Shenmue III Review: 10 Ups & 6 Downs
Ups...
10. The Wealth Of Activities
In a world before mainstream gaming became a beach of sandboxes, one of the defining features of the original Shenmue was the incredible breadth of pastimes open to the player outside the main plot.
Unlike modern playgrounds, which boast optional activities for the sake of packing their otherwise empty open worlds with content, Shenmue's intimate distractions were designed with wasting time in mind. Even when Ryo's quest ground to a halt, time didn't bend for it - and something to fill those hours was not just welcome, but outright necessary.
Frittering the hours away is far less of an issue in Shenmue III, especially thanks to a time-skip feature (albeit one mostly restricted to the first area), yet the game offers a cornucopia of extraneous activities both larger and more enjoyable than previous servings. Hunting for fishing spots is diverting; fishing itself is a tangible pleasure, thanks to Far Cry 5-esque right-analogue reeling. The game arcades, whilst sadly and understandably devoid of SEGA hits, are bursting with original penny-pinchers hearking to both the timeframe and Suzuki's ludographic education (and there are still a few Virtua Fighter nods here and there).
The real highlight is Niaowu's Chobu hunt. By far the most 'gamelike' element of any Shenmue so far, every single one of the second area's shops hides a tiny figurine of the town's mascot, Chobu Chan. Find him, and you earn a little redeemable card. It's difficult to explain the sheer pleasure of the hunt, but it's arguably the most pure fun to be had in the game.
(We searched high and low, and we think we found all of them - if you're interested.)