Video Game Analysis

Shenmue III Is Disappointingly Fun

June 16, 2024November 8, 2025HalsdollLeave a comment

Previously on my blog, I mentioned that I am replaying Shenmue III. Now I explain why it is not as good as its predecessors.

One unique trait about me is that I can find entertainment in the most mundane things in life. For example, I enjoy reading equipment operation manuals for work. Why? Because I have to amuse myself if I want to retain boring information. The more I understand how things operate, the higher the chance I will do my job well. I can also tackle the unpredictability when I do face a problem. Like Ryo Hazuki, the protagonist in Shenmue III, sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands. It’s necessary whether you like it or not. Of course, I am speaking figuratively. In real life, I can barely handle a screwdriver to unscrew a machine. I am sure that with a little practice, I can become a pro in no time.

Ryo never giving up — *I love the determination!*

However, being determined and goal-oriented is a double-edged sword. You may fall into the things you despise when you are too fixated on a goal. Ryo is determined to avenge his father’s death. He doesn’t realize he is becoming Lan Di. Lan Di is the main villain in the game.

Lan Di doing martial arts — *Is Lan Di really a bad guy?*

In Shenmue II, Ryo is greeted with a question. A man asked him where do rivers go. The answer is the ocean, its mother. It means it is better to take the natural course and enjoy the journey. Death will come naturally. No need to speed it up. That’s just about what you do in Shenmue. You go with the flow. Sometimes, I forget Ryo is an angry teenage boy who is grieving about his father’s murder. The pursuit to hunt down Lan Di becomes an enlightening adventure. Shenmue and Shenmue II illustrate that point clearly in game design, which I will go into detail later. For now, I will mainly talk about Shenmue III.

Having spent 30 hours in Bailu, the first section of Shenmue III, I did everything I could. This was the section I liked most in the entire game. I enjoyed the escape from city life. I felt the developers concentrated on this first area more than the second half. Everything flows well. Side games and side quests didn’t feel unnecessary as they incorporated well with the main plot. I thought the game should have ended here. Ryo’s story ends when he stops pursuing Lan Di. He realizes there is more to life than falling into a cycle of revenge.

Shenhua and Ryo staring at the river — *Peaceful*

Unfortunately, the saga doesn’t end simply because Ryo found wisdom. Ryo is too young to walk the path of enlightenment. If I can recall, the ending to this game wasn’t satisfying. I beat the game back in 2019. This left me not caring if there will be a Shenmue IV. The story could have ended with a nice date. You finally have a conversation with the mysterious girl you kept seeing in the first game. And that’s where Shenmue III went wrong. Once Ryo enters the city, the story becomes cliché.

Ryo speaking to shenhua — *Hard to follow story with all the mini game distractions*

I wouldn’t necessarily call a game bad because of its weak plot. A game can still be good for its gameplay. However, it could be a problem when it disrupts the flow of the story. In this case, the game becomes less cinematic. It turns more into a dumping ground for miniature games. It reminds me a lot of a slot machine. Most of the time, you need a little luck even to win the smallest prize. Completing capsule sets and winning Lucky Hit can be such a pain. Sometimes, hard work gets you nowhere. Winning the grand prize is based on chance. I do feel like a gamer in this game. I’m gambling with my time and that is not a good thing.

Chobu-chan wanted poster — *Another mini game where you hunt for this little guy*.

You see, in Shenmue II, the concept of slowing down makes a lot of sense. There were many occasions when Ryo had to stop what he was doing. He needed to get a job, gamble, chase someone down, and complete errands. I can see how gamers complained about working inside a video game. It can get mundane. In Shenmue I and II, I didn’t mind so much. But in Shenmue III, it started to bother me. Nothing new was introduced in the second half portion of the game. The only positive addition to the franchise is chopping wood. At least you get the acknowledgment and recognition for your hard work. You receive praise every time you successfully chop wood, and the background music elevates your mood. Who wouldn’t want to go to work feeling like a winner?

You have to work inside a video game. You also have to learn patience. This relates to the earlier concept I mentioned about following the natural course in life. Without discipline and patience, he cannot master a martial art skill. In Shenmue II, you see Ryo dusting off books. He also catches leaves at Man Ho Temple. These activities serve as a distraction from pursuing vengeance. Cleaning is a meditation process for emotional healing. Likewise, in Shenmue III, Ryo must complete Master Feng’s errands. Only then does Master Feng teach a new martial arts skill to Ryo. This skill is needed for the story to progress.

reaching out for steam buns and wine — *Steam buns are a form of currency*

The first step is to bring him a bottle of wine and steam buns. He only talks if there is wine and a steam bun. Once you complete the task. Then he wants to drink an expensive wine that costs 2000 yuan. Luckily, you don’t have to grind for money by chopping wood, a gaming mechanic introduced early in the game. You can sell the fish, pawn items, gamble, and sell herbs to complete the task. It’s the game’s way of directing players to try out all the mini-games within the game. Earning 2000 yuan is a challenge but not impossible. Another important aspect of the game is leveling up martial arts skills: Attack, Endurance, and Kung Fu. Ryo needs to be strong. That is why Master Feng made him catch ducks as a training exercise. He needs to take one step at a time before he can face his opponent.

