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Tenchu Z Review
Xbox 360 Review by Dan Whitehead
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I crouch atop a moonlit wall, stalking my prey as the crane stalks the koi. Choosing my moment, I drop silently to the ground and begin to creep across open ground. Disaster! A wandering guard sees me, and runs to intercept. I sprint back to the wall, vault onto the top, and prepare for the worst. Several guards are now heading in my direction but...what's this? Upon arriving at the base of the wall, on top of which I am very obviously sitting, they decide to give up the chase, apparently bamboozled by my ability to perch slightly above eye level.
A different place, a different time, but a very similar situation. I am squatting low against the top of a wall, hoping to evade another curious guard. This one is more tenacious. He actually climbs the wall and draws his sword. Standing mere inches away from me, he flaps his arms, turns around on the spot and falls off the wall. Then he forgets that he was pursuing a black-clad assassin and just wanders off. I dutifully follow him and gut him like a rabbit.
Later still. Inside an enemy stronghold, in search of secret plans. I have aroused the attention of a rival master of ninjitsu and, rather than engage in open combat, I retreat into a nearby room in the hope of finding a more stealthy solution to the situation. In the middle of the floor is a trap door. The enemy ninja runs straight towards me, jogs on the spot in front of the gaping hole for a good ten seconds, then falls through it. I continue on my way.
Use your hard-earned points to buy hilarious masks. Oh, my aching sides.
Honestly, I've got a notebook full of similar stories from my time spent in next-gen ninja land courtesy of Tenchu Z, and could easily fill the rest of the review with examples of the bone-headed foes I found there. Suffice to say, for a series now on its eighth incarnation, Tenchu is still pretty much the same game that debuted on the original PlayStation: outdated graphics, basic AI, clunky controls and all.
There are some new developments, but they're mostly cosmetic in nature and do little to compensate for the game's fundamental shortcomings. You can now design your own ninja, for example, using a selection of horribly rendered faces and assorted clothing (hint: black is this season's colour) as well as assigning some basic attributes - health, power and agility. Regardless of what you choose, you'll be hard pushed to notice the effects in-game. You can also trade in your points to buy new abilities and moves, though these are so complicated to execute - and so utterly unnecessary for most of the game - that, again, you can safely ignore this feature without it impacting your gameplay one jot.
Online play returns, and Tenchu followers will still enjoy the prospect of creeping around together. For those who aren't married to the brand (and, really, if you're still devoted to a series this stylistically retarded after ten years you're no longer a fan - you're an apologist) the sparse nature of the Live play will fail to impress. It's nothing more than the most simplistic co-op mode possible, allowing you to replay levels with up to four players but with no added objectives or incentives. Even though it's supposedly co-operative you're still competing for the most kills, yet the deathmatch mode from the last Xbox version has, unbelievably, been removed. Offering less gameplay than was available on older hardware, this lazy attempt at multiplayer is deserving of only the faintest praise.
It’s OK. In a few seconds, this man will turn around and stare pointlessly in the opposite direction so you can kill him.
Meanwhile, the laughably titled "Ninja Village" game hub is simply a tiny location where you can buy and equip items and abilities, or select your next mission. It's a menu screen, basically, but dressed up as a RPG style hub, where even just starting a new mission (handed to you by Rikimaru, the grey-haired hero of Tenchus past) is a long-winded affair.
Are you ready to accept a mission? Yes.
Are ready to go on a mission? Well, yes.
Select your mission. Alright then.
Do you accept this mission? For the love of Mifune, YES. I just selected it.
Do you want to depart now? OH PLEASE JUST LET ME START THE SODDING MISSION.
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Der_tolle_Emil
26/06/07 @ 11:31
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Now I know why I could not get along with the demo. The game is indeed pretty bad.
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repairmanjack
26/06/07 @ 11:33
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I'm not the hardcore fanbase. Haven't enjoyed Tenchu since the first one. Twenty-five hours of this has made me very happy. If you like the first one (I'm guessing the reviewer didn't) you'll like this. That is all.
