A complete remake of Shenmue was in preparation before Sega canceled it for HD reissues.

The remastering of Shenmue canceled by Sega is much better than the HD reissues.

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

Digital Foundry has gotten hold of game footage from the complete Shenmue remake that was canceled last year and, even though budget constraints seem to be the most likely cause, the reason remains unknown.

Anyway, it was abandoned in favor of the reissue, and although it does not necessarily look as good as a title in 2018, it's always a pleasure to see a version too refined game.

As you can imagine, the remasterizer includes high-resolution textures, greatly improved patterns, and lights and shadows that bring the game to life.

It's a shame that the project was never fully implemented, but do not be too desperate; We still have Shenmue 3 to hope for when it launches in August 2019 for PC and PS4.

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