Platform: Xbox 360
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: From Software

I’ve had high hopes for Tenchu since it’s inception on the original Playstation; I mean c’mon – don’t ninjas + stealth + bloody killing – crappy camera = kick ass game? That was the case earlier on in the series. However, somewhere between the excellent Tenchu 2 (PS1), and Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven (PS2) things began to go down hill. Perhaps it can be attributed to the fact that there have been no less than 5 different publishers on various platforms. They all have possessed the formula for success, and yet the execution of the plan seems to fail miserably. Unfortunately, this next-gen iteration still leaves plenty to be desired, and will probably leave you extremely exhausted from hitting the same strike button repeatedly.

Starting from the beginning of the game, you immediately get to customize your character’s accessories and look – good stuff. It is always cooler to run around with a ninja wearing an outfit that was picked by you, the player. Next, you get to customize your partner, awesome! Things are already looking up, and in my mind I am envisioning some sort of Street Fighter Vs. X-men tag-team-at-will type of situations…this is gonna be great! So, I already know that there are 50 missions, and I am getting that feeling that this Tenchu will right the wrongs of past missteps, and leave a lasting feeling of satisfaction. A nice variety of weaponry, the all new stealth kills – man there is a whole lot to like about this game, and for the first few levels, it works!

The two biggest problems with the Tenchu series have been the dynamic camera system and the enemy A.I. Well, it has been nine years, and the camera still gets “stuck” when you are too close to an enemy. So let’s say you want to hang down from above an enemy, and silently end his life. Well, normally this wouldn’t be difficult at all, but the ever-moving camera makes it damn near impossible sometimes to see where an enemy is. I could accept this oversight five or six years ago, but in this day and age, for a game that relies on stealth to finish each level, it is completely unacceptable.

Not to be outdone by the shoddy camera, are the lobotomized-at-birth guards that patrol the various towns and villages. I can understand that in the first few levels, if the enemy A.I. is geared to be simpler, and ease you into the complexities of the game. However, the enemies on level 40 must be not so distant cousins to those found in levels one through thirty nine, as the same mindless and decidedly un-stealthy maneuvers work on them just as well. There’s really no reason why at level 40 out of 50, you’re able to use cheap tactics such as running past enemies to get to the level goal. Maybe I am being too hard on Tenchu Z. Still, if the focus of the game is stealth and vicious kills, the game should make it much more difficult to use cheesy tricks such as that.

As problematic as the AI is, it’s just not consistent either. On the one hand, when you kill guards and leave their bodies lying on the ground (not that you have a choice), those bodies are seemingly unnoticeable by the guards patrolling the same area. However, if I lean too far over the edge of the rooftop of a building while doing some recon, I am magically seen, and the other guards alerted. Inconsistencies like that are just not cool, and destroys what little balance actually exists.

The final major and confusing gripe I have of this game revolves around the design inconsistency, which ultimately hurts the overall value. First, at the beginning of the game, we are tricked into thinking that we will have a partner to use at will; well, the reality is, that this is not true. Your “partner” only appears in cut-scenes, and without explanation. Ummm…OK? The risk/reward factor is another topic of inconsistency; sure, sneaking up on people and utilizing the stealth kills is cool as hell, but what is the reward at the conclusion of the level? New weapons? New abilities? Kinda. The game gives you more money at the end of the level if you’ve done the stealth kills and played the game as it was intended. Then you use this money to purchase more accessories, skills and items for your character; further customizing it and letting you stand out that much more during multiplayer. Fine, I can accept that. However, if the player chooses to use the run-and-stick technique of play, there is no penalty that affects the players’ overall progression. You’re just penalized by being awarded less money. So players can just repeat the same missions over and over again (farming) with no technique to earn the same amount of money they would’ve made by playing the mission properly in the first place. It’s like all the things that you hate about MMOs in one place.

Tenchu Z is almost a comedy of errors. Excellent game concept mixed with bland level design, poor A.I. and below average graphics and sound. The game does have cool weapons, animations, and stealth kills. Also, the online co-op multiplayer is surprisingly engaging. Maybe next time. As it stands, Tenchu Z is strictly a rental or bargain-bin purchase.