All of these errands lead to a conclusion about the game. Players must work hard. You need to put in the time if you want to make things happen. You have to be careful because you can end up as a wandering martial artist or, even worse, a murderer. In the second half of the game, I did not find a purpose to all the mini-game distractions. The magic of Shenmue seems to be missing in the third installment.

Shenhua reading — *Maybe I am reading way too hard between the lines*

It made me wonder whether Shenmue IV is necessary. What will Ryo do once he defeats Lan Di? Have you played this game? Let me know your thoughts.

Fatal Frame Mask of the Lunar Eclipse Review: Not A Walk in the Park

April 20, 2023December 14, 2023HalsdollLeave a comment

As the title suggests, this game is hard to platinum and get an ‘S’ rank. I flunked this old-school survival horror game. I cleared the game with a ‘D’ rank! I still don’t know how the grading works, but boo hoo, I have no shame in sharing my score because if there’s one thing I’ve learned about life is that we become better through failing: All babies learn how to crawl before they even learn how to walk. It’s this childlike optimism of mine that keeps me going because this game is no walk in the park, but I sure love the challenge.

As a horror fan, there’s no surprise that I am a fan of this franchise. I still remember those youthful days when my younger brother and I bought Fatal Frame on the whim simply based on the cover and because it’s a survival horror game. We played up to the third installment but did not get to play the 4th installment for obvious reasons. North America did not get its release. Like most survival horror fans, I tried to find ways to play the game but gave up on it many years ago. Glad I did not spoil myself because I enjoy playing the remastered edition, released on March 8th 2023 for the first time. It reminds me of the PlayStation 2/Nintendo Wii era. It feels like a Wii game with trophies. I am not sure if that is a good thing. Sometimes wanting to do many things in one playthrough can get overwhelming as I found with most PlayStation 3 games.

*There is a reason why it’s called a blind playthrough…Attempting to collect everything in one playthrough is impossible.*

Because I like to play games I enjoy at least twice, I started with Normal Mode but then went quickly back to Easy Mode. I know several people selected Normal Mode because they don’t want the game to be too easy, but the wiser decision is to play on Easy Mode to experience the story. Plus, when you are starting out, defeating enemies can be difficult since the Camera Obscura (your weapon) is at its basic. I found that playing on Easy Mode on my first playthrough was harder than playing on Normal Mode. The second time around, defeating ghosts becomes a breeze when items are no longer scarce since upgrades and items are transferrable over from the first playthrough. You can also trade in your spirit points by defeating ghosts for items that can aid you by accessing the Save Point menu in the game.

Speaking from my own experience, I can only speculate that the 2nd playthrough is when the player knows how to play the game. So, completing Ghost List which consists of taking pictures of Wraiths, Specters, Revenants and Hozuki Dolls was just an additional fun gameplay factor. I am not sure if the Ghost List was originally part of the game or whether it is a new addition to the game. All I know it’s a good way to make players play the game multiple times. So far, I completed the Hozuki Dolls. There are 79 of them by the way and they are not easy to find. If you ask me, I enjoy the hunt and the thought process. Some of the doll hiding places are purposely hard to locate and can be quite funny too.

On the downside, modern gamers might find the controls quite frustrating. The controls sometimes are not very responsive. But then again, with a little practice, it is possible! Yes, you need to learn how to do a quick turn (press L3 and R on the PS5 controller) to avoid ghosts in battle and snap good pictures, which can be a terrifying experience for those who are easily spooked out, but for me not so much. When I am in “hunting mode”, trying to defeat ghosts by taking pictures becomes less scary since I have some form of control over my environment unlike in films where I am a passive observer. But that’s beside the point of what I am trying to make. The controls can be quite annoying. I failed to snap a good picture of the specter several times for it to show up in the Ghost List, which is part of a trophy. In order to capture the picture, you have to take the picture at a certain angle so that the blue circle lights up in the frame shot. I found myself attempting to reload saved points over and over until I get the perfect shot! One of them took me an hour!

