New Shenmue 3 screenshots prove the game is still happening

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Update: I previously printed that the Slacker Backer campaign made an additional $6,564,903, which is wrong: it made $231,608. The previously printed figure was the crowdfunding amount in total, combing Kickstarter and Slacker Backer. Thanks to @Shenmue_Dodo for picking it up.

Shenmue 3 is definitely happening, and these freshly released screenshots are proof. They've been released to coincide with the Monaco Anime Game International Conferences, where game director Yu Suzuki appeared at the weekend. He also had dinner with some Kickstarter backers, which was one of the reward tiers. Isn't that nice!

While the Kickstarter campaign attracted $6,333,295, the following 'Slacker Backer' campaign raised an additional $231,608: and that was without the ability to pledge for a PC version of the game. The possibility never eventuated during that campaign, despite promises that it would. Will there be yet another PC-centric crowdfunding campaign? I wouldn't rule it out.

The other images are embedded below. Shenmue 3 is expected to release some time towards the end of 2017.

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Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.