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repairmanjack
26/06/07 @ 11:43
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"The demo of this was shocking."
And year old code. I hated the demo, but I'd already ordered the game from play-asia. I really like it. |
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souljacker2000
26/06/07 @ 11:44
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I loved the first one.. played the demo of this n it was worse than having to endure a bb eviction, forced upon u
die Tenchu Z die |
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kangarootoo
26/06/07 @ 11:53
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I played the demo, for about 2 mins.
I really can't understand how such fundamentally bad mechanics can make it into a game when so many other examples exist out there of how things should be done. I'm not trying to be negative about this just for spite. I am genuinely but continually disappointed by the Tenchu series. The first one was easily one of my all time favourite PS1 games. But the series has just got worse and worse since then. Certainly it has stood still compared to the other stealth games around, but I swear I have repeatedly found myself looking at Tenchu games over the years and thinking "You have changed this, AND ITS FAR WORSE. Does no-one involved know how to do their job? Do any of you actually play other games AT ALL?". I don't normally bag on devs, as I know how tough it can be, but Tenchu just makes a vein twitch in my neck. Somehow the child in me is shouting "Just stop it. You are spoiling it for everyone else." I really do wonder how the franchise still manages to get investment these days. |
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Arghh why do I still want this game? The demo was borked every review has been somewhere between pretty crap and very crap and you no longer automatically ace a mission if your not spotted. Yet I still want it. I feel like one of those women who's husbands continuly cheat on them, hit them and don't let them out of the house but stay with them anyway.
Thank god for The Darkness and Overlord coming out the same day. |
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absolutezero
26/06/07 @ 11:59
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Im piss fed-up of this being compared to the PS2 titles. It makes me think that those that make the comparison have never played a previous Tenchu.
The controls have completely changed, you can do a hell of alot more than you used to be able to do. The levels are larger more detailed and good enough to sit on the 360 just fine. Not every developer has the cash to pump into projects like these you know, games cost millions to produce. So what would you rather have 1 Gears of War every 6 months or a multitude of less polished niche games that are just as fun, if a bit archaic? The animation has been greatly improved, this time it actualy feels as if your a ninja and not just some old man stuttering about. Each level has multiple ways of going about everything, take Mission 4 I think, I passed that without being seen by anyone and stealth killing no one. Its like Crackdown, its going to be shit if you have no imagination and if you go in expecting it to be shit. About the A.I., where was the bitching about A.I. in Dead Rising? In Lost Planet? Crackdown (again). So what if the blundering idiots forget about you after 5 minutes, it would ruin the game if they chased you over the entire level. Then theres the nice addition of the RPG-lite style customization options. and the online. and the co-op. This is'nt old Tenchu, it is'nt startlingly new in structure but why is that automatically bad? |
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BillyBrush
26/06/07 @ 11:59
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Well it's better than wrath of heavan which got an 8 here...
in fact it actually plays better than any of the pervious tenchu's...and has 4 player co op over live maybe i just have odd tastes but i found Flatout to be a big ass pile of shit (check the trade in bins - they will be heaving in a week!), and this rather good (and the euro version has been tarted up - not sure how)...3/10 is just making a point...audio better than most games...visuals - not as shabby as you say (it does dusty samurai villages pretty well)...and it does actually play better than any previous tenchu game...(multi kills and jumping from a roof straight to kill works better) Gamebrink review here - totally contradictory to this one but different opinions and all that http://www.gamebrink.com/xbox-360/1818-T... All in all overly harsh methinks...esp when bolting a shitload of physics into a shoddy stuntman/starsky and hutch style racer can get you an 8 (if you're a UK dev of course) Different strokes for different folks....this is not a full on shoddy game like Hour of Victory playing in the banner opposite - it's actually an improved version of a game some people hate, but others rather like.. |
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I love it - got it a few weeks back and it's been my most played 360 game since then. Forza has hardly had a look in, neither has Guitar Hero 2, both of which I got around the same time.
