Here is the whole review, its link, and a trailer for the game
http://www.gameplayer.com.au/gp_documents/060109Tenchu4review.aspx
The Tenchu series of stealthy ninja action games has always been a strong production line, but the traditional controls offered by host formats such as Sony’s PlayStation 2 and Microsoft’s Xbox could only take Tenchu so far – now, on the Wii, it’s reborn and better than ever.
Tenchu 4 does shadow some areas of the series’ history – you still get to play as A-list ninja couple Rikimaru and Ayame, and the feudal Japanese setting hasn’t changed – but the Remote/Nunchuk controls and features are innovative and thoroughly involving. For example, the Remote pulses in time with your ninja’s heartbeat; it starts off slowly when there’s no immediate danger and gradually quickens as the situation become more tense and edgy. This is a constant feature of the game – a subtle but excellent use of force feedback that really enhances the atmosphere.
Elsewhere, the Remote movements, hinted at by on-screen indicators, give your ninja access to a wealth of sneak attacks and enable the use of items: for instance, you can squirt syringes of water and flick ninja stars just by jolting the Remote in a forward direction. Meanwhile twists and shakes of the Nunchuk are used in conjunction with the Remote actions for more complex moves and, separately, for features such as quick view changes when you find yourself caught in tight spots.
Tenchu 4’s main game is a dramatic, charged adventure where the helpless are constantly being victimised, and it’s your job to enforce some ninja justice by variously rescuing people, assassinating baddies and infiltrating their bases.
Pre-mission cut-scenes do a great job of establishing each new scenario, and they make use of the same engine as the in-game action, so there’s an excellent sense of continuity here. Heck, even the voice acting really hits the mark – and it’s not often we get to say that about Wii games. As well as all that, there are 50 so-called ‘Side Missions’ detached from the central storyline, which enable you to attempt challenges such as Assassinations, Safe Arrivals and Annihilations (in other words, destructive rampages).
These are all set within strict time limits, and each challenge offers a new item as a reward for success. Your performance is also rated according to six different criteria, and it’s a monumental task to achieve the Grand Master ranking and perfect scores across all 50 side-missions. This is the area of the game you’ll keep on returning to once you’ve completed the main adventure on the highest difficulty setting (and that in itself takes some doing).
Tenchu 4 lives on meticulously crafted set-pieces where you have to play your role to perfection, because one false move results in instant death. It’s mostly about not being seen or heard, and about killing enemies with the minimum of fuss. Yet it’s a tremendously satisfying game, mainly because it sets such intricate, difficult tasks without ever unfairly hindering you with dodgy controls or botched AI. In short, Tenchu 4 is a smooth operator and every bit as tricky as the ninjas who front the game.
Perhaps best of all, though, the developer has managed to create a graphically rich and detailed version of 13th Century Japan that’s positively dripping with atmosphere (Tenchu 4 is best played in the dark, so make sure you’ve got the lights switched off or down low before you begin). At some point, we’ve probably all imagined how cool it would be to live the life of an elite ninja, and Tenchu 4 takes us right into that role.
Sounds good.
Pixel Art can be fun.
