I've been gone for a while, in what I have called both on the Kickstarter and elsewhere a "self-imposed exile," and I plan to return to that after this post. But I had to at least pop in - as I have on the Kickstarter in recent days - to comment about the latest reveals which, to me, are absolutely fantastic and nothing but promising.
These latest interviews, in the flurry or two or three we've gotten in recent days, coupled with the Deep Silver news and of course that awesome teaser footage, leave no doubt in my mind that the game is going to be as good as Yu and company can possibly deliver under the circumstances.
In particular, the things that make my heart leap with optimism:
⋅ The DETAILS in those new screenshots (much of which can also be seen in the teaser) tell me, without question, that this is going to be another Shenmue installment brimming with intimate, intricate, granular verisimilitude and nooks and crannies waiting to be seen and "felt"/"smelled" as Yu might put it. Not a single screenshot or camera angle in the new footage was devoid of tons of small details and world building touches that SCREAMED Shenmue to me. To say nothing of the familiar design of narrow streets lined with shops, homes, etc.
⋅ News of the Deep Silver deal was already promising, but the confirmation of something like the NPC count ballooning up towards 200 absolutely confirms that the infusion of funds is not insignificant. That, combined with Yu saying their help will facilitate the game going BEYOND the Kickstarter's scope, is a huge deal to me. I think many media outlets are underestimating the impact this will have, and has already had.
⋅ The models, while clearly WIP and lacking in some things such as facial animations - which Yu acknowledged - are definitely headed in a promising direction. And the early provisional martial arts animations ALREADY look quite good. It is only going to get better from here on out.
⋅ I would not at all be surprised or upset - not one bit - if the game sees another delay. I know there's a strong intimation that the existing delay was already to accommodate changes brought about by the Deep Silver deal, but I wouldn't be shocked to see another one. The longer this game "cooks," the better in my opinion and I would happily wait until 2019 to see a fully baked Shenmue experience. Now that one seems financially possible, all the better.
I'm not concerned about the fighting engine, or anything else we have yet to get clarification on. (And those things are actually part of why I suspect another delay is not out of the question.)
In short, I'm ignoring the haters, ignoring the rushing to judgment and pessimistic assumption brigade, and ignoring the erroneous, factually deficient gaming press who fails to note all of the above. Above all, I'm ignoring the hateful, trollish cesspool much of the Kickstarter comment section has become. No offense intended, but they do not represent the Shenmue fandom.
We waited 15 years for S3's announcement. We waited two more years for news of this caliber to finally be unleashed, and I'm not letting pessimism dent my joy and enthusiasm for the implications of what has been revealed.
Now I will again vanish back into the shadows. I just wanted to post my continuous, unyielding support for Shenmue 3 and its fandom.
Peace out.
