Shenmue 3's backer PC trial is coming next month

(Image credit: Ys Net)

Shenmue 3's PC trial version is coming soon, though only for the backers who splashed out on one of the higher pledge tiers. Ys Net announced its imminent arrival in an update today, which is scheduled to launch in the second half of September. 

Kickstarter and Slacker backers who pledged $100 or more will get to play a standalone act in the game's first area, Bailu village. The objective will only take around an hour to complete, but it will be replayable. There are other things to do in the village, apparently, though what they are is still a mystery. 

The trial will eventually expire, and the save won't carry over to the final game. It's a pricey timed demo, though at the $100 tier backers also get a copy of the game, their name in the credits and some other benefits. 

Samuel went hands-on with Shenmue 3 at E3 and said it felt like a Dreamcast game, but released 20 years later. The E3 demo was only 15 minutes long, however, so we'll see a lot more when the trial demo appears. 

Shenmue 3 is due out on November 19 on the Epic Games Store.

Fraser Brown
Online Editor

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.