Back in August, Ys Net noted that the Shenmue III Trial Version would launch in the second half of September 2019. Now, its launch is upon us. Starting on September 28, 2019, emails will begin heading out to backers with the Epic Games Store code for the demo. It will be playable in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.
The Shenmue III Kickstarter update offered some reminders of what to expect. This is a brief experience set in Bailu Village. Ryo has one day to spend there, and you can either go through the story and fight a specific character or enjoy the area’s activities and sights until 9pm in-game. You can’t save or load, and there will be no tutorial. However, the email with the code will include a play guide to help people get started.
However, there’s one final thing to note. If a backer made a pledge that included access to this Shenmue III demo and turned in the backer survey by September 20, 2019, but then asked for a refund, they will still get an email giving them access to the trial version. This is due to the distribution happening simultaneously. Ys Net says people who have asked for a refund and still get a code can claim it, use it, and play the game.
Shenmue III will come to the PlayStation 4 and PC on November 19, 2019.
