Fans can't agree if the first Shenmue 3 teaser is hot or hot garbage

Shenmue 3 has been a long time coming. A loooong time coming. So it's only natural that fans have a lot of hope (if not money) invested in the Kickstarted sequel. Unfortunately, the game's first teaser hasn’t been met with unanimous applause, but instead a mix of disappointment and defensive passion. But before we get to that, take a look for yourself and see what you think:

The biggest thing that seems to be throwing people off here are the main characters' expressionless faces. Our hero Ryo's mug literally doesn’t change throughout the entire teaser, while magical girl / love interest Shenhua only has the most basic blinking and mouth animations. While the game is still very much in development, that hasn't stopped an outpouring of disappointment, with some comparing these stiff faces to the infamously lifeless NPCs in Mass Effect: Andromeda.

Others, however, are just happy to see progress. And who can blame them for that? This series started in 1999 and the second game was released in 2002. Fans have been waiting for more than 15 years to witness the next chapter in the dramatic saga about a young man avenging his father's death and discovering ancient magics (or, depending on how you played, maybe just a game about going to the arcade, buying capsule toys, and raising an orphaned kitten). While some are condemning the game, these defenders are telling them to chill out.

Last summer, we broke down the game's budget, development time, and more to see if you should worry about Shenmue 3. After watching the trailer, I can't honestly say it seems too different from the one I would watch on repeat in my bedroom as a kid when I'd pop in an Official Dreamcast Magazine demo disc. And weirdly shaped robot faces or not, I'm glad to see it back.