Stealth, it seems, has fallen out of vogue lately, and for good reason. Ever since Metal Gear Solid popularized the sneaky play style in the late 90s, action games have tried to borrow the idea as a way to switch up the gameplay and prevent repetition. Eventually, the stealth bubble burst, leaving only the genre's old stalwarts. With Splinter Cell stuck in a sort of identity crisis lately, and Metal Gear Solid slowly mixing in more traditional action, it seems Tenchu: Shadow Assassins is the last to stay firmly planted in its roots.

Tenchu: Shadow Assassins is a pretty refreshing break from the feudal hack-and-slash of games like Ninja Gaiden and, more recently, Afro Samurai. Through ten missions of hide-and-kill, the play style rarely wavers, but the game is short enough to leave a sweet taste behind.



Tenchu: Shadow Assassins is the fourth game in the series' main plot, not counting a handful of spin-offs. Rikimaru, a masked ninja with a shock of white hair and unwavering dedication to his mission, is the star of the show. He's joined by Ayame, a female character who's decidedly more nonchalant. Together they form the last two members of the Azuma ninja clan.

Both of them serve under Lord Goda, a feudal Japanese Lord whose daughter, Princess Kiku, was kidnapped. The plot takes off when a mysterious female villain snatches Kiku, causing the two ninjas to split up — Ayame to find the princess and Rikimaru to assassinate the rival warlord who appears responsible for the kidnapping. Over the game's 10 missions, players control both characters, observing how the story plays out from two different perspectives.

It's not a particularly weighty affair, and the cautious Point-A-to-Point-B structure of most missions sucks the urgency from the plot. The mood is set well enough, but it often seems detached from the game itself. It is so detached, in fact, that the game's theme of misguided justice and extremely melodramatic conclusion are hard to take seriously.



Failing at a comprehensive storyline, Tenchu's obligation to entertain lies firmly in how it plays. Aside from the motion controls, Tenchu: Shadow Assassins does not attempt anything that previous stealth games haven't.  Its formula follows traditional stealth mechanics. All enemies have a line of sight, and most of them patrol the area by moving or turning. Using the shadows to move and hiding at ambush points, such as ceiling rafters and oversized jars, the player must attack enemies by surprise to advance. A few tools make the job easier, such as smoke bombs, a bamboo pipe full of water for putting out torch lamps, and even a cat that can scout ahead.

The game gets most of its variety from three different classes of enemies and the way they are positioned throughout each level. Aside from basic patrolmen, who can easily be dispatched by sneaking up behind them; there are samurai, who can only be defeated from the shadows or other ambush points. Ninjas also lurk in the shadows, and can be killed with the flick of a throwing weapon, such as a shuriken.

Between the limited enemies and the different ways to sneak up on them, Shadow Assassins is just barely varied enough to sneak through the 10-hour single-player mode. To extend its shelf life, there's an Assignments Mode consisting of 50 short challenges, sort of like the VR Missions of Metal Gear Solid. Players can also hunt for map pieces in each level to earn bonus weapons and all the missions can be replayed for a better ranking. These are fine additions down the road, but the Story Mode does not leave an immediate thirst for more.



Still, Shadow Assassins imparts a warm sense of satisfaction with every stealth kill, not just from the crush of a snapped neck or spurt of blood from a punctured stomach, but from a job well done. Outsmarting the enemies can seem tricky at times, and there is usually more than one right answer to the problem. Finding the solution and flawlessly pulling it off is one of the game's great pleasures.

Failure, however, is not very frustrating because it's quite difficult to die. When Rikimaru or Ayame are spotted, they'll disappear in a cloud of smoke and respawn at the start of the level, but all previously defeated enemies stay dead, allowing the player to resume from where they left off after a quick run through old ground. This curious approach to failure in a stealth game is somewhat annoying when there's a long distance to retread, but it does eliminate the need for a deep combat system. Stranger still, death remains possible if the player inadvertently falls off a cliff or catches fire, and this restarts the whole level segment.

There is some reliance on swordplay at pivotal moments in the game.  These are straightforward challenges that require players to hold the Wii remote vertically and twist it to match an onscreen prompt. The short reaction window makes it tough enough, but the narrow range for pointing the controller borders on game-breaking. It's the one major frustration in an otherwise solid adventure.



Aside from wielding swords, the Wii's motion controls are mainly a gimmick for finalizing each kill. After tapping the A button to initiate an attack, a prompt to perform a specific motion appears on the screen. Most often, it's a simple matter of shaking the remote and nunchuck up and down alternately, like beating on a drum with two hands. In some instances, the player will have to thrust the remote forward in a stabbing motion, but even here a bit of generalized shaking will properly trigger the remote's accelerometers. Flicking the remote also throws weapons and triggers a few specific movements.

One thing that was truly impressive, however, was the game's audio.  Its combination of shrill violins, modern beats, and guitars keep the mood of the game intense and aggressive.  Also, comments from the enemy (such as "Why do I feel like I'm being watched?" right before being killed) are drenched in beautiful irony.  Unfortunately, the same praise can't be given to Shadow Assassins' markedly last-gen visuals. Pixels show clearly on the walls and there's some rigidity to the animations. 

By all indications, Tenchu: Shadow Assassins is a mediocre game. The Wii motion controls are gimmicky, the plot is laughable, and the stealth formula retreads a lot of old ground.  But what does all that matter if the game is still a ton of fun?

Fun Factor: Sneaking up on enemies and killing them ninja-style is a thrill.

Game Length: 10 hours for the Story Mode, plus a couple more for the Assignments Mode.

Difficulty: The challenge is completely reasonable, with the exception of sword fighting.

On the Negative Side: Motion controls aren't so special, Gameplay retreads familiar ground.

Bang for your Buck: It's worth revisiting later for some ninja action.