Following years of fan anticipation, Sega has announced that it is bringing the cult-favorite Shenmue saga to PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Packaged together in one collection, "the definitive version" of Shenmue 1 and 2 will feature various technical improvements, but will likely not be a full-blown HD remastering.

Sega broke the news about the Shenmue re-releases at Sega Fest 2018 yesterday in Japan and released some specifics in a press release. "The re-release will stay true to the originals with modernized features including fully scalable screen resolution, choice of modern or classic control schemes, PC graphics options, an updated user interface and the option to enjoy either the original Japanese or English voiceovers."

A minute-long teaser trailer was released in tandem with the announcement, showing gameplay footage and clips from cutscenes. Judging from that footage, the graphics will be optimized for modern platforms but were not rebuilt from the ground up.

Known for its vast open world, depth of gameplay, and realism, the open-world RPG centers around Ryo Hazuki and his quest for redemption after the murder of his father.

"Shenmue 1 & 2 comes complete with the original feature set that defined modern gaming, including enthralling jujitsu combat, investigative sleuthing, and RPG elements in addition to memorable mini-games. Shenmue 1 & 2 is set within engrossing real-time open worlds that feel truly alive thanks to day-to-night cycles and weather changes, with a population of civilians who follow their own schedules."

The re-release of Shenmue I and II was recently alluded to by one of Shenmue 3's developers, who teased on Twitter "many other surprises" after hyping the third entry in the series with the #Shenmue3 tag.

The re-release will roughly coincide with the arrival of the first new entry in the series in almost 17 years, likely an effort by Sega to reinvigorate fans of the series and attract a new audience.

Shenmue 1 and 2 will be packaged together in both physical and digital versions for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.