In addition to the news that it's ready for release, Microsoft also made it clear there will be a U.S. demo coming to the Xbox 360 in the near future. Tenchu Z features a new stealth kill system along with new shadow detection and plenty of character customization options. The game features online capabilities for up to four players and includes co-operative play.

SEGA has officially announced the upcoming release of the PSP title, Tenchu: Time of the Assassins.

In the game, player will follow the ninjas, Rikimaru, Ayame, Tesshu and Rin as you follow each character through a specific storyline. Something added to the game is the free mission mode which allows players to play 50 independent missions once you beat the single-player game.

Tenchu looks to include ad hoc multiplayer support as well. Allowing gamers to play head-to-head or cooperatively. There is also a level editor giving players the ability to create their own levels and share them with others through ad hoc download.

Tenchu: Time of the Assassins is scheduled to release June 23rd, 2006.]]> Mon, 22 May 2006 20:47:00 -0500 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/tenchu_ds_images_released http://www.gamebump.com/go/tenchu_ds_images_released http://www.gamebump.com/go/tenchu_ds_images_released# Mon, 15 May 2006 17:59:00 -0500 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_tenchu_dark_secret_ds1 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_tenchu_dark_secret_ds1 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_tenchu_dark_secret_ds1# This preview was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Evan Lahti.

One of the featured games at Nintendo's booth this week at E3 was Tenchu: Dark Shadows on the Nintendo DS. After getting our hands on some of the initial levels, we're ready to bring you the details on From Software's stealthy romp onto the handheld platform.

Following an opening screen, we see a list of menu options for the game before us, including a Kill Gallery, WiFi, Shop, Scrolls, and the main game itself. The Kill Gallery served as an inventory for the images that appear on the bottom screen when you execute a successful kill. The WiFi option, though we weren't able to check out multiplayer, mentioned the ability for players to sell items over wireless. At the shop, we could purchase a small set of items that were available, including bamboo spikes, a health-replenishing rice ball, a poison antidote, and a smoke bomb. Each of the objects carried different prices, and fit into separate inventory categories.

Stocking up on these items, I hopped into the first mission, “The Art of War,” selecting the silver-haired Rikimaru over the dual-dagger-wielding Ayame. A very basic level, the top screen was overgrown with bamboo trees and dense grass, while the bottom screen provided our map and inventory list. Many of the textures seemed blocky and on par with early PS1-titles, but framerate-wise the game moved along smoothly, albeit at the expense of the less-than detailed setting. The character models, while not the best we've seen on the DS, at least helped us tell the difference between our character and the enemies.

Moving through the undergrowth with my katana in hand, I noticed a triangular blip on the bottom screen -- a sentry, clad in kimono, moving in a rectangular patrol. Sneaking up behind him (actually running, as there wasn't a walk or crouch button to be found) and tapping the Y button unleashed my attack, taking the guard down. Seeing another enemy around the corner, I decided to try and use one of my items.

Getting ahead of the foe a little bit, I placed my bamboo spikes in line with his path, then ducked behind a nearby tree to watch. As the guard approached, the spikes shot up, impaling him instantly. It was a simple task, and the combat seemed pretty basic overall, but the use of different items should get more challenging as the levels become more complex in Dark Shadows. At the end of the stage, I was awarded points for Injury, Consecutive Kills, Endurance, and Secret.

Tenchu DS should be a worthy action and puzzle-based title for fans of the series and ninja-philes alike. The game's graphical quality left something to be desired, but if From Software can integrate depth and difficulty into the gameplay as the stages progress, Dark Shadows will be finding some light on gamers' DS' later this year.

]]> Thu, 11 May 2006 17:38:00 -0500 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_tenchu_fatal_shadows_ps2 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_tenchu_fatal_shadows_ps2 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_review_tenchu_fatal_shadows_ps2# This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Chuck Landry.

It was 1998 when the first game in this series, Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, appeared stateside on the PSOne. I have fond memories of the times I spent with it.

