Yu Suzuki Wants Shenmue 1 & 2 HD Remaster’s Before Shenmue 3
Yu Suzuki, the creator of the Shenmue series and the man in charge of the recent development of Shenmue 3 via Kickstarter has stated that he wants to see Shenmue 1 & 2 remastered in HD, before the release of Shenmue 3. However, the decision of its existence relies on the shoulders of Sega, who own the rights to the first two games.
The news was revealed during a Twitch streaming over the weekend, where Suzuki also spoke about various gameplay elements, the original voice-cast making a potential return, the possibility of a trial version and what the various Kickstarter goals will achieve. Below is what Yu Suzuki said in regards to the possibility of the Shenmue remasters:
“I personally would like to see remastered versions come out before Shenmue 3, so fans can really get to know the story and enjoy 3 even more. I really hope this could happen.” Suzuki added “The rights to Shenmue 1 & 2 belong to Sega, so I am not in a position to comment on it. However I would like to talk to them about it.”
You can read the Q&A in full below, Suzuki also promised that more fan questions will be answered in the near future. While no release date has been set in stone, Shenmue 3 is expected to release during late 2017.
If you would like to back Shenmue 3 or just help to spread the word, you can do so via the link here or click on the Kickstarter logo in the video above.
How will the funding from the Kickstarter be used? There is a Kickstarter Budget Estimate graph on the project page, so please have a look there for the details.
Will we see an improvement in the graphics? Especially concerning Ryo’s face, I am not satisfied with how it looks right now. We are still in the development stage, and you can expect improvements as we go along.
The background images of Ryo are from Shenmue 2 and in the foreground, is the updated version of Ryo. I am still not happy with this current model, and will continue make improvements. Ryo’s personality will come out not only in the character model, but also in how he moves and in his facial expressions.
Will the original voice actors for Ryo also be in Shenmue 3?I think that (Masaya Matsukaze for the Japanese language version, and Corey Marshall for the English version) are the best match for Ryo and I would like to see them back. We are currently in negotiations for them to come back, so please wait a little while until we can give you all of the details.
Will payments through PayPal be accepted? Now I am currently looking into PayPal other payment methods to help fund the project. We are still considering other options, but do not have an answer for you right now.
Will there be DRM-free version for Windows PC? We are still looking into that option as well, but it is not something that we can decide on our own, and will need to discuss it with the other parties concerned.
Will there be Shenmue 1 and Shenmue 2 HD Remastered versions? I personally would like to see remastered versions come out before Shenmue 3, so fans can really get to know the story and enjoy 3 even more. I really hope this could happen. The rights to Shenmue 1 & 2 belong to Sega, so I am not in a position to comment on it. However I would like to talk to them about it.
What is the Rapport System? It will be a feature that governs Shenhua’s attitude towards you, depending on your conversations or actions you take. I believe it will provide a new twist to Shenmue.
What is the Skill Tree System? There will be many different ways to obtain Technique Scrolls from—from the shops, mini-games, betting games, and quests. Those technique scrolls will allow you to use those techniques right away in battle as a QTE event. The Advanced Skill Techniques and Arcane Skill Techniques are managed in a tree diagram where you fill up the tree to complete your martial arts learning.
What are the Baisha Stretch Goals? The $5 million Stretch Goal will focus on the area, Baisha. This will be something new and fun I would like to include for Shenmue 3. It will include siege and infiltration events based off the Warring Kingdoms period in Chinese history. The events will be very Shenmue-like and will fit into the game naturally and will not be difficult to grasp.
There is also the Character Perspective System. It is a character change system, but in Shenmue, it will work a little differently. It will allow you to play as Shenhua or Ren, besides Ryo. The choices that Shenhua or Ren would make would be different from those of Ryo’s because their personalities are different. It will bring out their individual character and add another element of enjoyment to the game. There are Stretch Goals up to $11 million, and I would like to explain those next week!
How will Shenmue 3 be different at $3 million, $5 and $10 million? At the $3 million level, Shenmue 3 will be more story oriented. Going to $5 million, there will be features not present in 1 & 2, features that I really want to see in Shenmue 3 like the Warring Kingdom scenarios. At the $10 million level, the area Choubu will get a big expansion, and be like Dobuita in Yokosuka where you will have a lot of options to explore and have fun. I hope we can shoot for that goal and make Shenmue 3 more open world like.
Is Shenmue 3 the end of the story? The initial story line contains 11 chapters. I thought about condensing the story in 3, but I thought that necessitate cutting too much of the story out, so I decided not to go that route. Many fans really want to see the whole story.
When will the Trail version come out? The Trial version will require many of the basic systems to be functional first, so it will be released in the latter half of the development process. I would most likely be looking sometime after we get into 2017.