20 Video Game Sequels NOBODY Defends

18. Shenmue III (2019)

The tale of Yue Suzuki's Shenmue III is one of tragedy, pain, and horror - and that's not a reference to the story, it's everything the players felt when booting it up. Damn, this game is dreadful. 

This long-awaited sequel felt like the Holy Grail that all video games trapped in development hell hope for, finally continuing the series seventeen years after Shenmue II. Sadly, despite being gifted a golden opportunity to conclude the story, the director, Yu Suzuki, decided to use this title to set up another sequel, ending on a heart-shattering cliff hanger. Yeah, after waiting nearly two decades, that was nowhere near good enough. 

Fans might have been able to overlook this if the game itself had been decent, but it wasn't. Shenmue III absolutely failed because it refused to adapt to the times. Its reliance on tedious gameplay made it crawl at a snail's pace, with the terrible writing and voice acting making the whole production feel incompetent. 

The thought of what Shenmue III could/should have been was ultimately sweeter than the final product.