Reviewed: June 18, 2007
Reviewed by: Dave Larson
Publisher
FromSoftware
Developer
K2, Ltd.
Released: June 12, 2007
Genre: Action
Players: 1-4
4
5
6
8
6.0
Supported Features:
Screenshots (Click Image for Gallery)
Rikimaru is back...as a motionless texture on the mission screen. That’s right—in Tenchu Z you get to play one of the clan’s deadly ninjas, but this time Rikimaru is only calling the shots. Tenchu Z is the next generation of ninja gameplay brought to you by FromSoftware.
Following the successes of the previous Tenchu games, Z is the next generation to entice would-be ninjas into killing evil merchants, warlords, and veritable armies of guards and packs of dogs, all unseen of course. The great part is sneaking about, treating your enemies as a big, squishy sheath for your pointy katana. The keys to this game are patience, strategic thinking, and timing. Just like dating.
Sneaking about is a challenge, but never more so when the camera only goes half of your vision range. Okay, so it can go around some corners, but not others. It will go up to a ridge, but you can’t peek over it. You still have the basic tools of any assassin: sword, hook and grapple, and your wits. You can use an assortment of items, but they’re not really needed.
Part of the reason you don’t need those toys is because the enemy is still dumber than Paris Hilton after Mardi Gras. If they outright see you, just zip up to a roof or turn two corners, and they’ll go back to waiting for death. It also helps that enemies never look vertically, especially upwards. To help you sneak up on these mentally challenged ADD guards, you have a meter that tells you how “spottable” you are.
The ambient light, terrain, having your sword drawn and other secret factors all figure into how easily enemies can spot you. Of course, it’s pretty clear that this is determined by the tile you’re on, and not the actual light. Cross from the light to a dark side of a roof, and it doesn’t change. It’s usually better to hide in a bush in broad daylight than be under a house at night.
You can get a host of items from your vanquished enemies. Of course, you’re not told what they are when you get them. I once retrieved a pointed, red object that I took for some throwing star or weapon. Instead, my package hit my target in the face, who continued to ignore it and me (I was in a bush, of course). I still haven’t looked up what ever it was I beaned the guard with. I decided to aerate his neck a little to get by him. Buying items from the store later is only legitimate way to determine what items are. I chose to save my money to buy new skills.
Each mission give you gold. Kill quantity and method, remaining undetected and other options add to the rating and amount of gold you get at the end of the mission. That gold buys either new skills, attack combos, or clothes. Z offers a whole fashion line of the latest Ninja gear, all of which is entertaining to see, but basically pointless. The abilities are nice though. Extend your far-vision or make yourself invincible during a jump with gold! I bet you didn’t know Spider-Man bought his senses at Big Lots. Ninjas are classier though; they shop at Target.
Do you remember Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven? How about Tenchu: Fatal Shadows? Don’t worry if you’ve never seen them, because the graphics are exactly the same! Ok, there are a few new textures, but it’s still all wood, dirt, and stone. Plain lights, and boring shadows. That being said, for a game that is four years’ past its inspiration, these graphics are pathetic. They haven’t changed hardly at all. Boo. Textures can grainy, and lack contrast with each other. Sometimes the only way to figure out where to grapple is to wait for the reticle to light up.
Even the scripted plot films are lame. Full of still frames, and even the characters that move have about 6 motions. It’s sad, and straight from original PS. I honestly believe that previous games had better movies. Even death kills are weak. There were a lot of complaints from Fatal Shadows and Wrath of Heaven that the animations for the assassinations wore thin on the hundredth time, and it did. However, instead of speeding up or varying the kill scenes, there are now about 5 scenes, and the blood comes out like thorns and is very static. Maybe the game is limited by the PS2’s abilities. Oh wait…this is the 360. That’s just awful!
I. Am. Going. To. Kill. That. Damn. Flute. Player. It’s the same stereotypical flute all game. There are a few noises and such, but it just didn’t do anything. You can hear the footsteps from enemies nicely, and your sword sings a little when you draw it, but overall the sound is very blah. After the 6th level or so, I muted the music and had my own tunes in the background.
FromSoftware and K2 rocked one thing out – there are fifty missions in Tenchu Z. There’s lots of time and levels to play. For just under $60 at most retailers, you get almost a buck per level. And, unless you race through the game, you’ll probably get under my minimum $1 per hour of entertainment. A lot of people are going to be disappointed by the lack of change from the other games though, and the only thing I can offer is that at least the levels are different.
Those looking to earn a quick 1000 Achievement points will find some work in store for them. Some points are awarded for merely completing missions, ranking up, and executing numerous (1000) stealth kills, but killing the Tomikichi in each level, and completing all five secret missions will take some Zen-like patience. Tenchu Z also offers a multplayer component for system link, online versus and even a co-op mode for 2-4 ninjas.
Despite all of the flaws, the game is still basically fun. If you liked the predecessor Tenchu games, then you’ll like Tenchu Z, at least a little. FromSoftware and K2 must have obviously not devoted a lot of their resources to this game, though. A whole new platform and four years, we should have a whole new look to a great series, and seeing the same-ol’ same-ol’ is the kind of thing that can kill a franchise.