Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven

"A fitting sequel? Yes. A fitting game? Well..."

When Tenchu: Stealth Assassins came out, it revolutionized the gaming industry by adding to what would eventually also be forged by Metal Gear: Solid. I'm talking about the TEA genre, or ''Tactical Espionage Action''. You were a ninja, and you had an objective. How you reached said objective depended on your stealth, the number of flashy ''Stealth Kills'' you performed, and your adherence to the main rule: Never harm the innocent.

However, T:SA's graphical engine was sub-par, even by Playstation standards. Hit detection was poor, meaning you could grapple up to a perfectly hangable ledge, only to fall down and alert a guard. Tenchu: Birth of the Stealth Assassins, the ''prequel sequel'' to T:SA, remedied this somewhat, but both the graphics and detection were still unremarkable at best, and frustrating at worst.

Enter Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven. The first PS2 Tenchu game, and the next line in the series, a true sequel to T:SA. Sporting an overall better graphical look, a new set of moves and combos, and new items, it seems to give all appearances as a fitting successor to the Tenchu line.

But is it a good game?

The answer is yes, with a but.

The game rocks, I'll admit it. The feeling of T:SA is kept alive in this game, and you really start having fun with the new moves in the combat system.

However, many of the same problems are still apparent. First, the combat system itself is not supported well by the camera. If you have good depth perception, you can usually score a combo or two on an enemy, and this is usually all that you need to kill someone. If not, though, prepare to go through many Ninja Rebirth items, because you will swing, thinking that you will hit, only to get comboed because you came into range.

Another -glaring- error in this game is that some of the walls do not seem to be finished. Moving along one as a stealthy way to look around the corner is fine, but why is my -hand- hanging out around the corner nine times out of ten? What's more, why isn't that enemy seeing it? For that matter, why doesn't the enemy hear me running up to him?

Realism seems to be what they are shooting for here, but they do not succeed. First, granted, the shruiken physics have been updated to be more realistic. It doesn't fly far before it falls, harmlessly, to the ground. So, you must be much closer. Also, there are a lot more places to grapple, more realistic. The characters move at a more believable clip; ninja can't run -everywhere-, you know.

Still, this is a great game. The cinematics portray the story, and I will not betray it here, it is simply too good. Two characters, familiar, plus the hidden character Tesshu, and you've got three times the killing. Newer stealth kills, ninja items, and new moves all make the fighting actually fun, not like a chore as it was in the past.

Overall, Wrath of Heaven is a definite buy for the Tenchu fan. Newcomers to the series may think that it is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and it is indeed great. However, the Tenchu engine has not grown up with the times, and if the next game is not -stellar-, I believe that the genre may have to rely on Hideo Kojima to churn out another Metal Gear, or TEA gaming may be finished.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 03/17/03, Updated 03/17/03