Ys Net’s highly-anticipated Shenmue III received a lukewarm reception both critically and commercially in multiple regions. What’s particularly worrisome is the game’s lackluster launch performance in its home market of Japan, where it sold less than 18,000 copies on the PlayStation 4 in the week ending November 24th.
For comparison purposes, Japanese releases like Nintendo-exclusive Astral Chain and Bandai Namco’s Code Vein sold 32,236 copies and 60,843 copies, respectively, during their launch weeks.
In the UK, Shenmue III failed to make the top ten, debuting at number 17, and the game was nowhere to be found in the EMEAA (Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia) charts.
Worth noting that these figures don’t account for PC sales and over 70,000 Kickstarter backers. However, Shenmue I and II remastered managed to sell twice as many units at launch in 2018.
Shenmue III received mixed reviews upon launch. In her review, PlayStation LifeStyle’s Annette Polis noted that the game’s janky dialogue and inconsistent English voice acting along with its clunky combat and dated graphics took a toll on her overall experience.
That said, there’s still hope for a fourth installment if Yu Suzuki’s previous statements and Shenmue III‘s credits are anything to go by. And while launch sales have been disappointing, we’ve just entered the 2019 holiday season so the numbers might pick up.
Did our readers buy Shenmue III? Share your personal experience with us below.
[Source: Games Industry]
This page contains affiliate links to products. Purchases made through these links help support PlayStation LifeStyle.
