Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven

"Know your enemy"

Rikimary and Ayame returns for the PS2 in Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven.

I've always been a big fan of the Tenchu series. And this is no exception. This is in fact my favorite, as I'll explain below.

Controls (6/10)
The controls are above average, they've really pushed the controller to the limit, you know use the D-pad to select items, have to hold down R1 to be in stealth mode and R2 when fighting enemies. It's an overall good setup, but you do need some time to get used to them. I think the main problem is that they've tried to build on the old Tenchu controls, instead of starting again from scratch, which probably would have made the controls more logical.

Story (4/10)
The story is above average, it gives you a reason for completing the next level, and not much more. This is not a problem, as the levels themselves are very fun to play, or as my friend put it. the first day we we're playing it.

''Reasons? We don't need no stinking reasons!''

Graphics (8/10)
The graphics are overall pretty good, with a good frame rate, and the character designs are sweet. I often find my self checking Ayame with the camera, while waiting for an enemy to turn. Some of the levels are huge, and there's no fog, so you can see an enemy from a mile away. But the programmers have been a bit sloppy, if Ayame is leaning against the corner of a wall, her dagger is sticking out in the open, and the enemies should be able to detect her, but they don't. It would have been so easy correcting this problem, but they just didn't bother.

Gameplay (10/10)
This is where the game really shine through. The gameplay is absolutely amazing, and leaves you coming back for more. The object of the game is to come from point A to point B in a level, and of course the road between is packed with enemies. It's then up to you to decide whether to pass an enemy undetected, or run up them, using all your ninja skills, and performing one of the stealth kills that made the series so famous. Most levels are easy to complete, but hard to master. You'll need a lot of patience, to find the exact moment to strike your enemy.

Music and SFX (8/10)
The music of the game is really good, very discrete, so that when playing the same level for the tenth time, you're still not annoyed by listening to the same track over and over again. The SFX are okay, They're not great, but they don't ruin the game. It's just a bit annoying that a ninja tap-dancing across a roof doesn't make one enemy guard look up.

Replay value (10/10)
Again a factor which makes this game so great. I spend about 10 hours completing all the levels with Rikimaru, Ayame and the secret character. But it's not over yet, you still want to grandmaster every level so that you can get a new ninja item, furthermore you'll want to perform at least nine stealth kills on each level as this will give you a new cool ninja ability. On top of this every level have three enemy layouts, and the true ninja will of course need to grandmaster each of them. All this will leave you with at least a 100 hours worth of gaming.

Overall (8/10)
This is not a weighted average, as I think gameplay is by far the most important factor of a game. Many game companies seem to think that the people want great graphics, well they're wrong. We want a game that's fun to play. Tenchu: Wrath of heaven is fun to play.

You should definitely buy this game. The game is easily completed during one rental, but then you would have to return it, when it really starts getting fun.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/14/03, Updated 03/14/03