The first time I ever used the grappling hook to zip up to a nearby rooftop was amazing. I simply began gliding from roof to roof with the hook in reckless abandon, completely losing any interest I’d once had in figuring out what "Tenchu" was all about. As soon as I had worn out the excitement with the hook, I scored my first stealth kill. The camera moved in close, Rikimaru put his sword to some poor guard’s throat from behind, and slice – his head was on the floor and his corpse had turned into a fountain of blood. Oh, those stealth kills were addictively satisfying, but you had to work for them. This is what made Tenchu a great game.

Over six years and two Tenchu sequels later, we arrive at Tenchu: Fatal Shadows for Sony’s PlayStation 2. Even in this latest installment, the core of the Tenchu series remains unchanged, for better or for worse. If you’ve ever played a game with "Tenchu" in the title, you ought to have a real good idea of what you’d be getting for your $50 here.

Tenchu introduced gamers to the modern day stealth/action game. As such, you’ll be doing plenty of crawling around, leaning against walls and sneaking up behind people. When creeping about with your back to the wall, the camera of course adjusts to try and give you a better view of what/who is around the corner. Of course, no ninja game would be complete without a ninja grappling hook, which can quickly pull you up to rooftops or atop high walls. As we al know, videogame guards are generally stupid, forgetful beings and therefore the rooftops are no place for their kind, making them an ideal place to sneak around undetected. Rather than radar, you’ll find a small circle in the lower corner of the screen. When the circle is empty, all is well. For the most part, you’ll want it green. A green circle indicates a nearby enemy. The smaller the circle (and lower the number next to it) the farther away you are from the nearest meat puppet. After watching the guard turn his back from around the corner, if you can run up and get close enough undetected, hitting the attack button scores you a stealth kill – the coolest of all kills. Rinse and repeat – welcome to the Tenchu series.

New to this game, however, are double stealth kills. Now, if you time it just right, you can get two stealth kills in one fell swoop without giving the guards time to react. When you are able to kill a guard (or two) before they realize what’s happening, they’ll drop a scroll. These scrolls are worth more if you attack as soon as you’re in range rather than later. Racking up scrolls in the game gives you access to the special moves of each character. Although this isn’t the first Tenchu game to award you with abilities for stealth kills, Tenchu FS does take it a step further for rewarding you more for better ones. This, and the double stealth kill both force you to play a bit more strategically to get the most out of each assault.

Rikimaru is not a playable character in Tenchu FS. His old-time partner in crime, Ayame, returns with newcomer Rin. Ayame is the experienced professional, using two short blades in combat as usual. Rin, on the other hand, is only in this for revenge, seeking those responsible for burning down her village and killing those she knew and loved. Rin has a sword, but also uses her fists and legs to fight. Early on she is established as the "foolish kid," appropriately getting her ass kicked by Ayame after wrongly accusing her of being responsible for the mishap at the village. Soon enough, though, she can hold her own (and will have to survive another Ayame bout – not easy). Missions in the game have always been all bout getting from point A to point B, being as sneaky and ninja-like as possible. A few new objectives do appear in this game, however, such as following a person without being noticed.

The storyline behind this episode is altogether fleshed out a bit more than in previous titles. That’s not to say that it’s marvelous by any means. It just makes more sense than the others; it’s actually something you can follow if you choose. The game still oozes ancient Japanese culture (in some aspects – we’ll get to that) so expect names that are impossible to pronounce and frequent and strange displays of honor that we heathen Americans don’t understand.

However, gone are the boring old scrolls of text that you used to have to read before each mission. Now, the entire game is almost presented as though it’s a television series. Upon completing a mission, the game displays some scenes from the next one. Meanwhile, a male announcer babbles on about what you should expect, a ‘la Saturday morning cartoons. "Ayame faces Rin in another confrontation, and Futaba reveals herself. Will Ayame survive the deadly trap? Will Rin stub her toe? Will Chuck ever write the review? Next time, on Tenchu: Fatal Shadows." After checking out your score and rating and selecting your equipment, the narrator comes back on and tells fills you in on some more storyline. Meanwhile you watch an array of random scenes, painting, and pictures of the main characters flutter around the screen. It’s a lot more effective than the old scrolling text story and the knives on a map layout from the past games. Music throughout the game, whether during in between chapters or during gameplay is generally appropriate, Asian percussion and wood instrumentals. The song on the first mission alone is atrociously repetitive.

