Summary
Fans are rallying forShenmue 3to be ported to Xbox consoles in the wake of publisher ININ Games gaining rights to 2019’s long-hoped-for sequel. The first twoShenmuegames gained cult status in the early 2000s despite their limited success, but it would take about 18 years and a major crowdfunding campaign for Ryo Hazuki’s journey to continue inShenmue 3. The third entry proved divisive, with some praising it for staying faithful to the previous titles and others finding its gameplay repetitive. Sales were relatively low, butShenmuecreator Yu Suzuki still hopes to continue the series someday.
That hope was recently renewed after the announcement that thepublishing rights forShenmue 3were transferred to ININ Games after five years of ownership by Deep Silver and the Embracer Group. While discussing its new publishing partners, developer YS NET noted that ININ aims to “shepherdShenmue 3into its next phase,” which many are taking to mean that some kind of special edition could be in the works.
This could also mean thatShenmue 3could someday be ported to Xbox consoles, as it is currently only available on PlayStation 4 and Windows computers through Steam and the Epic Games Store. As spotted byPure Xbox, fans have wasted little time asking for an Xbox port ofShenmue 3on social media following ININ’s acquisition of the publishing rights, with Twitter user and gaming journalist Karim Jovian taking things a step further by suggesting a special collection of theentireShenmueseries so far- complete with bonus material and possible ideas for the next game should it happen.
Fans Want Shenmue 3 on Xbox
That next game remains a pretty big hypothetical so far, given how long it took to releaseShenmue 3, but it should be noted that the most recentShenmuetitle ends with a cliffhanger. Sure enough, fans continue to ask for the story to continue inShenmue 4, with some evenbuying out a billboardin Times Square to spread a social media hashtag rallying for the fourth game to be made.
Shenmue 3being released on Xbox might be the first step in continuing the series someday, and fans are now hopeful now that a new publisher has secured the rights to release it. Only time will tell how ININ Games will takeShenmue 3into that next phase, much lessreleasing moreShenmuegamesdown the road, so players will have to remain patient and let their voices be heard onlinefor the time being.
Shenmue 3
WHERE TO PLAY
The brainchild of award-winning game director, Yu Suzuki, Shenmue is commonly known as one of the most ambitious game projects in history, which captured the imagination of players from around the world. Shenmue established the open-world format for action RPG games. An awe-inspiring world with an immersive story, featuring cinematic sequences, a realistic fighting system, and entertaining mini-games, Shenmue garnered acclaim and adoration all over the world.Play as Ryo Hazuki, an 18-year-old Japanese martial artist hellbent on avenging his father’s death. In this third installment of the epic Shenmue series, Ryo seeks to solve the mystery behind the Phoenix Mirror, an artifact sought after by his father’s killer. His journey takes him to an immersive representation of rural China, brimming with activity and surrounded by beautiful landscapes. Ryo’s adventure leads him to towns and mountain villages where he can further his training, try his hand at gambling, play arcade games, and work part-time jobs while investigating those who know truth behind the Phoenix Mirror.
