I Never Thought I’d Say This, But Shenmue Needs the Dragon Engine
As someone who grew up with the Dreamcast and backed Shenmue III on Kickstarter, I just want to see Ryo’s story finally get an ending.
At this point, I honestly think the best shot is Yu Suzuki working with SEGA and using the Dragon Engine. But it absolutely can’t feel like Shenmue wearing a Yakuza skin.
Keep what makes Shenmue… Shenmue. The orchestral soundtrack, the erhu music, the quiet atmosphere, and the feeling of exploring real places all need to stay.
If they’re using the Dragon Engine, then the QTEs and chase scenes should be incredible. Shenmue basically introduced QTEs, so they should lean into that and make them cinematic and exciting.
For those of us who’ve been here since the Dreamcast days, throw in some classic SEGA arcade games, Ryo’s notebook, and even a few old sound effects as little nods to the fans who never gave up on this series.
At the same time, they need to modernize it. Shenmue III’s pacing was just too slow for today’s audience. Keep the deep martial arts lore, but tighten up the gameplay, make the combat smoother, and give new players a solid recap so they can jump in without feeling completely lost.
I used to be one of those people who wanted Shenmue to never change. Not anymore. If borrowing some ideas from Like a Dragon is what it takes to get Shenmue IV made and finally give us the Ryo vs. Lan Di ending we’ve been waiting decades for, I’m all for it.
What do you guys think? Would you be okay with a more modern take on Shenmue if it meant we finally got the ending?