Released on the PSone several years ago Tenchu went head to head with Metal Gear Solid. Opting to follow the path of the ninja set in feudal Japan as opposed to the modern day setting of Metal Gear Solid. Many games players were taken in by its freeform game play and stealth techniques. Two other titles were released yet didn’t receive the praise that the first game received. Last year an all new next gen Tenchu was released on the PS2 and now we have an enhanced version on Xbox featuring Xbox Live support and some extras.

Gameplay:

Tenchu follows the story of the two characters from the first game Rikimaru and Ayame. They are also joined by a 3rd secret character who remains locked until the game is completed. Tenchu plays pretty much like any other stealth game except the pace is a lot slower. You will be spending a lot of time simply planning your next move and creeping around very slowly so as to perform silent kills. Get enough of these per level and your player is granted some extra moves. If stealth fails then combat can be swift as the enemies will engage you and call for backup. Suddenly you could be faced with several adversaries with the option to stay and fight with the limited moves available or perhaps run away. However a ninja never leaves home un prepared and has an assortment of weapons and other items that can be used to aid a ninja on a mission. These can range from healing potions, shrukens, poisoned rice, bombs and many more. The use of these items is down to player preference as it’s perfectly possible to complete the levels with just the basic sword.

What made Tenchu appealing was the level design and the fact that you could pretty much explore where you wanted to. The grappling hook which enabled the ninja to climb onto the rooftops of buildings gave a different perspective than other stealth orientated games at the time. Well the same kind of level design makes a welcome return and offers players the freedom of movement that other stealth games simply can’t match. The feeling of dropping down behind an enemy from your rooftop perch to slice his head off before he even knew you were there and then retreating back to the rooftops is excellent.

Players also get to face off against a wide variety of bosses who come in all shapes and sizes. These encounters can often be long drawn out encounters as you strike and counter strike each other. However with the correct use of items these battles can be over almost as quickly as they had begun.

Controlling your on screen character can actually be a nightmare when you first play the game and I could see it as perhaps putting some players off completely, especially if they lack the patience to persevere. Some of the button and camera placements are extremely fiddly especially as viewing your surroundings is paramount to your success. Then there is the problem of the character automatically hugging walls when you are in stealth mode. This can become very annoying as your cover is blown due to this problem which also plagued the original PSone version.

Graphics:

Graphically Tenchu has never been about its looks, with some of its peers outclassing it in every way. Well this latest version is no different and looks pretty awful on Xbox despite it being enhanced from the PS2 version from last year. The character models look very dated and un detailed as do the environments. The animation is also a little jerky at times especially during combat. However don’t be totally put off by this as I mentioned before Tenchu has always been about its game play.

Sound:

One of the better parts of the production is the sound especially the music. Each level have their own soundtracks which are often acoustic pieces which fit in nicely with the whole Stealth ancient Japan feel of the game. Other sound effects are adequate as is the voice acting which perpetuates the story at numerous points throughout. The option to have the original Japanese voice overs is also included which is a great feature for those who prefer that.

Longevity:

Tenchu offers players plenty of replay value as each level has three sets of enemy placements and guard patrols which the player can choose once the level is completed for the first time. There are also a few levels of difficulty to choose from as well. The main feature for longevity is the inclusion of much needed multiplayer modes for two players on on Xbox Live. These offer players co-op missions unrelated to the main game and head to head type battles.

Overall:

Tenchu is a good idea on paper yet in its current form has not moved with the times. Despite displaying some excellent game play ideas the overall execution and presentation lets the title down. The controls being overly fiddly don’t help matters and the lacklustre combat fails to inspire. With other more fluid stealth and action titles available Tenchu really is for stealth fanatics only or those who were fans of the original.