Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven

"Shin00bie? Move over, the real deal is back in town."

Months before release, news of this game filled me with dread. A new development team, new control scheme, subpar stills from beta copies, and I think to myself, will Tenchu:WOH(or Tenchu 3) tarnish a series with great potential, or will K2 be able to pull one out of their collective thinking caps? Well, my fears were unwarranted. Let's get this out of the way. Tenchu 3 is an exemplar of what a stealth game should be. Is it without its flaws? Certainly not. It may not have the production value of MGS2: Substance, but it does so many things so well that it would be disservice for any stealth or ninja fan to miss out on this game.

In the game you play as either Rikimaru, Ayame, or a secret third character and each character have their separate storyline although they do share their stages so you don't have completely unique maps for each character. The game's emphasis is on stealth as the draw of the game is obviously the stealh kills or(SKs). During play, the character will have a ki meter which tells you how far another living thing is away from you. The higher the number, highest being 99, the closer you're to him or her. When the enemy is not aware of your presence, the ki meter will show (?). This is when you can SK the enemy by attacking him. There are numerous SKs you can do to your enemy and each is different depending on the position of your enemy when you attack. When a SKs is done, one of the character in your kanji bar fills up and when the entire bar is full you unlock extra moves and techniques for your character to use. So not only are SKs cool as hell, they're also rewarding for gameplay purposes. There are a ton of ninja gadgets to be used in conjunction during the mission. Everything from the standard poison dart and shuriken to the more exotic invisibility spell and tiger traps are here and you'll have a ton of fun using them to dispose of your foes. Remember the thrill of hide and seek when you were a kid? Well, this is a game of hide and seek on crack, a game where you can hunt and be the hunted. And the satisfaction level is immense when you can get through the level without being spotted.

Graphics:8
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This game has great authentic designs and crisp textures. Some model like the enemy ninja is a bit rough around the edges but it is above average when compared to other games on the system. Only MGS2 comes to mind in having better models...and it's no shame to finish below that. Unlike the older Tenchu games the framerate is excellent, even when you zoom in on objects far away using your binoculars like ninja skill. The draw distance is slightly enhanced, and combined that with careful level designs K2 have taken conspicuous pop ups virtually out of this game. A nice feat indeed as the levels are quite big in this game.

The real time lighting is good but not spectacular. You won't see anything like the Resident Evil Remake, or Silent Hill 3 but it does more than an adequate job here. It is quite beautiful to see your character's model change to a different hue when you walk past torches and lanterns. The backdrops are quite nice, especially the weather effects, which rivals that of MGS2's. The buildings are nicely decorated with authentic Japanese art and household items which enhances the atmosphere of the game greatly.

Sound:8
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Most of the sounds here are rehashed from the older Tenchu games. That is not really a problem as they are adequate for the job. Slashes, cuts, explosions, they all sound great. You have a choice for the language track between English and Japanese for the spoken dialogue...thank god as the English dub is average at best. Guards in the game often talk to themselves or their colleagues, it would have been nice to see them subtitle that too instead of just the cut scenes. The main problem with the sound area is actually related to the translation of the game. Often the subtitle does not match the Japanese audio track at all. Having a choice is certainly going to a right direction, but it would've been nice if they went a step further. Nonetheless, this wouldn't be a problem if you only listen to the English dub. The music is nice although not as good as the first game. Composed by Noriyuki Asakura, the one responsible for the first game's music as well as the music for the Rurouni Kenshin anime, the music is fitting and adds an authentic Japanese flavour to the game. Some of the tracks are actually remixes from the original game and they're great on their own even without the nostalgic value.

Controls: 9
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The controls is simply excellent! In the previous Tenchu games the player was relegated to behind the back view of the character, much like Tomb Raider. While it made controls easier to pick up, that view often caused problems in combat and in the framerate department. In here, your character moves which ever direction you push, just like in games like MGS or Devil May Cry. This change has significant improvements for the game as it made it more fluid, intuitive, and forgiving. Now there is no fear of being surrounded as you can attack your front and quickly turn around to defend yourself. Moreover, you can hold down your right trigger to keep your view locked on to your target or recenter the camera so that you'll be facing the direction that you're running towards. The only problem with this is the spinning of the camera is way too quick and could cause some disorientation when you're in the heat of combat. Otherwise the control scheme is great. The characters move as they should, quick and precise. You actually move fast like a ninja in this game, unlike the previous versions of Tenchu. Combos are easy to pull off and the controls are quite forgiving as some of the more difficult moves to pull off in the past, e.g the moonsault, can easily be pulled off due to the change in controls. There is a lot of techniques to be learned and mastered which gives the player a sense of satisfaction. For example, you can shift the balance off the enemy, or cancel a combo with a side step, or just break through with brute force. The combat is defintely not mere button mashing.

Closing
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Tenchu 3 is certainly not a perfect game, it does have its flaws the most obvious being the somewhat dumb AI. Guards are often blind and deaf. You can run around on wooden floors sounding like a herd of wild horses and they guards won't be alarmed at all. Moreover, guards give up too easily when they spot you and when they spot their dead comrades. Tell me, would you simply shrug and go back to work if you found your friend or coworker lying headless and in a sea of blood? If yes, congrats, contact me so I can hire you in the future but chances are you won't and to make gamers believe otherwise is just sloppy. On the other hand, the combat routine is slightly better than previous games as enemies actually try to keep their distance from you to gain an advantage in some situations.

The stealth genre still suffers from the problem of myopic guards where their vision is limited and here it's no exception here. It might be a necessity but some of it is too simplistic here. Even if you're only a meter or so above ground the guards somehow can't see you which makes for hilarious gaming, in a sad sort of way. While the levels themselves are varied and interesting, the layout is somewhat restrictive. It lacks that free flowing element present in the Hitman series in which gave you the illusion of being able to do as you please. However the linearity does make for longer gameplay and there are still multiple ways of finishing a level for certain maps, however minute those differences maybe.

But in general, this game delivers despite the flaws. The final product is greater than the sum of its parts. Tenchu 3 does nothing ground breaking but it does well in virtually everything. It has great graphics, gameplay, sounds, mechanics, and style. It is challenging without being unforgiving unlike other stealth games such as Hitman 2. This is a game that is easy to pick up but difficult to master and has a ton of replay value with its 3 characters, multiplayer deathmatch and coop mode, multiple endings, and multiple layout for the guards on each map. And chances are, even if you've gotten everything you'll still come back for more and fool around with all the gadgets you've collected. If you like ninjas, stealth games, or action games for that matter, I would highly recommend Tenchu 3. Chances are you won't see a better stealth game until Metal Gear Solid 3 arrives. So what are you waiting for? Go out there and cut some throats!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/08/03, Updated 03/08/03