Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven

"Feel The Wrath..."

INTRO AND STORY 8/10

After the disappointing sequel to the great and infamous, 'Tenchu: Stealth Assassins'. Comes the third installment in this ninja series, and with much delight. The game takes place one year after the tragic death of Azuma ninja, Rikimaru. And to the surprise of everyone, he has returned, no spoilers on how though, just play it and find out. Also making a comeback are, female Azuma ninja Ayame, the sadistic and evil madman Onikage, and the lethal Tatsumaru. Upon his return, Rikimaru learns of an overlord by the name of Tenrai is trying to resurrect Lord Mei-Oh so he can control him and take over the world. Rikimaru joins back with his clan and fellow ninja, Ayame to stop him at once. There is also a third playable character besides Rikimaru and Ayame, his name is Tesshu. A doctor by day and a deadly hired assassin by night, although he must be unlocked by completing both of Rikimaru and Ayame's scenario's. All in all, the game consists of 26 levels and includes a bonus level called 'Through The Portal' which takes place in modern times. That must be unlocked by completing the game with all three characters and is well worth the task at hand.

CONTROLS 10/10

The controls have been tweaked and work extremely well in this game, much better to the titles prior. The characters are given better hand to hand combat techniques and unlockable special attacks. Those attacks are unlocked by performing nine stealth kills per level, a 'Kanji' meter on the bottom of the screen contains symbols which light up when one is done with success. But if you are unhappy with the controls, which I doubt one should be, there is the ability to reconfigure the scheme. The camera has been fixed to the point where you have total control over it, which is a superb touch. And the buttons respond very well, and are pressure sensitive, so a hard press could ensure your chances of decapitating your enemy highly.

GAMEPLAY 10/10

The game also goes back to it's roots by making the grappling hook more akin to the one in the original, which was spectacular. And this one is no exception, the only problem I've had with it is not being able to latch onto high buildings like the original. In the first, the grappling hook can take you to the roofs of the highest buildings. In this one, I've gotten as high as two or three stories, so that bugged me a bit. Now, to the A.I. of the enemy, they aren't as dumb as they were in the previous entries but they still aren't very intelligent. The tweaks for them have been better hand to hand fights, and they won't turn and face the wall while on duty. Allowing for an easy stealth kill, if you are seen and happen to disappear, they will still forget about you in a matter of seconds. The guards also engage in conversations with each other now, which are pretty funny, it adds a nice comical touch to a game filled with blood and gore. Speaking of gore, there are six stealth kills for each character, and they are most gruesome. Especially Tesshu, when I said he was a doctor, I meant it. His kills involve him reaching into his enemies and tearing apart the human anatomy like tissue paper. And the stealth kills are done very nicely, they are shown in an FMV form when triggered and can be seen in multiple camera angles. You also have many great items at your disposal which help you dispatch of your foes, these include: shurikens, sticky bombs, grenades, fire spells, bear-traps, mines, blow guns and many more. This game will have you glued to your controller and television from it's unique and fun gameplay.

GRAPHICS 10/10

Now onto the graphics department, the power of the PS2 has given 'Tenchu: Wrath Of Heaven' stunning graphics that come close to those of 'Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty'. Everything from the footprints in the snow, to the lightning and rain is gorgeous and realistic. The levels are constructed and designed beautifully and the backdrops are excellent. The character models are fabulous, even up-close they are wonderful. The lighting effects are well done too, not to the quality of 'Splinter Cell' but good enough. Everything is so life-like in every aspect and perfected to a great extent, I really tip my hat to the designers.

DIALOGUE AND MUSIC 10/10

The dialogue and music is most impressive, reminiscent to that of the original 'Tenchu'. The sounds of the weapons clashing, the screams of the guard's, water flowing, and fire burning sound amazing and realistic. The composer from the first 'Tenchu' has returned and conducted the music for this title, which boasts a grand soundtrack. It is really unique and fits in with the mood of the game well, very original and nice melodic music.

REPLAY VALUE 9/10

This game has immense replay value, for it also sports a great multiplayer mode, for you and a friend to test your skills. It can be played in either co-op or versus. In versus, you can also play with other characters from the game, including bosses and regular enemies. Co-op also features a kick ass double stealth kill for your two chosen characters, really cool addition. You can also play the same level with different enemy layouts, so you never know where the guard will be stationed at next. You can also unlock the demo level from the March issue of OPM and unlock a different language feature called, 'B-Side'. Which changes the dialogue of the game and makes it a comedy if you will, very hilarious stuff. The two things I disliked about it were the idea to can the level editor and not being able to play through story mode with another player. But other than that, this game includes tons of replay value, so you should be busy for a while.

OVERALL 10/10

Overall this game is a must have and is one of the better video game sequels out there, and is currently my favorite PS2 game at the moment. If you liked 'Tenchu: Stealth Assassins' or 'Tenchu 2: Birth Of The Stealth Assassins', you will surely love this fantastic title. So what are you waiting for? Get up off that couch and head to your local game store, buy this game and slit some throats!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/12/03, Updated 11/26/07

Game Release: Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven (US, 03/03/03)