Tenchu: Stealth Assassins

"Silence is golden."

Introduction-I first played this game from a close friend of mines and I knew right away I had to go out and buy it. I sure had made the right decision when purchasing this game. Tenchu will go ever so nicely with your PS1 collection. For people who become a little nostalgic and dust off their PS1 and play an ol'classic, this just might be one of them. Also to people who really want to get this game and read my review, keep in mind I went almost crazy trying to find this game in almost every store until I came across a store when I was so close to giving up and this store had only 1 brand spankin new copy. In other words, good luck trying to find it.

Gameplay 10/10-This game is the first of it's kind with ultimate potential, basically the best ninja simulator that makes you feel and act and move around the environment like a true ninja. I had so much fun with this game I must have been a Tenchu freak for an awfully long time, also the hours and hours I put into it. Tenchu, like hundreds of other games before it has a level of difficulty depending on what you choose will help you get through it with ease or sacrifice. I found this game pretty tough on any difficulty in general because there are tons of boss fights and the enemy A.I. is really sharp. The controls were a breeze and took me personally a matter of minutes to adjust to. All in all the gameplay is golden.

Story 10/10-You are Rikimaru, a ninja who is sworn to protect his master to his death, set out for justice to set things straight in feudal times. Sound really interesting, Rikimaru, a ninja on a mission! One of the great things about this game is that when you are playing, it truly makes you feel like a ninja. So go and set things straight, oh yeah, don't forget to stick to the shadows;-)

Graphics/Sounds 10/10-Is it me, or are the graphics terrific?! The lighting and textures in this game are very well done. The enemy designs were very nicely done as well and the levels were very very nicely detailed. This game will shoots enough eye candy out so the graphics were butter. I also enjoyed the music because it set a very nice jazzy tune in the background to kind of put your mind at ease while you try and move in for the kill.

Playtime/Replayability 10/10-To tell you the truth I have a PS2 and hardly have time to play my PS1. But when I do come around to it Tenchu is by far the first game I pick to play out of many. This game is loaded with replay value even if it's a Greatest Hit's title and quite old yet this game is wise for it is fantastic and paved the way for other opportunities to arise from it. Tenchu 3 is on it's way out for PS2 soon, why don't you replay this classic and refresh your memory? This game took me quite a while to complete too, though this was a while ago. But I would have to say it was an adventure worth never to forget and to play it for what good times it has given me.

Final Recommendation-Uhm why would you rent a game that has like sky rocketed down in price over this long time? I would say just go out and buy it if you see it. This game should be in every gamers collection. And if you do have it and enjoy it, take pride in it, for you owe it to yourself for having such a wonderful game, and an unforgettable experience in gameplay.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/07/03, Updated 01/07/03