Totally agree with repairmanjack's comments. The demo did suck it's true, but I found the game proper to be a fine return to form for the series. Sure it's not got next-gen graphics or AI, but it's still great fun. And that's enough for me :D |
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absolutezero
26/06/07 @ 12:04
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Re-reading the review it seems I was correct with my comment about going in with the intention of disliking the game.
Take the comment on the screen-shot with the masked ninjas, just like in Dead Rising you wear the mask all through the cut-scenes and in obviously in gameplay. However, in Dead Rising that was hilarious right? Not in Tenchu though, don't be fucking stupid. |
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"Re-reading the review it seems I was correct with my comment about going in with the intention of disliking the game.
Take the comment on the screen-shot with the masked ninjas, just like in Dead Rising you wear the mask all through the cut-scenes and in obviously in gameplay. However, in Dead Rising that was hilarious right? Not in Tenchu though, don't be fucking stupid." I think you're grasping at straws here to prove the reviewer had an agenda and Tenchu Z isn't just a very poor game, since when is comparing a stealth ninja game to a comedy zombie slaughter game applicable? |
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kangarootoo
26/06/07 @ 12:19
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@absolutezero
This may compare favourably with some of the other Tenchu games gone past (perhaps it is just a cloudy memory and rose tinted specs), but does it genuinely compare favourably with the other stealth games out there? I played the demo, I genuinely found the controls to be bloody awful. Its that simple. If I recall correctly I couldn't even strafe properly. Are you telling me a "real ninja" can't walk sideways if he/she needs to? "Its like Crackdown, its going to be shit if you have no imagination and if you go in expecting it to be shit." This is sooooo far from being like Crackdown in so many ways. And since when were we allowed to demand a "good imagination" of a player in order to provide a decent playing experience? The player pays the money, its OUR job to entertain THEM. If you enjoyed this, thats great. I can't say you are wrong. I can only communicate my own experience. I personally got bored, then annoyed, then switched off. There is nothing wrong with my imagination, nor my hand eye co-ordination. I simply think there are much better games out there for the same money. Perhaps co-op play saves the day? I very much hope so. |
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kangarootoo
26/06/07 @ 12:23
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@absolutezero
"Re-reading the review it seems I was correct with my comment about going in with the intention of disliking the game. " I don't think it so much a case of the reviewer setting out to dis the title. More a case of when you are playing a game and the experience sucks, you tend to be a little harsh in your overall analysis. In other words, the little things that wouldn't otherwise bother you become big pains in the ass when they occur one after another. The standard phrase would be "the straw that broke the camel's back", but in game design circles they are known as "frequent dissatisfiers". Each in isolation is no big deal, but in combination they multiply in effect.
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most recently on 26/06/07 @ 13:23
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People need to remember that the full game isn't indentical to the demo. The demo was quite clearly broken as you couldn't even use the rope or hug walls (or invert the sodding y axis). Not saying this game is good, in fact most reviews seem to point to the contary, just don't judge a game buy it's demo any more than you would a book by it's cover.
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DanWhitehead
26/06/07 @ 12:29
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Quite simply, for a next-gen stealth game to have AI this shockingly poor is more than enough to knock the score down to below five. It's simply not "stealth" if you can outwit every enemy in the game by running around the nearest corner. The game fails at its primary goal.
All the other annoyances - the glitchy graphics, the clumsy menu system, the repetition - conspire to knock it down to three. It's demonstrably below average. It's really that simple. That it can be favourably compared to the original Tenchu - a game I really enjoyed, nine years ago - says it all. Put this up against its current competitors and it's absolutely embarassing. No agenda required. It's an incredibly slipshod piece of franchise-milking. And, for the record, I didn't find the masks "hilarious" in Dead Rising either. |
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spookyzombie
26/06/07 @ 12:31
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It's Tenchu and regardless of the score, diehards will buy it. I certainly will be buying it on Friday. I love the style of Tenchu titles, from the music to the way you can approach missions differently each time. There's also nothing else like this for the 360, so it'll be good to have a title like this in my collection.
