Well, I finished the game a few days ago, twice and got my platinum - including currently available DLC.
Normal mode was little too easy on the battle, and hard mode was just about right on my 2nd run thru. Hardest seems to be too hard for me.
There are good things and bad things - I love the whole Shenmue feel that presented with very little sacrifice, even with limited resources and all. But the biggest grip was all about the battle, and almost have-to-memorize QTEs. (Damn ducks and chickens on hard mode!) Storytelling could use a bit more of polish. I had a couple of crashes and some event skips on my 2nd run thru.
Final battle and ending feel like it was very much rushed, and I wish there could be more events that concern the "friendly" characters, including Shenhua, Shiling, Hsu and others. There's no events like Fangmei, or Izumi, Goro etc... that I felt like Ryo had made friends with certain characters in HK or Yokosuka - but leaving NIaowu didn't really feel that way. Perhaps the others who join in the end had their own self interest - but not much fleshed out, unfortunately. Or that damn lady in Bailu - the elder Yeh - she's saying something like "I have nothing to tell to someone like you" or things like that, and suddenly a few minutes later she asks for a favor to find herbs for her?
I immensely enjoyed Bailu part. While I liked all the activities in Niaowu - but the intimate setting of rural village was quite charming. Getting to know each other with Shenhua was interesting - but after leaving Bailu, the interaction pretty much dropped. Wish there were more dialogues between Ryo and Shenhua in Niaowu. Perhaps waiting so many years on the 3rd part and actually meeting Shenhua - I was expecting a bit more - even partially playable section of Shenhua or whatnot - but perhaps I was expecting too much.
It's the least polished game in the series overall - but having said so - it's still enjoyed very much - because not many games can give you such unique feeling of being and living in certain place. Getting to know the folks, seeing many details in their mundane things (such as Ren hitting on the Shilling on the boat ride - or that hilarious Good Health drugstore owner's character design) -I loved it very very much, and as a backer, I am sufficiently satisfied of the whole experience. Indeed a very powerful experience, delivered in such organic way of telling story with abundance of details throughout. Even QTEs - some were pretty amateurish - but some parts were unexpectedly awesome (the one in the bustling diner) or funny (the Iron-man landing girl)!
As per voice acting - I played 1st run thru on English and 2nd run thru with Japanese voice. English Ryo was much more confrontational - but Japanese Ryo was overly polite - that the character of English Ryo and Japanese Ryo felt a bit different in subtle ways. Some VO were better on English version - or at least had more "character" to them - and some Japanese VO were little too bland in some characters - such as the voice of the Inn keeper in Niaowu. I liked her English voice better than Japanese one.
DLC, while my initial thought was a bit of let down - but playing it actually changed my mind. It still has that classic Suzuki arcadey feel, that I just can't say it in words. Although it could be very easy once you upgrade your parameters by finding all the Bailu Chans throughout the village - but it still requires some sort of tactics, and switch ups to get the highest scores. Ryo is definitely OP one in there - that first you are already familiar with his moves (elbow strike is the key) - but other characters are not as gifted/easy as Ryo - that their moves take longer (especially Ren being such a swagger) - getting to know their play mechanics was a very enjoyable part.
Very much looking forward to the rest of DLCs - but most of all - very much looking forward to Shenmue 4. Hopefully they'll vastly revamp the fighting system (or bring the old system back with less or designated moves, plus grabs/throws!!) as the story is one step closer to its climax. All out battle with Chi Yu Men? How will Ryo be able to get as strong as Lan Di? With reserved expectation, though - I am hopeful.
IIRC, I would get one of the toys ($300 tier).
