Shenmue III Hits $7m Stretch Goal, Expanding the Battle System

This cult classic franchise turned Kickstarter game is one of the most highly anticipated upcoming titles. The Shenmue community is strong and it shows in the fact that Shenmue III‘s crowdfunding campaign just reached 7 million dollars. Hitting this financial benchmark means another stretch goal is unlocked: “AI Battling.” Fans are reminded of what this entails in the most recent Kickstarter update:

This control system lets you automatically unleash the perfect technique in response to the opponent’s positioning and distance. R&D for this system is based on Yu Suzuki’s concept for players who are not used to fighting games or for those who want a full immersion battle experience. This battle system is highly compatible with, and will be an extension to the current battle system.

The screenshot itself looks promising and the fact that it says outright that it’s “subject to change” is the kind of professional transparency you want from a Kickstarter. The stretch goals listed on their Kickstarter go all the way up to 11 million dollars featuring another battle expansion and several extra/expanded mini-games and areas. Hopefully the potential extra work doesn’t slow things down too much as the game has already been delayed from late 2018 to 2019.

Also mentioned in this update is the fact that “the Toy Capsule Box Set is now available through Fangamer! [Fans can] get the Ryo, Shenhua, Chai and Forklift set as either an add-on or upgrade.” So fans can continue to satiate their Shenmue fandom. Plus the Shenmue I & II rerelease is set for August 21st, giving fans plenty to look forward to.

[Source: Kickstarter / Dualshockers]