Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins

"This is an excellent game"

I had played the first Tenchu before and enjoyed it very much. Then I found that there was a sequel to that game so I went out and got it. And I am fairly impressed with this game.

Graphics: 9/10
These graphics are a huge improvement over the first game. Everything is very clear and well-detailed. The terrains and backgrounds are very fun to explore. It was nice to just sit back and watch the VERY long and phenomenal FMV intro movie. These are top-notch 3-D graphics. That's all I have to say.

Audio: 7/10
The music is ok. There is actually not too much music in this game because the key is quietness here. The audio in this game is based more on hearing the sounds around you, such as water splashing. Whatever music there is is very atmospheric and fitting to the game. This game also has voices in the cut scenes. The voices are adequate enough that I was not annoyed by them.

Story: 8/10
If you played the first Tenchu, then you will be right at home here. This game is a sequel, or rather a PRE-quel to the first Tenchu. The events in the story take place in the path. We learn about how the ninjas in the first Tenchu became who they are. Hence the title of this game ''Birth of the Stealth Assassins''. The storyline in this game was very interesting to me and kept me going. Assassinations, betrayal, all great stuff.

Gameplay: 8/10
Tenchu 2 is a very unique game. Of course if you played the first, then it won't be so unique. You have a choice of 2 ninjas (a 3rd one is also available later) to complete missions. As you complete missions, more missions are available. Each mission is completed by such goals as breaking into a castle and assassinating someone or escaping from a dungeon. This game entails exploring a large terrain and completing your objective for the mission.
The controlling of the characters is like a Tomb Raider game. Except this time, you're a ninja and have a lot more to your arsenal. You can kill them with your swords. You can use a grappling hook to get to high ledges. You can throw shurikens. You can jump very high, somersault, sidestep, move with your back against a wall, crouch on the ground, swim in water and roll as well.
Along the way you will run into enemies. The objective is to kill the enemy by stealth. Such as sneaking up behind him and slitting his throat! If the enemy does see you, that's okay. But it's harder to kill him when it happens.

Replayability: 7/10
There is actually a lot more to this game than just completing the missions. As you progress through the game and depending on how well you do, you can unlock stuff. There is even a Custom Mission option where you can make your own missions and terrains. There are secret missions also.

Summary:
I played the first Tenchu gamne and I liked this game just as much. It has improved graphics, an intriguing story,and is just plain fun to play. The Tenchu games capture ninja simulation better than any game I've ever seen. This game is not completely perfect. Some palces are annoying to explore because you have to find out where to go yourself. The controls can also be a pain because the character may end up doing something you didn't intend. Also the camera angles on this game don't move as well as I would have liked. Still, this is still a great game and worth buying. And it can be fairly easy to find this game in the $10-$20 range.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/06/02, Updated 03/06/02