Shenmue III demo for Kickstarter backers comes out this weekend

As the release date for Shenmue III draws nearer, some Kickstarter backers may have forgotten the promised trial version that was coming beforehand. If you pledged $100 or more during the Kickstarter, you were promised a trial version of the game prior to release.

In the latest Kickstarter update, it was announced that Shenmue III‘s trial version comes out this weekend for backers. Here are the details (Via Kickstarter):

Survey Download and Game Installation Steps

Emails are planned to go out from Fangamer to backers who pledged for the Trial Version reward beginning this weekend. Please check your email and follow the steps below to claim your reward.

Step 1 – Get Your Epic Games Download Code

Access your survey through the link in the mail sent to you by Fangamer. On the Backer Management page, click on “Get Download Codes” to take you to your digital rewards.

*A PDF Play Guide is also available for download through the backer survey. 

Step 2 – Download & Install through Epic Games Store

After you have claimed your download code, redeem your code at Epic Games Store to download and install the game.

Trial Version Content

This special version lets you experience one day in Bailu Village near the beginning of the game. The trial version features story line elements, battling, minigames and more.

The game will end when… 

1. you progress the story and defeat the key character in battle.

2. in-game time reaches 9:00 PM.

*You may replay the game after completing the objective or in-game time is up.

Differences from Full Version

1. No Save/Load feature.

2. Some specifications differ.

3. No tutorial or story at game start.

Trial Version Notes

1. At least 20GB of free storage is required for download and installation.

2. Language support: Japanese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese

3. Data cannot be transferred to the full version.

4. Playing with a controller is highly recommended. Keyboard controls are supported for Shenmue III, however, keyboard functionality is still being upgraded and recent upgrades have not been applied to the trial version.

To Play the Trial Version

Required PC specifications are noted in the General Information section of the updates and can also be found on the FAQ.

The trial version will be for PC to be played on Epic Games. An Epic Games account will be needed to play. 

For information on creating an Epic Games account and on Epic Games’ privacy policy, please visit the Epic Games Store.

Trial Version Distribution

The Backer Trial Version will be available to backers who have the Trial Version reward included in their pledge and completed their backer surveys by September 20th, 2019.

*Because distribution of the Trial Version is ongoing with the survey open period, all backers who meet the above conditions will receive an email for the Trial Version regardless of their refund request status. We apologize for this inconvenience. 

**Backers who requested a refund may claim their trial version code. This will in no way affect refund eligibility.

We are now about 2 months away from release and we hope to count on your support for this final stretch. Please enjoy the trial version until the full game arrives!

Be sure to check out our site next week for a review of the Shenmue III demo!