To be clear, I love the narrative-driven adventures that Yu Suzuki crafted for the short-lived Sega Dreamcast. They had intriguing mysteries and a day-night cycle that forced you to slow down, chat with store owners and complete mundane but strangely satisfying tasks. The gameplay loop was unique and rewarded players who took the time to wander around and, over the course of several hours, familiarize themselves with the world.

Before my gameplay demo, I was worried that the third instalment -- announced at E3 2015 and crowdfunded within seven hours on Kickstarter -- would deviate from this intentionally slow and thoughtful formula. Open world game design has changed drastically in the last two decades, and I wondered if Suzuki would feel any pressure to simplify or streamline the Shenmue experience.

But that hasn't happened. At first, I was smitten by how familiar everything was. I glanced at the in-game clock, browsed my capsule toy collection and then opened Ryo's useful journal to check my progress in the story. Little had been changed and my first reaction was overwhelming relief.