Shenmue III similar games & best alternatives

Shenmue III - Trailer
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Shenmue III

PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2020

Should you play it?

Shenmue III sees the eagerly anticipated continuation of the epic story-driven saga. Take control of Ryo Hazuki, a teenage martial artist, determined to unravel the mystery behind his father's murder and to exact revenge on the killer.

What works

  • Faithful continuation of shenmue series
  • Detailed and immersive environments
  • Long playtime with varied activities
  • Strong narrative and character interactions
  • Nostalgic appeal for fans

Things to keep in mind

  • Slow pacing and repetitive grinding
  • Awkward voice acting and dialogue
  • Combat system criticized as clunky
  • Story progression feels rushed or incomplete
  • Some character models and animations are stiff

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

  • Outcast - Second Contact

  • The Divine Invasion

  • Outcast - A New Beginning

  • Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

  • Echoes of the End: Enhanced Edition

  • Shenmue I & II

Less idle-friendly

Games that feels like Shenmue III but with less of an idle filler feel

  • The Chant

  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

  • God of War Ragnarök

  • Black Myth: Wukong

  • Horizon Forbidden West™ Complete Edition

  • The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition

More expressive

Games that feels like Shenmue III but with more self-expression and customization

  • Fable - The Lost Chapters

  • The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

  • Stellar Blade™

  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

  • Hogwarts Legacy

  • Fable Anniversary

Choose your own criteria ->

Similarity map

How to use the graph

Similarity map

Each dot is a game placed from its motivation profile relative to this page’s game. Direction shows which motivation differs most; distance along that axis shows how large the gap is.

  • Purple star: this page’s game at the centre — everything is relative to it.
  • Direction: each axis is a main motivational difference vs this game (e.g. more / less competitive).
  • Distance on an axis: how large that difference is (ring scales show +/− points).
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot to preview that game in the panel on the right; click to keep that comparison.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom.

How to read the map This is a polar difference map: direction = which motivation differs, and distance = how much (same units as the sidebar deltas).

Shenmue III: Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Exploration, Creativity, Story, Expression. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Story, Exploration, Continuation.

Last update: 03/08/2026