RPG Site has reviewed Shenmue 3:
More information.Shenmue III Review
Let's get this out of the way: Shenmue III is for Shenmue fans. It's not a starting point for the series, and the short recap video does not do much to catch people up on this somewhat standard tale of mystery and revenge. Shenmue III is obviously a love letter to those who have waited for decades to see the series return and the continuation of Ryo Hazuki's story.
So, is Shenmue III the triumphant return that series fans have been waiting decades on? Not really, unfortunately, although the target audience will still get some enjoyment out of this title.
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Characters are as stiff as the lines they deliver, and they possess this uncanny valley quality to them that makes watching them move and interact with the world somewhat unsettling. Children look like caricatures of themselves, Ryo walks as if he's bound to the tank controls of old PS1 titles, and Shenhua is pretty but seems unable to express any emotion on her face at all.
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.
Score: 3/10