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There was a time when the stealth genre was comprised of two games – Metal Gear Solid and surprise hit, Tenchu. Both series have managed to stay active in the decade since they graced the original PlayStation, though Metal Gear has definitely aged more gracefully than Tenchu. Still, Tenchu’s all about ninjas which are inherently cool. Sneaking around and performing very violent kills just feels more satisfying when you don’t have dozens of high-tech gadgets helping you along.

And now Tenchu enters the next generation.

Shadowy Figures

As this is the first “next-gen” Tenchu, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect a wonderfully slick – or at least above-average – presentation. Visuals have been a problem in the Tenchu series ever since the very first game which got by much more on its personality than its looks. Unfortunately, Tenchu Z suffers from the exact same problems. This game just doesn’t hold a candle to most exclusive offerings on the Xbox 360. It looks like little more than an old Xbox game with a bit of bump mapping and a slightly higher resolution.

So on the one hand, Tenchu Z maintains the status quo for the franchise – a game that depends more on the mechanics than the presentation. Unfortunately, the gameplay ain’t all that great either.

Silent But Stupid

Tenchu Z has a great variety of things to do, moves to perform, and items to collect and use to wreak havoc on your enemies. In the first couple of missions, chances are most people will really enjoy what Tenchu has to offer. In each area, there are multiple ways to approach your target and take them out without being seen. It’s great to know you can stalk the halls, taking out guards on your way to your ultimate target; or you can climb to the rooftops and move across each building, dropping down to wherever your target resides for the kill. Then you realize that the rooftop thing is an almost failsafe way to complete just about all of the 50 missions in the game. But what’s worse is the atrocious artificial intelligence on the roaming guards.

Basically, they’re some of the dumbest, most forgetful hired goons you’ll ever meet. If you do happen to be seen, simply run away. These dumbfounded guards will forget they even saw you and go on about their business. And dead bodies? Don’t worry about moving them, not that you can. Guards will step right over the carcasses of their comrades without batting an eye.

It borders on hilarious. Watching a guard who’s noticed you running away for help, only to see the exact moment where he forgets why he was running away in the first place, returning to his pre-determined path, is truly entertaining.

Exit the Dragon

Tenchu’s been chugging along as a slightly-above-average series for quite a while now. And it’s disappointing that such a great concept has once again fallen victim to poor game design and crappy presentation. Even if the online co-op mode ran better, it doesn’t help the product feel any more fun.

Article by: Greg Seward