Shenmue 3 Director Wants There To Be A Shenmue 4

Is Yu Suzuki after some job security? The now decades-old Shenmue series came back to life with the recent release of Shenmue 3, but it seems the game's director is already thinking about the next chapter of protagonist Ryo Hazuki's story.

According to VGC, Suzuki shared his desire to make yet another Shenmue game in the credits of Shenmue 3.

"For as long as there are those who wish to see Shenmue live on, I will never give up on my own personal journey to complete its story," Suzuki wrote in a letter during the credits. "As with Shenmue 3, the story is with you."

Suzuki later added, "I sincerely hope that, together, we can continue to spin the tale of Ryo and his adventures in Shenmue 4."

So yeah, it sure sounds like Yu Suzuki is down for at least one more title.

Will we ever see a fourth game in the franchise? Well, that'll likely depend on how well Shenmue 3 performs. The game released this past Tuesday, though you might've missed it, thanks to the questionable decision to hold review copies until the day before. But the few reviews we've seen trickle out so far have been pretty positive. That won't necessarily translate into sales, but it should make fans happy. And those fans, at the end of the day, might be the ones who have to make Shenmue 4 happen.

You might recall that Shenmue 3 only entered development thanks to a massive crowdfunding effort. If the game doesn't meet expectations sales-wise, don't be surprised if Yu Suzuki and his team are knocking at your door, asking if you can spare a few coins.

In the meantime, we'll have our eyes out for any news on how Shenmue 3 is selling. And should some Shenmue 4 news drop into our laps, we'll be sure to get it in front of you ASAP.