'Shenmue III' Will Be Bigger Than Previous Games, Side Quests and Mini Games Will Matter More

This is the year that we'll finally get a Shenmue sequel- and one that promises to be much bigger than anyone ever anticipated.

During a recent G-Fusion Tour event in Xiamen, the game's director, Yu Suzuki, spoke about the length of Shenmue III, as some folks were concerned about it being a full-length adventure. He set their minds at ease, noting that it will be a much larger game than previous entries in the series. On top of that, you won't be able to conquer it in one sitting, as it will reportedly take "multiple weeks" to get through.

With enough dedication, Suzuki, sitting alongside animation producer Hiroaki Takeuchi, noted that Shenmue 1 and 2 could be completed in about a week's time, but Shenmue III will take much, much longer to finish. And on top of that, even after you "beat" the main story, the game will remain playable.

The side quests in the forthcoming sequel will be much more meaningful than ones we've seen in the past, as they'll actually find a way to tie into the main story. Suzuki noted that additional storylines or systems could be introduced once you finish Ryo's main adventure, though he didn't elaborate which ones.

He noted this was done to create a more cohesive experience with the game as a whole, so players would appreciate the team's effort.

On top of that, you can also have fun with Shenmue III's mini-games, as they will have their own impact within the game's world. There will be several returning favorites, including Excite QTE, Gashapon, Lucky Hit and, of course, those awesome forklift races. No word yet if arcade games will make a return, since they were Sega-licensed games.

Hype continues to build up for the sequel, as the publishers at Deep Silver will likely go all-in with a huge advertising campaign to get fans excited for it. It's been a long time coming, but we'll finally see what Shenmue III has to offer when it arrives on August 27 for PlayStation 4 and PC.

(Hat tip to VG247 for the scoop!)

Are you excited for the next chapter in the Shenmue series? What are you excited to see? Feel free to let me know on Twitter at @TheDCD!