Shenmue III Update #67: Developer Room Update 3

[Switch]

And, wow, that is such a boring and disappointing way to say that Shenmue 3 will not be at E3...

Yeah, they should've had pyjama guy wobble into the office on a unicycle while juggling neon-painted hamsters to the Munsters theme as the words "No E3!!!!!!!" flashed on screen repeatedly.

[Shake Capo]

I like that they're going for a look closer to the drawings. My issue is with the aesthetics of the character design in-game. His forearms are way bigger than the character art drawing. It seems like a simple fix because everything else looks spot on.

Some Shenmue 2 characters were exaggerated as well, but their overall body aesthetics looked proper.

[shredingskin]

But the skin material looks very rubbery, it makes it look like one of those old MK goro stretchy dolls.

It's sub-surface scattering that's giving it that look, I believe. That may be adjusted, or react differently in an actual game environment with its own lighting conditions.

Not really (if by that you mean the lack of it). I know it can be adjusted, and probably they'll add details maps and so on, I just fear that will be the style of aesthetic we're gonna get, most of the time you only need a couple of shaders for skin and use those as a template to have everything within the same look.

Also if you look at the shirt looks like it actually has a roughness map so it seems like they've done some work on the textures (though those can be made in seconds).

EDIT: Now I know, it makes me remember of dreamfall chapters:

Not particularly a fan of the aesthetic, but everything can change so much really that's impossible to know before we get an actual "reveal trailer".

[Spaghetti]

Not really (if by that you mean the lack of it). I know it can be adjusted, and probably they'll add details maps and so on, I just fear that will be the style of aesthetic we're gonna get, most of the time you only need a couple of shaders for skin and use those as a template to have everything within the same look.

No, I meant there is subsurface scattering. It does pretty typically give the skin that softer look.

[shredingskin]

Not really, it just adjust how does it react to lights (like some sort of transparency). Obviously different maps adjustments will give you different results, but it looks like a "wanted" look (if you look in the picture the skin is pretty even whatever the light is pointing to).

Probably the team knows that trying to compete in the realistic realm is a losing battle, but I can't picture Shenmue being this "cartoony".

YS will have the final say, and I guess whatever comes from him will be the best decision.

[iyapol]

Please, please, please get rid of that logo.

[Yokosuka]

In the worst case, Shenmue III is going to be for Shenmue what Outrun 2 was for Outrun. A very good game but a little kitschy and fetishist, with average technique and a slightly different feel from the original.

I do really appreciate the model, the guy doesn't look different from the caveman of Shenmue 2's Beverelly Hill. But like shredingskin, I'm expecting all the scenarios, including the terrible cartoon touch despite my love for Kenji's artworks.

[Switch]

I've put up a post on Phantom River Stone about the update.

Nothing unusual about the hand-written notes, but here are translations for the record:


And any thoughts on whether this is merely a bird... or something more "mythological"?


Link to post:
http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/0 ... 7-new.html

[BlueMue]

Street Fighter IV already got mentioned and the model instant reminded me of that aswell even though I haven't seen a whole lot of that game. This guy is definately stronger looking than anyone ever seen in Shenmue, that's for sure. But the animation is looking quite nice, very fluid and detailed. Like many others I guess the model will look better in a properly lit enviroment.

I won't take this update as any kind of sign towards E3 right now. It's an update on schedule, it doesn't hint at something nor does it disallow any proper trailers in the near future. DAN.

@Yokosuka: Outrun 2 wasn't weak on a technical standpoint. It's actually really impressive for an Xbox game, looks stunning at time. Also plays well enough to me. It's also a bit of a stretch to compare a sprite based game with a fully 3D one.

[shredingskin]

I won't take this update as any kind of sign towards E3 right now.

Basically the whole text is a sign towards (not) E3

[Himuro]

In the worst case, Shenmue III is going to be for Shenmue what Outrun 2 was for Outrun. A very good game but a little kitschy and fetishist, with average technique and a slightly different feel from the original.

I do really appreciate the model, the guy doesn't look different from the caveman of Shenmue 2's Beverelly Hill. But like shredingskin, I'm expecting all the scenarios, including the terrible cartoon touch despite my love for Kenji's artworks.

Outrun 2 > Outrun 1 though.

[James Brown]

At first sight the character looked a bit cartoon but there were a lot of characters in Shenmue 1 and 2 that looked cartoon as well.
The model is very detailed, highly polygoned and animation looks very smooth. They still have to add animation to his hair and the rest of the body but looks promising!

If a supposedly secondary character looks like this, I think the new Ryo will be amazing for sure.

On the other hand, I'm dissapointed they won't show a trailer at E3. This almost confirms a delay of december release date and, above all, this game HAS to be promoted correctly if we want Shenmue 4 to be made, so skipping E3 it isn't the best decision, unless they delay it until next E3.

[darksniper]

That character model further supports what I've been feeling for a while. Shenmue III needs the support of Sega for this to be the game we want it to be. When you look at the character models for Yakuza, it has that Sega look to it. I remember when Yakuza 1 first came out, it immediately drew comparisons to Shenmue. Without knowing what the game was, you can immediately tell that it was a Sega game and some thought it was Shenmue III.

Anyways, S3 could really benefit from whatever shading and graphics tools they use on the recent Yakuza games. Yakuza imo has an aesthetic look that gives us an idea at what Dreamcast 2 games would look if Sega still made consoles. Even though Shenmue III isn't a "Sega" game per-se, these models are not convincing in the sense that Shenmue will have that classic Sega charm to it. But given the opinions of what some saw of the game last year, I remain optimistic that it will deliver. It's unrealistic of me to make a full judgement until I see actual gameplay footage.

The game could benefit from another 1-2 year delay with Sega stepping in for financial support like they should have done all along. We'll see if they get the picture once that Shenmue I and II HD money starts rolling in. Even though Shenmue III is not being developed in house by Sega, I'm sure they will be receiving their cut on whatever profits are made off of Shenmue III.

Ultimately our Shenmue money is still going to Sega. It would nice if they would act like they gave a damn about the future of their IP.

[Yokosuka]

@Yokosuka: Outrun 2 wasn't weak on a technical standpoint. It's actually really impressive for an Xbox game, looks stunning at time. Also plays well enough to me. It's also a bit of a stretch to compare a sprite based game with a fully 3D one.

You're right, I forgot this game was released in Xbox, Outrun 2 was indeed graphically outstanding. But anycase it was not as mind-blowing. The comparison is still relevant for me because Outrun 1 and Shenmue are both games that belong to their respective time and whose a sequel would appear as more or less anachronistic. Which is not a bad thing, as Outrun 2 was truly a great game.

[SegaMon]

And, wow, that is such a boring and disappointing way to say that Shenmue 3 will not be at E3...

Yeah, they should've had pyjama guy wobble into the office on a unicycle while juggling neon-painted hamsters to the Munsters theme as the words "No E3!!!!!!!" flashed on screen repeatedly.

...no. I was only referring to how it was said. Most of us have been looking forward to E3 because of the strong possibility of Shenmue 3 making an appearance yet E3 was not even mentioned by name. It made what was said sound devoid of emotion and it disappointed me. I was only mentioning that because it was how it made me feel. You mocking me is not constructive.