A full Shenmue remake was in the works before Sega cancelled it for the HD re-releases

Sega's cancelled Shenmue remaster looks so much better than the HD re-releases.

Shenmue 1 & 2 got an HD re-release earlier this year, and while we thought it was a strong port, it turns out we almost had something a whole lot better.

Digital Foundry has gotten its hands on gameplay footage from the full Shenmue remake that was cancelled some time last year, and while budgets constraints seems to be the most likely cause, the actual reason remains unknown.

Either way, it was scrapped in favour of the re-release, and while it doesn't necessarily look as good as a 2018 title, it's still a treat to see such a polished version of the game.

As you'd expect, the remaster includes high res textures, vastly improved models, and lighting and shadows that bring the game to life.

It's a shame the project never fully got off the ground, but don't get too forlorn; we still have Shenmue 3 to look forward to when it launches in August, 2019, for PC and PS4.

In the meantime, if you have 10 minutes and want to take a peek at what could have been in alternate timeline, check out Digital Foundry's comparison video above.

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