Yu Suzuki discusses the pressures of working on Shenmue III in the latest interview
Yu Suzuki is currently hard at work on making Shenmue III the best that it could be. Yu Suzuki recently spoke with Polygon about his personal thoughts about Shenmue III, as well as the emotional challenges that comes with the high expectations for the game.
“Asked about the anxieties that come with working on such a sought-after sequel, though, Suzuki gives two answers: first a negative, then a positive. The more the expectations or worries stack up, the more they disturb his ‘creative heart,’ he says. ‘That is the biggest negative part of such a pressure,’ he says. And to Suzuki, creativity is the most important factor in game development.”
Suzuki has had a long time to think about Shenmue III, stating that “Shenmue 3 was always with me.” Suzuki does say that the challenges and pressures that come with making Shenmue III is “destiny” and an opportunity given by the fans to continue his magnum opus. When asked whether or not he’s worried that fans might be expecting too much, Suzuki replied with:
“To be honest, don’t expect too much … don’t give me too much pressure. That would be, you know, better as I can make a better game, because I can be more creative.”
After nearly 15 years since Shenmue II, fans have understandably grown up and have experienced much. With Shenmue III, Yu Suzuki hopes to ease back fans into Shenmue III with a “natural progression.” The game will start a day after Shenmue II had ended, which will help naturally continue the life of Shenmue III‘s characters. The use of phone calls to catch up with characters in previous games will help bring that sense of nostalgia.
‘If you have time to worry, you have time to work,’ he says.”
I’m confident that Yu Suzuki will deliver a game that is worthy of the Shenmue name. Hopefully we’ll hear more updates about Shenmue III in the near future!
Via Polygon
