Shenmue 3: 10 Things It Needs To Be Successful
5. Ensure The Gameplay Is Smooth And Modern
The great news is that Shenmue III is to be a PC and PlayStation 4 game first and foremost; this means it's being built on the most powerful hardware currently available.
This should mean that Yu Suzuki's team at YS Net can utilise Unreal 4 to showcase something special. This needn't mean photorealism, however, as Shenmue always had a stylish look - somewhere between cartoonish and realistic, as that was what the hardware of the time, the SEGA Dreamcast, produced. It should run solidly, however; Shenmue has a reputation for being a little pedestrian in its pacing, and doesn't need framerate issues slowing it down further.
One big potential stumbling block was noted by the ever-excellent John Linneman in his Digital Foundry Retro video series. Motion blur was added for the combat in the Shenmue II port for the original Xbox. This was necessary for performance, but absolutely horrendous to play when switched on as fights became muddied and far too blurry - especially when facing off against multiple foes.
To really ensure Shenmue III stands out it must retain its graphical style, completely ditch the motion blur (or make an option to switch it off) and give the game a sense of pace by nailing the overall speed of the game: both Ryo's walking speed and the framerate around him.
If it feels clunky, players will switch off.