This is all wild, vague, and I’m kind of here for it
Yu Suzuki will always be a legend for what he managed to craft with theShenmueseries. But a lot of people forget that he was one of the main dudes at Sega AM2, pumping out hits likeAfter BurnerandSpace Harrier; which were featured inShenmueyears later as arcade games.
He’s over 60 years old now, and still seemingly has just as much passion for the industry as he did in the ’80s: the long road to get Shenmue III made is proof of that. So what’s next after that aforementioned revival? Well, hopefully moreShenmueso we can actually see the story through! It’s been over 20 years, after all.
As far as the immediate future goes though, things might get a bit wacky over at his studio, Ys Net.He recently caught up with Famitsuto vaguely tease what’s coming in 2021, and his keywords were “shooting/RPG.” Okay…I can sort of follow that.
He then subsequently shared his ambitions for 2021, which are “reflect on head-to-head battles,” and the phrase “sequel.” So the sequel is probablyShenmue IV, but I wonder if the “shooting” portion is Suzuki getting bit by the battle royale bug.
Either way, there are seeminglyplans, andShenmue IIIdidn’t bankrupt the studio (Suzuki said its performance was “fine”earlier this year). I’m hopeful for what we see next.