The graphics in Tenchu FS also show signs of a minor makeover. In fact, the game looks better on the PlayStation 2 hardware than the last one (Return From Darkness) does on the technically superior Xbox. Don’t pop open the champagne just yet – this still looks like a Tenchu game. Textures are still pretty bland and under detailed, but the From Software team has managed a few cosmetic changes. Lighting is still simplistic, but at least it’s real-time. Arrows stick in the bodies of characters for about a minute. I once had two arrows in my right hand as well as two in my left knee and one in the right. The fields are littered with patches of tall grass, and weeds and flowers that sway in the breeze. Plus, I don’t know if I just never noticed it before, but I saw plastic beads in Ayame’s hair earlier today – I didn’t know she had been to Jamaica… Anyways, another nice flair occurs when you score a great stealth kill. In the middle of the sequence, the game displays a close up x-ray, where you can watch as you snap a head off of the top vertebrae, or a knife going through near the stomach of enemies. It’s a straight rip from the movie Romeo Must Die, but it translates to the game very well, and just makes the effort of a good attack all the more satisfying.

As I alluded to before, the graphics aren’t perfect. They’re good for the series, but not for today’s standards. Although walking near a light source does make your character glow, the lighting is far from being technically advanced. For instance, in one scene when someone blows out the fire in a paper lantern, the glow disappears, but the lantern itself is obviously a very light texture, because it doesn’t darken much – that’s just strange looking. In today’s world of games like Splinter Cell, any stealth game should be ashamed not to make use of intricate lighting and shadows. Animation isn’t too shabby at all, but again we’ve seen better and the environment textures could be more detailed. This game also seems extremely mild in the gore department. Enemies still spew blood when killed, but it isn’t how it used to be. You almost have to be looking for it to notice it. In the past, stealth kill scenes would seem to be soaked in digital blood. Now, guards don’t even seem to bleed until after they hit the ground, lifeless, and even then it seems toned down. Maybe (probably) I’m a sicko, but the unnecessary blood gushing all over the place was a trademark and a staple of my happy memories. I miss it.

The Tenchu series is over six years old, and it is definitely suffering as a result. Too much of this game seems recycled, old, and unimaginative. Guess where you’ll play out most of the missions. Yep – in the woods, in old villages, and caves with the occasional creek. Same old places as always. Almost all of the items available are old, save a couple newcomers. Same thing with most of the special abilities you can unlock. Other than the environments, the most noticeable aspect on the topic is sound effects. I could swear 50% of the sound effects (running, sheathing a weapon, the whir of the grappling hook, etc.) are from the original Tenchu. They aren’t terrible, but they are anything but realistic. I could do with an update.

They did change some of the sounds though. For instance, they do have a narrator help smooth out the transitions between levels, which is a very welcome touch. Also, all of the voiceacting is new, and that of the main characters is passable for a game of this type. The enemies, however, are another story. It’s not the acting per-se that is bad…but when you see a middle aged Japanese man, wielding a samurai sword, sporting a ponytail, clogs, and a purple robe, the last thing you expect is a surfer accent. I’m not suggesting that they speak in Japanese, but let’s at least bring back the Japanese accents! It took me out of the game a few times because it was so distracting.

In gameplay terms, the series has received a tradeoff of sorts. On one hand, the notoriously stupid A.I. has been considerably beefed up. Making a scene and then grappling up to the nearest rooftop to wait until the enemy forgets about you no longer works all of the time. They have better range of vision, and often will follow you up, down, and around most obstacles. The tradeoff, then, is that the game occasionally makes silly decisions, and you will be seen a few times unfairly. This isn’t a huge disturbance most of the time. On the third mission, when I had to follow someone silently, it did prove frustrating, as I was spotted crouching behind a giant pillar and seriously submit that I shouldn’t have been seen. I had to start the entire mission over about 5 times because of that last section when I had to "follow."