I also hear that it'll be £34.99 RRP - so that's even better. |
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Don't get me wrong I think a demo helps in deciding whether or not you should buy the game in the first place (likewise your not going to buy a book if it doesn't seem that interesting from reading the back cover). But decidng that game is shit or excellent from a year old demo alone is quite frankly niave at best. Leave it to the people who have played the full version, like reviewers (who incidently seem to hate it).
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absolutezero
26/06/07 @ 12:36
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The comparison was in the fact that wearing a mask during cut-scenes and in play was thought of as clever and funny, as soon as Tenchu does something along the same lines its now lame and un-funny.
Kanga : Read the rest of the comments from people that actually own the game, they nearly all say the demo was pish. Thats because it is and you really should'nt base your entire opinion of the game on it. and yes as someone that owns all the previous Tenchu titles and Shinobido I can admit when they are poor (Fatal Shadows). This is'nt a bad Tenchu title and yes they added in alot of stuff and corrected others, the camera is actually workable now. Plus I never actually thought up that point about Crackdown its used alot in its defence when people claim its dull and boring. Its only dull and boring because you can't think of things to do in the World. In comparison to other Stealth games its going to come of worse, why? Mainly because there are'nt any other ninja stealth titles, the rest are hi-tech infiltration style titles with lots of gadgets and radar. Even then take the 360 version of Splinter Cell Double Agent, the A.I. threw regular fits all the way through that game, seeing you through walls, turning randomly for no reason. Whats worse is you were'nt even offered the chance to escape, its be seen - back to the start. I don't really know where im going with this but basically I think the games been given the short end of the straw for no real reason. Most of the faults mentioned are present in other well thought of titles and then they were'nt used as a scape-goat. Also the comments section of EG is never the best place to have a half decent discussions about games and reviews. Especially not with people piling in with "A 3 must be pish lol durr hurr"
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most recently on 26/06/07 @ 13:49
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kangarootoo
26/06/07 @ 12:40
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@absolutezero
Ooooh, now that is interesting. Now you have mentioned Shinobido I am getting severe case of the "I definitely DID play T:Z, but am I perhaps remembering Shinobido instead, which I have also played". Now I think on it, I can't remember which is which in great detail. I genuinely remember not really enjoying either, but I can't seperate one gripe from another, which puts me on shaky ground somewhat Oops, sorry about that :) Edit: I take point about not basing my entire opinion on the demo in any event. My bad on that one. I admit my thought process was carrying the baggage of years of disappointing Tenchu games.
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most recently on 26/06/07 @ 13:41
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asphaltcowboy
26/06/07 @ 12:43
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"Combine this with the absolutely embarrassing enemy AI and you've got a game still fatally tethered to the hardware generation before last. Because of their genetic stupidity, it feels positively cruel to slaughter the blundering automatons stiffly roaming the levels in fixed linear patterns. They're so easy to confuse, often simply by running around a corner or jumping in a bush, that it feels more like you're being asked to invade an old folk's home and murder the addled residents as they wander the halls muttering about the price of eggs.
(Cut to Rockstar head office, where an eager young producer suddenly has a great idea...) And I haven't even mentioned some of the smaller annoyances I found along the way. Such as the way it's possible to completely ace a level, killing your target without ever being spotted, only to be awarded a low rank because you didn't kill enough mindless minions along the way. Since when did ninjas go out of their way to kill as many people as possible? Or that the loading screens boast such priceless advice as "Use items to deal with difficult situations" or, my personal favourite, "Change clothes for a change of pace". Who knew ninjas enjoy retail therapy almost as much as Colleen and Posh? Or that the end of Mission 17 suddenly throws you into a daylight boss fight which requires you to use all the melee combat skills you've spent the rest of the game dutifully avoiding. Yeah, that's always fun." That entire section of review is absolutely hilarious! Good work! My brother (who is not a big gamer) is a big Tenchu fan, I'm just this minute attempting to contact him in every single way I can think of to make sure he does not buy this game. |
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DanWhitehead
26/06/07 @ 12:50
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The comparison was in the fact that wearing a mask during cut-scenes and in play was thought of as clever and funny, as soon as Tenchu does something along the same lines its now lame and un-funny.
