Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven Review for PlayStation 2 (PS2)
Posted on Sunday, April 20, 2003 @ 07:03:35 am E.S.TThe original "Tenchu" was a pioneer. It was the first decent ninja game in a long time, and it was one of the first 3D "sneak 'em up" games. A quite horrible sequel followed, and "Tenchu" faded from the gaming world. Today i will review the third title of this promising franchise in Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven.
Picking up after the events of the first game ("Tenchu 2" was a prequel), "Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven" features many of the same characters as the original. Fans may be surprised to see Rikimaru, the white-haired male ninja, alive and well, as he was presumed dead at the end of "Tenchu." Fortunately, a ninja is never without options, especially when his games make money, and Rikimaru has survived his brush with death with only a facial scar to mark the ordeal.
Along with fellow ninja Ayame, Rikimaru must untangle a twisting plot of intrigue and deception as dark forces conspire to control the world via magic jewels. Enemies long thought vanquished return, and it quickly becomes apparent that killing a ninja is a tricky business indeed.
Design: The best part of "Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven" is that it does an excellent job of making you feel like a badass ninja. The developers have finally implemented analog control, and to great success. It's easy to move your character. The large and well-designed levels offer many ways to sneak around and ambush unsuspecting enemies. Attacking an oblivious enemy at close range will result in a stealth kill; complete with a brutal cut scene of the hapless guard's last moments.
Stealth kills are key to filling the kanji bar. Nine stealth kills will fill this bar and earn your character a new ability, such as an advanced melee move that makes one-on-one combat less dangerous. The developers have greatly improved melee combat, but it still feels imprecise. Often your attacks seem like they should have more range than they do, and it's easy to lose track of your target even when using the lock-on feature. This is a fairly minor issue, since ideally you'll be killing most of your enemies in one shot.
Killing enemies isn't difficult, as the AI for enemies is lacking. Enemies are often downright stupid, and they usually never look up when they're searching for you. Their obliviousness makes it even more fun to screw with their minds. It also makes it much easier to escape from tight spots.
The camera is rarely your friend. It's not the nightmare that it could be, and the indoor sections play smoothly despite the narrow hallways of the Japanese houses and castles. But if you get stuck in a battle near a 90-degree turn, don't count on the camera to give you a clear view of the situation.
Graphics: "Tenchu" is far more pleasing to the eye than it's predecessors were. The series was held back by the weaknesses of the PSX, but the PS2 finally gives it a chance to shine. Animation is smooth, you can see far into the distance, and everything is sharp and clear, even at close range.
Sound: The sound consists of swooshes, slashes, and sword clangs, as well as some decent voice-overs. If you want an authentic ninja experience, you can use the original Japanese voices. Fans of the original "Tenchu" will be pleased to hear new arrangements of the original game's music, as well as new compositions that fit into the series' score.
Addiction: "Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven" may not be the perfect ninja sim, but it’s fun, and that's far more important than some minor flaws. With two character-specific mission sets to play through, a secret character to unlock, and three enemy layouts per mission, "Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven" will keep even the most ambitious stealth assassin busy for quite some time. Review By: C.J. - 516 Reads
Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven Review Scores for PS2 :
| Gameplay |
| 9.5 |
| Graphics |
| 8.5 |
| Sound |
| 8 |
| Replay |
| 8 |
| Overall |
| 8.5 |
|
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