Then there is the part where the item meter glows but there’s no item to be found until you swing your flashlight back and forth until something eventually lit up. Talk about a great way to kill time. I believe all of these factors contribute to my low score. As I mentioned, the game is no walk in the park. It is, after all, a horror game. Did people expect it to be an Animal Crossing experience? So, I am not too harsh on the controls and the slow movement of the characters. But I do recommend playing the game on Easy Mode on the first try for a seamless gaming experience.

Despite my frustration with the gaming mechanics, I am getting better at snapping pictures. I found that it’s easier to defeat ghosts on my 2nd playthrough on Normal Mode than Easy Mode. That should say a lot about the game. Players are encouraged to play multiple times. As a result, progressively, the player will get better. Now I am on my 3rd playthrough. The entire game can be finished in 11 hours or less (The most time-consuming part is trying to complete the Ghost List). Each phase (chapters) is not too long are drawn out. So, finishing a phase feels manageable. There are 4 characters total that you can play, but I will go more into that in my second game review (in essay format) which I will cover the story and its prominent metaphor, the moon.

For what it’s worth, players will get a lot from this game: good story, good soundtrack, attractive characters (great selling point for me because I like dolls). Overall good pacing. It’s a shame I don’t have a hard copy to add to my small horror video games collection. At the same time, just being able to experience it is more than a dream come true so I can’t complain too much. Like its song, this game is going to linger with me for a very long time.

Dark Souls: What the Bonfire Says about Humanity

September 4, 2020October 30, 2023Halsdoll1 Comment

Dark Souls sounds pretty dark, so dark that my non-gaming friend asked me why I play such a satanic game. Her question made me probe about my obsession with it. So, I googled Dark Souls content on the internet. What was the result that stood out to me the most? The word masochist. In fact, I didn’t know that word exist. Dark Souls players are masochists. According to Google dictionary, a masochist is

a person who derives sexual gratification from their own pain or humiliation.” the roles of masochist and mistress (in general use) are a person who enjoys an activity that appears to be painful or tedious.”

Feeling self-conscious about myself, I begin to ponder my true nature as a human being. So, I start to reflect on what Dark Souls really mean.

From Dark Souls prologue, we know that fire gives life, but “from the dark they came and found the souls within the flame.” Whatever this darkness is, it causes something to ignite within the life form–which drives living things to action and eventually to madness. So to prevent going Hollow (cold), players have to reach the bonfire. The game design is very addictive. So, addictive that I couldn’t play any other games for a long while. I was possessed by the satanic game!

If you look at the bonfire closely, it is not just a mere bonfire. A sword thrusts into the flames of the human ash. This implies the continuous cycle of life and death. A place for the souls to resurrect. Once a player dies, they come back alive at the bonfire. Think bonfire as a home–where you rest and prepare yourself for tomorrow’s battle.

All undeads, including you as the player, are naturally attracted to the flames because that is where you came to exist. Going without flame for too long, you will die and eventually lose your humanity. The result is Hollow. I like to think of Hollows as corrupted politicians. I think every politician started out with good intentions, but the more power he/she has, the more abuse he/she can do without having remorse.

So time, again and again, you’d hear the phrase: “May the Flames Guide Thee” in the game. It is a reminder to the undead to cling to the warmth within them. By doing so, the bonfires are not just checkpoints to meet the final destination. The bonfires play a significant role in the story because they are “corporeal manifestation” of each Fire keepers’ soul, the protector of life. She attends to the bonfire, protecting the flame from dying so that the player does not “gradually loses his humanity until his wits degrade completely (Lucatiel’s quote from Dark Souls II).”

So this brought me to the question: Am I a masochist for liking Dark Souls? The answer is no, but I can be corruptible–in fact, everyone can. The Souls series is like a video game bible. It preaches its story through gaming mechanics. That’s why players eventually turn into ugly skeletons. I remember when I created my character, I want it to look beautiful, but then I quit caring about my appearance when I kept turning ugly! I then turn all of my attention to reaching the next bonfire at all costs. I was literally in fact, on my way to turning Hollow (mad).

You might think it’s all dark, but the ability to grasp that one can lose sight of what it truly means to live means that there is also a lot of warmth in this game. It wants to teach us how to think. That’s why I enjoyed this game a lot.

DARK SOULS™ II: Scholar of the First Sin

Civilizations rise then fall and fire begins it all. We are built with an understanding and respect for the needs of every human beings. That is humanity. I think this is the reason why the Greek god Zeus, protector of guests, favors hosts that provide good hospitality. To be human is to offer warmth. Without warmth, the flame, we are dead both physically and mentally. And according to an item description in Dark Souls, “the soul is the source of life and whether Undead or even Hollow, one continues to seek them.” What are we without the soul? We cease to exit. So yes, the game is about dark souls. We kill others for their humanity until there is no point of return. We kill others to survive. No wonder my friend called it a satanic game.