Shenmue 3 review embargo moved to release day
Previously communicated 2-day blackout on reviews was a mistake, says publisher
Shenmue 3’s review embargo will now lift on the game’s launch day, November 19.
The embargo had originally been set for November 21 – two full days after the long-awaited RPG’s release – but publisher Deep Silver has now claimed this was a mis-communication.
Many fans have been playing Shenmue 3 for several days, after physical copies of the game were dispatched early to Kickstarter backers.
Digital versions of Shenmue 3 on both PlayStation 4 and Epic Games Store won’t go live until November 19.
Shenmue 3 is the highest funded video game in Kickstarter history, having raised over $6.3 million from 69,320 backers to help bring the project to life.
The game’s release marks the end of a near-20-year wait for the third instalment in the series, following the release of Shenmue 2 for Dreamcast and Xbox in 2001.
Speaking in a new interview with PlayStation Access, Suzuki said he calls it “a miracle” that the third game was able to happen and continues to receive support from fans after almost two decades.
“I call it a miracle,” he said. “As you know, most game creators or game developers are kind of young. So in my experience, after 20 years, that so many people are asking you to create a sequel to your game, that’s something very, very unique, and very unlikely.
“The word ‘miracle’ came into my mind, and so that’s what I’d call it: A miracle.”