Skip to main content

Shenmue 3 nabs series protagonist’s original voice actor

shenmue 3 slacker backer campaign ryo header
Image used with permission by copyright holder
The creative team behind the crowdfunded adventure game Shenmue 3 announced that the final product will feature voice acting from Corey Marshall, the actor who played series protagonist Ryo Hazuki in the North American and European versions of Shenmue and Shenmue II.

The project’s latest update provides the first glimpse at Shenmue 3‘s voice cast, revealing that an English-language dub is in the works. Marshall contributed heavily to both Shenmue games, recording hundreds of lines of dialog featured throughout the narrative-driven series.

Boasting production and marketing costs upward of $70 million, 2000’s Shenmue was the first episode in a planned 11-chapter saga spanning protagonist Ryo Hazuki’s quest to avenge his father’s murder. Shenmue packed its environments with rich detail, and gameplay featured a mixture of open-world adventuring and 3D fighting mechanics.

Shenmue and its sequel were standouts for Sega’s short-lived Dreamcast console prior to its discontinuation in 2001. While the Dreamcast version of Shenmue 2 never surfaced in North America, a port for the original Xbox featuring English-language voice acting launched worldwide in 2002.

Despite its continued popularity and a dedicated fanbase, the Shenmue series never resurfaced in the years following the release of Shenmue 2. Sony ended years of speculation and fan petitioning last month when it announced Shenmue 3 during its presentation event at E3 2015.

After backers raised questions regarding how Shenmue 3‘s funding would be allocated, Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki clarified that Sony is “not seeing a cent” of the project’s crowdsourced earnings. Shenmue 3 is in development for the PlayStation 4 and PC platforms, and surpassed its $2 million funding goal shortly after the launch of its Kickstarter project. Currently, Shenmue 3 has earned over $3.8 million in backer pledges, with 16 days left in the campaign.

Shenmue 3 backers who pledge $1,000 or more toward the project will receive a customizable voice message from Marshall as Ryo. The project’s creators note that Marshall is open to the possibility of reprising classic lines from the Shenmue series, including the actor’s many oddball tangents about sailors, forklifts, and Lucky Hit.

Editors' Recommendations

Danny Cowan
Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…
This LG 34-inch QHD gaming monitor is discounted from $1,000 to $529
The LG UltraGear monitor on a table.

If you want a top-tier display to go with your gaming PC, check out the 34-inch LG UltraGear QHD curved gaming monitor. Not only will it be a worthy screen for your powerful gaming desktop, but it's also currently on sale from Walmart with a $471 discount that nearly halves its price to just $529 from $1,000. We're not sure how much time is remaining before this offer expires, but like most monitor deals of this caliber, it will probably end sooner than you think. Buy it now if you don't want to miss out.

Why you should buy the 34-inch LG UltraGear QHD curved gaming monitor
Gamers who are playing the best PC games should have a screen that will let you appreciate modern graphics. That's certainly the case with the 34-inch LG UltraGear QHD curved gaming monitor, as its quad HD resolution promises sharp details and lifelike colors, while its curved screen fills your peripheral vision for more immersive gameplay. The gaming monitor also features a 144Hz refresh rate, which is at the top of our computer monitor buying guide's recommended range, and 1ms response time. With these specifications, you'll enjoy smooth movements and quick reaction times, which are extremely important in multiplayer matches.

Read more
Denuvo maker Irdeto targets the video game industry’s leak problem with new tech
Someone plays a game using Irdeto's TraceMark techonlogy.

Irdeto, the company behind the controversial Denuvo DRM utilized in many PC games, just announced a new technology meant to combat game content leaks in the video game industry.

Called TraceMark for Gaming, Irdeto describes the technology as a "watermarking solution" that adds visible and invisible identifiers to game content and can trace leaked content to its source. It's something the company already uses to watermark movies, sports broadcasts, and TV shows. Irdeto believes that the risk of having the leak traced to them will deter people from leaking game content when they're playing a playtest, closed beta, or review build of a game.

Read more
Steam Spring Sale: best deals, how long is the sale, and more
Ichiban and Sujimon celebrating.

Spring is in the air, which means it's time to do some Spring cleaning. Thankfully, that doesn't mean cleaning out your wallet because Steam has launched its seasonal sale event to cut prices on tons of amazing games to some of the lowest we've seen.

Given how many incredible games were released last year and at the beginning of this year, odds are you have quite a few games on your backlog you've yet to get to. Your patience may have paid off if you've held out until now. Act fast, though, because this sale won't last forever.
When is the Steam Spring Sale 2024?
The Steam Spring Sale has already sprung and will close on March 21.
Best deals for the Steam Spring Sale 2024

Read more