Ninja Stealth Action Returns

Published May 3, 2007

In yesterday's world of stealth gaming, there was Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell® and then there was Tenchu®: Return from Darkness™. But now, with Sam Fisher already getting his next-gen due in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell®: Double Agent™, it's high time for old-school stealth to step to the fore in Tenchu® Z for Xbox 360™.

Study first, act second.

Tenchu Z places you in the role of a ninja assassin working in feudal Japan. Your simple goal is to achieve your objective (often assassination) having never been heard or seen. The only evidence of your existence should be the poisoned or disemboweled corpse of your designated enemy.

It's All Up to You
Where the Splinter Cell series employs a wide variety of high-tech gadgets, your ninja assassin in Tenchu Z relies solely on his or her (yes, female ninjas are available) wits and tactics. It's this lack of technology that gives Tenchu Z a thrilling level of tension and world-class challenge. For example:

•  There is no mini-map radar conveniently highlighting enemy locations. Enemy guards and the paths they patrol must be identified manually.
• Identifying your target is left solely to the player. They're not designated on your map or pointed out by an ally.
• Identifying your target's location is a question of stealthy patience and skill, as you navigate the environment and scope out likely buildings or locations.

The freedom given in Tenchu Z is incredibly liberating,
but it is also highly challenging.

Ninja Action
Tenchu Z is played from a third-person perspective, which allows the player to better survey their environment. It also allows you to watch your character's sweetly animated acrobatics. You'll be somersaulting across chasms, vaulting over enemies, crouch-walking behind guards, crawling through itty-bitty gaps, and flying through the air courtesy of your grappling hook. Tenchu Z provides the tools you'll need to stealthily navigate the trickiest of environments.

Poor guy had no idea.

There are two sorts of combat encounter in Tenchu Z. First, there's the unsavory (to a ninja at least) direct combat where your enemy is aware of your presence and actively fighting you. Even though this method offends the ninja code, you will be able to use a series of deadly combinations and special moves, many of which are unlocked over time. The second and even more gratifying mode of combat is the stealth kill. Surprise an enemy from behind, below, or even around a corner, and you'll be greeted with a wickedly brutal stealth kill animation that rivals the satisfaction found in Mortal Kombat's fatality system.

Non-Linear Navigation
Stealth games typically offer a "point A to point B" level progression, gently guiding the player from the beginning to the end of an area. Not so with Tenchu Z. You're a ninja after all. Instead, you are dropped just outside your target location and asked to execute your orders on your own. How you do it and where you go are left entirely up to you.

Whether you're crawling through tunnels, underneath buildings or leaping quietly across rooftops, it's your call. The freedom given in Tenchu Z is incredibly liberating, but it is also highly challenging, as you must custom-create strategy on the fly without a whiff of assistance from the game.

They do not suspect my presence. Fools.

The Compound
Every mission begins in a mysterious and remote assassin's compound where orders are given, and your character can prepare for the coming challenge. Spend earned points to unlock new abilities and purchase equipment, including shuriken, health potions, and smoke bombs. Available ninja currency is based on your performance during the previous mission, and is adjusted by the number of stealth kills made, number of times your character was spotted, time taken, and other factors.

Partner Up
Cooperative play is a major plus in games today, and its inclusion in Tenchu Z is a welcome one. Joining together with a buddy on your Friends List to infiltrate an enemy camp is a radically different experience from going it alone. Just keep your communication lines open, scout a location from two different angles, and watch each other's backs as you go in for the kill.

The Tenchu series has existed since the birth of the stealth genre, and Tenchu Z highlights the team's long-lasting dedication to its craft with intelligent level design, expertly balanced abilities and equipment, and gripping tension. Tenchu Z provides more than enough stealth gameplay and suspenseful action for even the most discriminating ninja.

Article by Ryan Treit