But as I've never expressed any opinion on the hilarity or otherwise of in-game comedy masks, how does my throwaway comment (in a caption, no less), prove my sinister "agenda"? |
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absolutezero
26/06/07 @ 12:52
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"But as I've never expressed any opinion on the hilarity or otherwise of in-game comedy masks, how does my throwaway comment (in a caption, no less), prove my sinister "agenda"?"
frequent dissatisfiers |
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DAMN.....!!
No change in all these years? Well, I guess I do feel old since I remember buying this game with a friend and going home all excited and thinking that MGS might have a competitor. I was wrong, but it was pretty enjoyable. To hear that it hasn't change for the better is kinda disappointing. I really enjoyed the review. Great job. Gotta wonder if the developer even tried to make a game. |
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BadBoyBonner
26/06/07 @ 12:53
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Got on the boat in the demo by just jumping in the water and swimming along the shore lines to it - which is exactly the type of thing you can not do in a splinter cell game; hell in Splinter cell games they even tell you which walls ya can jump over and which you can't.
That said, this game plays badly, looks worse and has very little to recommend. The "one year old" demo - looks much like the game to me - and find it hard to believe it was not representative of 85%-90% of the finished product. While 10% could make all the difference - it seems not to have done - shame. Do not buy this ^ game buy Flat Out 360 - which I bought yesterday and is awesome. Best fun in ages on live last night, even with none of my friends on it, as the servers are full of Brits. As a massive Forza fan, it was like breath of fresh air crashing and laughing instead of crying! lol
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most recently on 26/06/07 @ 13:58
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BillyBrush
26/06/07 @ 13:00
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Put this up against its current competitors and it's absolutely embarassing. No agenda required. It's an incredibly slipshod piece of franchise-milking.
By it's current compettitors you mean Splinter Cell DA right?...now there's a good example of releasing the worst game in a series (with nice graphics) and getting away with it. Personally i find hunting down Sam Fishaaarrs friends from the bayou quite different to Tenchu which in my opinion is going for a more traditional Japanese feel (y'know Yojimbo, Zaitochi).. You can separate games based on tone as well as mechanics you know...i'd say the closest feel to this thematically is maybe Ninja Gaiden, which is obviously quite different but both are about feeling like a badass Ninja...and yknow Tenchu does feeling like a Ninja a little better, weirdly your character does feel like he may have been spleeping rough for the last month...whether that's pure luck or my mind playing tricks...i thought it was pretty good...then there's the music, which isn't too shabby in setting the tone either If you played this game like splinter cell then i imagine you would find it utter crap...but it's not about slowly creeping up behind someone...in this game you just need to pounce...hard and fast so to speak (ideal cut and paste for jokesters alert!)...myself i find spotting all the guards from a roof, leaping somewhere near them and being able to charge up and off them even if they turn around quite liberating it's decent ideas carried off on a budget...not that different to EDF in some ways...apart from the ideas are indeed nine years old.. probably no one will say this is their fave game or anything....but for anyone who is a Tench fan it might be worth acknowledging that it is the best Tenchu there has been....giving this a 3 when Wrath scored 8? seems weird...sure there have been a few years in between those but you make something better and inbetween PS2 and 360 it's become one of the most pants games of the year? whilst the splinter cell series has been getting worse (the original is better than DA - fancythat!) I do realise most people hated the demo of this so don't buy it on my advice...trust the reviewer i s'pose |
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