Obscure your face behind a scarf, put on some pyjamas, practise your somersaults and you too could be a ninja. Yes, Rikimaru, star of the original Tenchu, is back and once again he's trying to right wrongs in feudal Japan by sneaking up on people and slicing and dicing them into crimson showers.
KHAN! Wrath Of Heaven is the third entry in the Tenchu series, one that adds plenty of new features. Alongside returning characters Rikimaru and Ayame, there's a new character, Tesshu, to play as.
The three characters have unique abilities that make tackling the same level feel very different. Rikimaru, for instance, is a good all-rounder, with powerful attacks; Ayame is faster on her feet. The levels also have several routes through them, allowing you to ignore some of the goals if you find an alternative route, although this can sometimes lead to confusion.
Special moves can now be unlocked by performing ten stealth kills in a level. This is worth doing as some of the new abilities are very cool and creeping up on guards undetected is more forgiving than in the previous games. There's also the addition of a two-player mode, allowing you to fight friends or play cooperatively through a variety of mini missions.
If you're a fan of the original Tenchu, there's a lot to like here, but unlike some sequels Wrath Of Heaven doesn't feel like a massive improvement over its predecessors.
Alex Huhtala
// Overview
Verdict
Slow-starting and quite challenging, Tenchu 3 is great if you like stealth and blood, but you may be put off by the clunky graphics.
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