Shenmue III–a cult-classic follow-up that few thought would materialize–has finally made it to release. Greenlit by way of crowdfunding, the storied adventures of protagonist Ryo Hazuki have miraculously been allowed to continue, letting players jump back into a martial arts/mini-game-fueled journey across a sprawling, open-world China. As the series has been immensely beloved for nearly 20 years, fans have long-pondered what a potential third game could offer in the modern-day. So, what’s the critics’ consensus? Well, it looks like diehard fans will have much to love about Shenmue III, but the game’s strictly throwback sensibilities aren’t likely to win over many newer players.

Eurogamer – Recommended

“A bewitching time capsule that transports us to late 80s China, and to turn-of-the-century video games.”

GamesRadar+ – “Authentic”

“This game feels like it’s trolling modernity. It’s ludicrously self-indulgent, constantly absurd, often beautiful, objectively awful and yet somehow wonderful. Personally I can’t believe what I’m playing. Somehow Shenmue III is not only real, but it feels 100% authentic after all this time and against all the odds. I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

Polygon – “Disappointing”

“It’s not the lack of elegant dialogue or the glitches that make this game so disappointing, but the idea that a series that was so obsessed with what would be possible from gaming in the future has turned into a way for people to attempt to revisit the past.”

Screen Rant – 70/100

“As a Kickstarter project, backed by players who knew exactly what they wanted, Shenmue III delivers in such a specifically correct way exactly what long-time fans of the series had been asking for that it’s hard to know whether some more advancements made in the last 20 years, besides the elimination of loading screens around every corner, were considered but ultimately scrapped in the name of keeping the series pure.”

VG247 – 60/100

“Despite these annoyances, despite the fact that it’s a game designed with decades-old sensibilities, I enjoyed my time with it. It doesn’t have the conclusion we’ve been waiting two decades for and it barely drives the story forward at all, but the climactic battle is as satisfying as that 70-man tussle in the first game’s harbour.”

Shenmue III is out now for PC and PlayStation 4. What do you think? Are you going to check out Shenmue III, or have you yet to play the first two games? For those that picked it up, how has the third Shenmue been treating you? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news as soon as it goes live!