“We’re well aware that you’re eagerly awaiting the chance to see Ryo shine like never before.”
Shenmue was a pretty huge deal back in the day when it launched on SEGA Dreamcast back in 2000. It helped pioneer open-world games, with a recreation of 1986 Yokosuka, Japan to explore filled with NPCs with actual schedules, tons of details to explore in the game environment, classic SEGA games to play in arcades (not unlike what Yakuza would later do), and quicktime events, to name a few of its achievements. Developed by Yu Suzuki and SEGA AM2, the game was followed swiftly by a sequel (Shenmue II) in 2002 and then… nothing.
Nothing for 17 years, as a matter of fact, until Shenmue III launched. Some derided the game for hewing so closely to the formula of the originals (not to mention some major controveries over exclusivity to the Epic Games Store), with a sort of devil-may-care attitude toward updating aspects of the gameplay to cater to modern tastes that left some fans cold. Still, the game has its supporters, and ININ is hoping to make even more of them with the launch of Shenmue III on Nintendo Switch 2… next year. Originally slated to launch at the end of 2026, ININ has put out a statement letting fans know that it is instead slipping into early 2027.
If it’s any consolation, at least ININ is trying its best to make sure that Shenmue III ships in solid shape as opposed to rushing the game out the door. There are a number of ambitious changes on the table, including changes to the stamina system, being able to skip previously unskippable cut scenes, and more (as well as the option to leave everything as it was, too). We’ll let you know when Shenmue III has a firm release date as soon as it’s announced.
Source: ININ Press Release