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Believe it or not, the Tenchu series is more than a decade old. It seems like just yesterday that I was cutting through turned Samurai in the original PlayStation game, but the reality is the industry has witnessed upward of 10 sequels since then, most of them forgettable. Set in feudal Japan, the Tenchu games usually follow ninja and kunoichi Rikimaru and Hayame respectively as they sneak and battle their way through enemy territory, slicing and dicing when necessary, but primarily staying to the shadows so that they can make their kills quietly and unnoticed. The latest title, Tenchu: Shadow Assassins for Wii and PlayStation Portable, is supposedly created by founding team members and has therefore been heralded by American publisher Ubisoft as a return to form for the series. At the time of this writing, I'm three stages through 10 that total the experience and can confirm that those old-school ideals -- namely, simple, linear gameplay and a devotion to stealth action -- are firmly in place.
If you grew up playing the Tenchu games, you will probably recognize the theme. Set once more in feudal Japan, you alternate between Rikimaru and Hayame, assassins in the Azuma Ninja Clan, who set out on missions to terminate the enemies of the righteous Lord Gohda. Matters complicate when Gohda's daughter, Princess Kiku, is kidnapped by opposing forces, and you will inevitably find yourself -- as either character -- slinking through darkened villages and inconspicuously murdering thug guards and Samurai so that you might make your way through enemy compounds and dispose of various leaders.
Three missions through, I have only played as Rikimaru so far, but have spotted Hayame in a couple of cinematic cut-scenes and know that she is off carrying out missions of her own. I presume that, once more, Rikimaru is the fiercest in combat, but slower on his feet than Hayame. That and, of course, the ninja wields a single sword whereas the kunoichi brandishes two smaller blades. If there are any other differences, I'll have to journey farther into the adventure and unlock Hayame's secrets to discover them.
Shadow Assassins features mostly good presentation. Although, I quickly discovered that the title doesn't run in 480p (just 480i), which is disappointing, it does at least display in 16:9 widescreen mode. Meanwhile, the developer has taken care to create a multitude of stylized cut-scenes that open the story and expand upon it as Rikimaru (and eventually Hayame) makes his way through the quests. One odd quirk, all of the Japanese enemies, whether lowly guards or target ring leaders, speak with very western accents. The acting is good -- it's just a weird choice, especially when a drunken Samurai busts out some lines in Harry Potter English. I've found the choreography during cinematics to be well done with camera zooms and shakes as well as fluidly animated character work. And the music is very moody.
When Tenchu: Shadow Assassins was announced, it was set exclusively for Wii -- surprising given the franchise's rather PlayStation-centric history. But now we know that there's also a PSP port in the works. And so I'm sure Nintendo fans are wondering if it feels and looks like a Wii game or a PSP game. Well, in many ways it looks and plays like a Wii game. The visuals, even sans 480p, are stylish and look good on Nintendo's console. Villages come to life with real-time lighting and guards animate believably as their patrol shadowy corridors. When Rikimaru swims cautiously through a pond, you'll be able to see the reflection of nearby flames shimmering in the water. And when the ninja slices an enemy's head off -- yeah, that does happen -- blood spurts out realistically.
There are also all sorts of Wii-specific controls designed to nurture a more immersive experience. You control the character with the nunchuk's analog stick, Near a wall, tap the A button and he'll strafe to it; shake the nunchuk and he'll change positions, shimmying from left to right or vice versa depending on your orientation. The name of the game in Tenchu is sticking to the shadows and you will do a lot of just that by staying glued to the walls. Although you might see a torch burning in the distance, so long as there is some semblance of darkness, you will usually notice a black fog around walls and you can hide in it, even while strafing. You can also shake the Wii remote near a bush and Rikimaru will roll into it unnoticed. It's actually pretty fun dashing between three or four bushes under the enemy's nose.
Flickering candles and other light sources will reveal Rikimaru's location to the enemy, so you'll want to keep an eye on your lower-left screen to see if he's visible or not. A moon icon will shine yellow under normal lighting circumstances, signifying that you can be seen. In darkness, it'll go black. When enemies are aware that someone is out there, it'll turn purple. And red means you've been discovered. The moon also shows surrounding stars that represent nearby enemies. When it flashes, you'll know enemies are nearby and if you make loud noises the icon will be layered with red waves. It's a pretty well thought out system that helps you keep your bearing and stay out of plain sight.
As Rikimaru advances through the levels, he gains new items. The shuriken, the ninja throwing star. The fishing rod. Smoke bomb. Sword. Bamboo tube. And poison. There are about 18 different items in all. You can access these tools and weapons with the D-Pad; cycle through them by pressing left or right and select with a tap in the other direction. When in attack position, Rikimaru remains static and you can turn him in any direction with the nunchuk's analog stick. An on-screen reticule shows exactly where projectile weapons will go if you throw them. This mechanic work, but it completely ignores Wii's infrared pointer, which makes little sense -- turning with the analog stick is slow and clumsy by comparison. Once you find a target, snap downward with the Wii remote and off got he shuriken, or a stream of water if you've got the bamboo tube selected. In the first three stages, I've found little use for the shuriken and have instead maximized the functionality of the bamboo tube, which can be utilized to shoot water at light sources and put them out, creating more darkness for Rikimaru to sneak through.
Where basic character control is concerned, well, that's where Tenchu feels like a PSP game. Rikimaru lacks analog sensitivity entirely despite the fact that he's moved with the stick. He turns and walks with digital speed -- always the same degree regardless of how much pressure is applied. He also moves heavily -- less agile than Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil 4, for instance, and Leon's no ninja. Yet, the controls are just responsive enough to keep you playing as you progress through levels and mixed with the Wii duel mode and fun stealth mechanics, you will have a good time.
When enemies spot Rikimaru, he may be able to sword fight with them. When this happens, the action switches to first-person view and you are given direct control of the ninja's blade. As enemies strike, you will very quickly see glimpses of Wii remote orientation via an on-screen icon -- held vertically, diagonally and horizontally. You will then have a split second to exact that orientation to defend oncoming attacks. If you're off just once, you will usually fall to the enemy unless you've managed an extra life. Meanwhile, if you successfully defend yourself, you will have the chance to attack, done with a series of strike gestures. Amazingly, the system works well and feels good, proving that sword fights in games like Red Steel could've been much better even without Wii MotionPlus. I can only imagine the possibilities with it.
Finally, there's the stealth element, which is the primary reason to play any Tenchu title. In Shadow Assassins, you will find Rikimaru perpetually putting out lights, crawling through passageways and hiding underneath platforms as he nudges ever closer to enemies and inevitably sneaks up behind them, stabbing swords them through, snapping their necks, or cutting appendages off. In some cases, sneaking up on guards is a breeze. You can always press and hold the Z button, which brings up the Mind's Eye vision, allowing Rikimaru to see the heat sources of guards and also spot laser sights representing exactly the enemy's point of view at any given moment. Every now and again, you can walk right up on sleeping foes, grab their own swords and stab them in the chests -- always a crowd pleaser. But oftentimes you will need to stay hidden in the darkness and observe the patterns of guards so that you can time your attacks just right, sprinting toward them when their backs are temporarily turned. Accomplishing that goal is really satisfying even if it all still feels like I'm doing the same thing I was a decade ago.
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins ships the first week of February for Wii. I have to be honest in that due to a lack of promotion for the title, I had reservations about its quality. But now that I've sunk some time into it, I'm pleasantly surprised with the results. If you're tired of mini-games and have instead set your sights on games like Deadly Creatures, you might want to add Ubisoft's stealth game to your radar because it's better than you think it is.