The camera didn’t help matters. The camera has always been a little difficult to deal with in Tenchu games, and it doesn’t look like much has been done to fix that. For starters, I felt like it was angled inappropriately low in the default view, limiting my field of vision. It is maneuverable, but extremely clunky. When leaning against a wall, getting the needed view is a constant struggle. I quickly lost my patience for fighting with the cursed thing. It’s unfortunate then that this game relies so much on planning and stealth, because the camera makes it tough to persevere and stick with the way the game should be played, rather than run into the open and simply face everybody head-on.

Multiplayer could do the series wonders. It did appear in Return From Darkness in a very limited form. The developers should take a hint from the new cooperative mode in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and make something comparable in any other Tenchu games they plan to release. The quasi coop mode in Return From Darkness wasn’t enough to cut it. We demand the full single player game available to play with a buddy. I still find it odd that multiplayer didn’t appear in any form in Tenchu FS.

Get the defibrillator – let’s bring some life back into this series before it dies. Let’s see some new environments, some new gameplay mechanics, and for the love of god, some multiplayer action. Maybe with the new round of consoles coming, From Software will finally opt to put some advanced lighting into a Tenchu title. This isn’t to say Tenchu: Fatal Shadows is a bad game. In some respects it’s actually an improvement over past titles in the series, but it’s really showing it’s age. With the outdated graphics, clunky camera, and recycled sounds and environments, it just isn’t something I can recommend to anyone who already has their fill of the past titles. If you’ve never played a Tenchu game though, definitely rent it – you’ll probably enjoy it. Tenchu is great because the basics are fun – like Tetris – but I’m ready for some changes.

Wrestling with the camera is frustrating, and the game is getting stale.

Improvement for the series, not for games in general.

Recycled sounds from ages ago, but they do the job. What’s with surfer accents?

Inherently enjoyable, but mechanics make it frustrating.

You’ll probably be too tired, but if you desire, levels have multiple layouts.

]]> Mon, 14 Mar 2005 12:19:00 -0600 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_tenchu_fatal_shadows_ps21 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_tenchu_fatal_shadows_ps21 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_tenchu_fatal_shadows_ps21# This preview was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Chuck Landry.

I’m glad I finally have a Playstation 2 (thanks to my new roommate) because I don’t want to have to wait until the newest Tenchu game is released for Xbox. Technically, it hasn’t been announced for Microsoft’s console, but there’s little reason to think it won’t hit the Xbox later this year, seeing as how Tenchu: Return from Darkness eventually made the leap. PS2 owners, however, have February 15 to look forward to, as that is when the Tenchu: Fatal Shadows will drop on us like a katana through some confused guard’s spinal column.

Fatal Shadows is the fourth Tenchu game in the series that began in the old PSX days. Combining stealth gameplay with a good bit of action and the liberal use of a grappling hook, the Tenchu series hasn’t changed too much since its birth over 5 years ago. And the basic gameplay in Fatal Shadows again doesn’t stray from the flock. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, because the first three were so much damn fun.

Forget what you know about Solid Snake – it was Rikimaru and Ayame from the first Tenchu who introduced the world to what we know as the "stealth game." Fatal Shadows continues in the tradition of its predecessors (albeit sans Rikimaru, who is replaced by another female ninja named Rin), throwing players into several environments including the standard village levels, where they must complete certain objectives, running along rooftops, collecting items, and performing stealth kills. Stealth kills are a staple of the series, and probably the most satisfying aspect of any Tenchu game. In fact, forget mission objectives; the real focus of each level is going to end up being how many stealth kills you can get. A stealth kill is achieved by simply getting close enough to an enemy to strike and doing so - before they even realize you are there. 90% of the time, you’ll be running around the rooftops, locating guards, dropping down behind them, and "slice, stab, crunch "– stealth kill. Doing so, of course, rewards you with some seriously gruesome automated clips of your ninja doing her thing – usually some acrobatic kicks that break an enemy’s back, or a quick execution with a knife to the Adam’s apple. Oh, and expect blood. Lots of ubiquitous blood.

Of course, not every kill will be a stealth kill, and you will inevitably be discovered every once in a while before you can perform some deadly chop-sockie from behind. You can choose to fight or flee when discovered, and it normally depends on two factors: how many guards you’re facing, and how patient you are. If there are a ton of guards, you’d best retreat and disappear for a bit. You can usually handle a lone or maybe two guards, but you’ll invariable fare better if you bounce towards the safety of a rooftop to try for the stealth kill again.

