my patience after losing multiple times to weak goonlings with quite frankly no logic behind it, after in Shenmue II where it required more skill to operate while also being fair to the user. The combat system is what lost me, and it is what brings it down, because a game with pretty graphics and solid music yet a terrible fighting system will NEVER be better than inferior graphics, and inferior soundtrack,but an all-time great fighting system.
Shenmue III
Released On:
Nov 19, 2019
Metascore
Mixed or Average
67
User score
Generally Favorable
7.7
My Score
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All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or Average
67
38% Positive
30 Reviews
30 Reviews
53% Mixed
41 Reviews
41 Reviews
9% Negative
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
Nov 25, 2019
100
Shenmue 3 won't disappoint fans of the first two. But that's almost secondary to the real story here. Shenmue 3's real strength is in the way that it suggests a different way of looking at the very storytelling of videogames. It challenges the idea that a game's value is in it aspiring to be "cinema", and it provides a pretty compelling argument for the alternative, too. On a personal note, as a fan of both theatre and Shenmue, this game is effortlessly my pick of what has been a very good 2019 for the creative side of videogames.
Nov 27, 2019
80
If you’ve never played a Shenmue game, that honestly might give you trouble. But if you have played Shenmue, then you’ll feel like you’ve come home with Shenmue 3.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.7
74% Positive
850 Ratings
850 Ratings
5% Mixed
62 Ratings
62 Ratings
21% Negative
236 Ratings
236 Ratings
Jan 14, 2026
10
Amazing game i hope they make a shenmue 4 it needs to continue, and I hope they bring it to Switch 2
Jan 25, 2026
10
My first shenmue game! The world is so beautiful I just want to get lost in it. Theirs some jank in the combat but it’s surprisingly addicting.
Nov 28, 2019
75
In terms of speed, gameplay, and storytelling, Shenmue 3 hardly matches the current spirit of the times. Everything in the game grinds and cracks on all sides - and that is precisely why it pays to dive into this epic by developer Yu Suzuki.
Nov 27, 2019
70
This is a rough-around-the-edges nostalgia trip for die-hard fans, but with very little narrative reward.
Dec 10, 2019
60
Shenmue III is still surprisingly charming, and an earnestly emotional journey for fans of the series. Ryo’s lack of interest in the opposite sex and his unwavering need to go to bed early and practise his martial arts training diligently each day, make him pure in a way we rarely see. It doesn’t leave much room for excitement, but it ensures that Shenmue III is every bit the sequel it set out to be.
Apr 13, 2020
50
Shenmue 3 is a tough recommendation for general audiences. It won't please the die-hard fans of the originals due the step backwards in terms of game design. Neophytes who are curious about it will be confused and bored by the sleep-inducing pace, plus the how the voice acting has not changed since the early '00s. The visuals may have improved, and the loading times are a thing of the past, but this is still has the soul of a Dreamcast title. It won't live up to the expectations that fans have, nor will it excite interest in the franchise. Nothing of substance gets solved by the conclusion, and there's a lack of a pay-off to playing such an intentionally slow experience. The highs in Shenmue 3 involve doing what amounts to nothing; that is just taking in the atmosphere and exploring.
Jan 10, 2020
30
Shenmue III is a game of half-measures. It ultimately delivers on its promise of the continuation of the Shenmue story for fans that have been waiting on it for years, but that doesn’t mean it delivers on that promise well. Shenmue III could have been so much more, or at least tried to wrap up Ryo’s tale, but instead, we are left with another cliff-hanger. Deep Silver and Ys Net delivered a game that works but is as unambitious and dull as Ryo’s dialogue.
Jan 23, 2024
10
Beautiful game! Such a poetry. There are no many games like this today. If you are looking for a game to immerse yourself in and feel with all your senses, Shenmue 3 is one of the best choices.
It's a bit slow to start, but if you put in the effort, you'll be rewarded with a unique experience.
Jun 9, 2021
7
I loved Shenmue 1 and 2. Those games felt like they were tring to feel like Japan and China. The environments were grounded and as realistic to their real world counter parts as the graphics if the time allowed. You felt like you were exploring a Slice of Japan and China, from arctiecture to culture.. Shemue 3 on the other hand feels full on fantasy, everything is baked in day glow and excessivly colourful. It dosent feel like you are exploring a real world area at all. Everthing is to pretty and to unrealistic. It also lacks the foreign charm of the origionals..Even the game itself lacks the charm of the origionals. I also wish they would have just finsihed the story.. There is alot of busy work in Shenmue 3, which is the same as the first two games, but its been 20 years. A more focused to the point experiance just to finsh things up would have worked better in my opinion.
Aug 9, 2020
7
Esperei mais de 15 anos para ser feito de trouxa, Shenmue é um dos melhores jogos que pude jogar na vida, amei tanto o primeiro quanto o segundo, só que em 2019, me trouxeram esse jogo bem ruim, faltou ''passar uma massa'' melhor nesse jogo, porque realmente eu como fã me decepcionei e não recomendo.
Jun 18, 2022
4
Made for fans, the magic of shenmue still here, but it need a new orientation and finishing the storie making a Shenmue 4.
Feb 27, 2020
4
Was playing Shenmue 20 yrs ago on my xbox and decided to buy the new Shenmue 3 cause i was curious to see how story goes. Well as it was before it is still one of the most boring games i ever played as the only thing you do is just walk around playing mini games and ask people for directions. Only thing interesting is the story and some beautiful scenery in the game nothing else. By the year 2000 game standards this game was revolutionary in terms of open world games and was highly rated. By today's standards this game should be rated no more than 5/10
SummaryThe story begins in 1980s Yokosuka, Japan...The main character, Ryo Hazuki has his father murdered before him by Lan Di, the boss of the underground organization, Chi You Men. Ryo learns of the existence of a mysterious pair of mirrors, and makes his way to Hong Kong to unravel the mystery and avenge his father. A stranger in a new land,... Read More
Rated Tfor Teen
Platforms:
- PlayStation 4
- PC
Initial Release Date:Nov 19, 2019
Developer:
Publisher:
