Tenchu: Stealth Assassins

"Now THIS is stealth combat."

Tenchu Stealth Assassins. The least hyped of the stealth-combat trilogy of games (Metal Gear Solid, Syphon Filter, and Tenchu) and coincidentally, one of the better ones. I personally enjoyed Syphon Filter for the fact that it seemed to be a bit more on the realistic side rather than MGS. Metal Gear, on the other hand, is not one of my favorite games (as one can see in my review of said game). Tenchu takes elements from both games (Metal Gear's subtitled cinema's between action and an instant-kill system similar to Syphon Filter's headshot) and combines them to create a game that, despite its similarities is a breath of fresh air. Tenchu also owes a bit of something to Tomb Raider, but despite the similarities in the jumping and grasping systems and a few platform sequences, is still an enjoyable and entertaining game. One of the most interesting aspects of the game is the item system. You start the game with a certain number of items. Additional items in the levels are rare, so the only way to replenish your stock is to perform well in the levels, repeating levels if necessary, to increase your score. The scoring system in Tenchu is similar to those of other games, but still functions well. Players are granted far fewer points for kills made while they were aware of the ninja's presence, than for those made silently and unknown. Points are also deducted for every time you are spotted from a grand total. After the level, points are totaled, and a title is awarded (from "Thug" to "Master Ninja") and one's stock of items is increased accordingly to how high the score was. Scoring at the highest possible results in special, hidden items being added to your arsenal. Another interesting aspect is the fact that we are given 2 characters: Ayame and Rikamaru. Ayame is faster, but Rikamaru is stronger (personally I prefer Ayame). Different ways of completing missions, different cinemas. My one gripe with the game is how short it is-only 10 missions, but getting a perfect score will keep you busy anyway. Overall, a definite game to pick up... but good luck finding it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99