You have no radar to speak of in Tenchu: Fatal Shadows, but like in previous games, you will have an indicator that tells you how far you are to the nearest enemy, as well as their awareness level. Most of the time, they should be completely unaware, but an exclamation point means they are spooked by something, and a question mark means they are searching you out. Unfortunately, the series has never been known for outstanding A.I., and after a failed attempt to cut a guard’s noggin off, if you run out of his blade’s range, grapple up to the nearest rooftop, and simply wait 10 seconds, he’ll usually shrug, forgive you, and return to his post. No harm, no foul, I suppose.

There are two major changes that Fatal Shadows introduces. The first of which is the double stealth kill, which simply means that if you come up to two guards, neither of which have spotted you, you can tap the kill button twice to take them both down simultaneously. Makes sense, right? Although I personally never thought of it, it does seem like a natural evolution to the game.

Secondly, some fans may be disheartened to learn that the male Ninja, Rikimaru, is not in Fatal Shadows. What may cheer them up, however, is the news that taking his place will be another aerobic female ninja, Rin. Rin and Ayame meet in a courtyard at the end of the first level (and try to kill each other – always the start of a beautiful friendship). Ayame is the series veteran, almost a royal bodyguard of Lord Gouda armed with skill and experience. Rin on the other hand, is out there killing for personal reasons, fueled by revenge. At first, both characters will play almost identically. As you pick up ninja scrolls from fallen enemies slain via stealth kill, they will acquire special skills that make each character experience more and more unique.

The game will also feature the usual array of updates, including of course, graphical enhancements. The Tenchu games were never high-scorers in the graphical department, and well, some things never change. I’ve yet to sit down with the game, but what I’ve seen is a pretty significant improvement over the last game, Return from Darkness. The textures look considerably sharper than before, and animation looks leaps and bounds better than it ever has. Still, with competition in the likes of Splinter Cell and MGS3, they still don’t stack up. Like I said, though – they never were anything to shout about, and the gameplay has always more than made up for it.

Tenchu: Fatal Shadows will also feature an in-depth menu system. You’ll be able to replay any completed mission, watch the cut scenes and movies, and jump straight into completed boss battles. There’s also a huge character moves list, and concept art that you can unlock. Most of the unlockables are achieved based on end-of-level rankings based on your performance and efficiency. "Master Ninja" is the goal here, and will earn these special features, as well as a collection of new items for use in the levels, such as fireworks (for distraction), smoke grenades, and my personal old-time favorite: poison rice.

Strangely, there is no multiplayer feature at all in Fatal Shadows. This is particularly strange considering that the last game in the series did allow for both cooperative and adversarial play. To be fair, the multiplayer wasn’t al that exciting because in adversarial, it’s tough to sneak up on an enemy who can see where you are by employing the foolproof tactic of looking at the other half of the screen. And the cooperative levels were mini-missions, rather than a full-blown cooperative version of the campaign. It’s a shame, because adding a few more enemies to the maps and allowing two ninjas to cooperate would be an incredible experience.

It’s pretty obvious that very little has changed from the tested and true series for this game. And although I’m ready for some new Tenchu experience, I’d probably be more afraid than hopeful if I heard they were planning to significantly change the formula. It’s almost to the point where I know exactly what to expect: a grappling hook, stealth kills, lots of blood, pathetic A.I., terrible Japanese-to-English translation, average graphics… and my hands somehow glued to the controller. Let’s hope they have made some improvements to the A.I., as that could really add a lot to this game. Unfortunately, from what research I have done on this game, it seems the consensus is that the game has made it even easier than before to get a stealth kill. Regardless, the Tenchu name carries with it a promise of addictive gameplay and that’s always been enough. If you’ve never played a Tenchu game, you owe it to yourself to give it a chance and you might as well wait until February 15. Until then, I’m going to have to dust off my copy of Return from Darkness. ]]> Tue, 25 Jan 2005 22:12:00 -0600