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Also known as Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven+++.
Activision knows how to port games. There are a lot of companies who will port the same game to a different platform a year later and expect it to sell well with no differences from it and the versions released so much earlier. Activision seems to understand that those that really wanted to play the game have done so and added a lot of new features to please patient fans.
The story mode is Return from Darkness is much like that of Wrath of Heaven but with more levels. There are three playable characters and each feature their own unique levels. Unlike something like Enter the Matrix, for example, where a bulk of the levels between the characters were the same. There are a total of 32 levels in the game: 12 for each of the main characters and 8 for the third one.
As you may know, the gameplay is very slow in nature as this is a “true” stealth game. There are no fancy radars here like in many other games. Instead, you will receive a question mark if there is an enemy near, if they think something is up, you’ll see an exclamation point, if you don’t stay back, you’ll get two exclamation points. Once you spot an enemy, all you need to do is be patient and memorize their pattern. If you can kill them without them being suspicious of you being there you are awarded a cool death scene and a one-hit kill. If you aren’t that good at the stealth game, there are plenty of weapons to use including poison balls, smoke bombs and throwing stars.
One downside of the game is that they aren’t really that smart. Sometimes, they’ll see you and you’ll wonder how they did that. Other times, you can run up to them and kill them without them realizing it. This unevenness in the AI takes a good bit from the immersion of the game. While I never played the PS2 version, buddies that have tell me that enemies now block more in battle. Seemingly, this is the much vaunted AI upgrade Activision was talking about.
There is a lot to do in single player but there is also a full-fledged multiplayer mode. You’ll still need to beat the single-player portion of the game or you will have very limited options when it comes to multiplayer. In multiplayer, you can play either Co-Op or Versus modes. In Co-Op, you play with a friend to accomplish the game’s goals. In Versus mode, you try to kill them. Versus mode also includes enemies that will attack you or your friend. Activision added Xbox Live support for this version and you can play either multiplayer mode online.
The game’s visuals are pretty decent with merely okay character models and textures. That said, the framerate is smooth and Tenchu’s art style is up there, making the game look better. Unfortunately, the camera makes certain things frustrating. It gets stuck too often and moves around way too often, trying to find a suitable spot. This can be particularly bad in multiplayer mode where you have less space to work with. This could have been solved with a user-controlled character. Maybe next time.
Return from Darkness’ soundtrack is fitting but nothing out of the norm. The sound effects are plentiful and there are many ambient sounds to complete the package. The voice acting in the game sounds a bit forced, which is a shame because it could have really pushed the story forward.
When this game was released on PS2 last year, PS2 owners had yet to play Splinter Cell, which probably caused some higher scores for Tenchu since its stealth portion isn’t quite as advanced. On the Xbox though, it has to face two Splinter Cells and Metal Gear Solid 2 when comparing it to stealth and the awesome Ninja Gaiden when comparing the ninja action. Tenchu: Return from Darkness is still a nice blend of Ninja Gaiden and Splinter Cell, and offers a lot of bang for your buck. If you’re interested in either game and want more, you’ll definitely find some here. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Apr 15, 2004
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