[Wii] Pingu 4 - NUG NUG Ninja

So, in my opinion, Tenchu series was good at #1. Its storyline was basic, and the underlying plot kinda simple (ie: IT HAPPENED THIS WAY IF YOU PLAYED AS RIKIMARU. AYAME WAS DOING OTHER SHIT THAT WAS UNIMPORTANT BUT SHE'LL DO THIS IF YOU PLAY AS HER).

Enter #2: you've got the origins of Ayame and Rikimaru. This time, the storyline is dynamic, in that every character has their own unique levels and storylines to mingle with. This was very engrossing, in my opinion. I played #2 to fucking death, I shit you not.

#3: this is where it got lame. The characters which felt kinda fleshed out in #2 were back to thin cut-outs. Following #1 wherein Rikimaru seemed to die in the end credits, he reappears, alive once more. As opposed to Ayame having a reaction akin to how she was in #2, all she musters is something akin to "OH, HUH. YOU'RE ALIVE >:[" The levels were like #1; same order, layout, and storylines essentially. It didn't have the diverging pathways that 2 possessed, and it felt like a huge step back. Adding on to this? NO NEW GAMEPLAY ADDITIONS.

#3 had a few spin-offs, both of which were quite lackluster. What did they bring to the table that was new? NOTHING.

It felt like Tenchu went to way of Ace Combat; a niche game that hit a climax and never quite lived up to it ever again. Enter Tenchu 4.



Gametrailers Listings. Seriously, watch a few of these.

Tenchu 1 & 2 were quite good for a number of reasons. #1 was the first of its kind, and #2 built off of that and tacked on a good storyline. However, the group of individuals behind 1 & 2 left after #2, resulting in the lackluster attempts thereafter (three Tenchu titles). For Tenchu 4, the groups behind 1 & 2 are returning. The game seems to draw back to its cinematic feel, in addition to characters having alternate routes, quite possibly (this is guessing from what I saw on some of the trailers).

It has buffed up graphics (it isn't PS3 or 360-scale. Wii, bear in mind), and potentially a good story. But what ELSE does it bring to the table?



Firstly, usage of shadows for stealthing. Honestly, I wish I could *see* the shadows better. Maybe the footage is just shoddy, but I can't see a dark corner like you could in, say, Splinter Cell. Anyhow, you can hide in the shadows, despite being in your target's cone of sight.



You can hide using cover behind many objects. Whether it be a smaller crate that is waste-high, or a large, low-resting table, you can use it for cover (yes, you can dive under tables for cover). In addition to this, BUSHES can be used for cover. The gameplay trailer clearly shows Rikimaru hiding in the bushes, and yanking a dude in to kill him. Bushes and brush as well as tall weeds or grass are usable for cover.



What else? Killing moves! There are quite clearly a LOT of stealth kills depending upon your location and what you have on-hand. It seems as though you *can* stealth kill with shurikens (isn't that too easy though? ), in addition to a number of other nifty things. In one scene, Ayame drowns a man by holding him under water. In another, she snags a guy using the hook on a FISHING ROD, and pulls him back in to a river. Another shows Rikimaru popping up a tatami mat and yanking a guy under it quite promptly, in order to hide the corpse (yes, you can pick up corpses. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is new, too).



Also, it seems as though you can make use of a cat. Ayame is shown a few times waving around her pussy to lure enemies in to her clap trap of death. Her cat, I'm saying. Get your mind out of the gutter



My final concern was combat. Well, it seems that the Wii is quite nifty for this. Sword fights (at least in a mono-a-mono sense) are from a first-person view. You swipe your Wiimote to parry/block as well as strike. It also seems that there are fatalities as you land the crowning blow on your opponents.

This hits Japan around October 23rd, and will be in the states some time in the first quarter of '09. I think this has given me a reason to buy a Wii. Any other folks watching this title?

Let us all keep watch over this title, and embrace it. Maybe from behind. And twisting sharply to one side.



There ya go!

Discuss :V

PS: Rikimaru is back in case you didn't notice~

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I always liked the Tenchu games, even if the last I played was Wrath of Heaven. Which, for its b-side dub track alone made the game fucking hilarious to play through a second time.

I don't have a wii, so this saddens mii, as I was looking forward to a true Tenchu game done with some sweet next-gen graphics. Fuck you, Gech. This is your fault.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I lack a Wii as well :V I'm buying one just for this, probably.

You know you still love me D:< Plus, am I alone in thinking that things have been stumbling backwards for Tenchu after #2?

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Wow, looks nice. I'll probably be picking this up

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Gechmir

am I alone in thinking that things have been stumbling backwards for Tenchu after #2?

I think I was so enamored with Wrath of Heaven's new graphics and story and stuff that I didn't notice how much was not really in the single player mode. However I had lots of fun with the multiplayer, as broken and bugged as it was, just fucking around with friends. Also the secret level that took place in the future was awesome.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Here's the Japanese boxart, wonder what Ubisoft will make the N.A. one look like..


What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Cross review summary :

8
- Each stage is separated into "areas" that you have to clear.
- Degree of freedom is thin
- Discovering clearing routes is fun
- Controls in Duel Mode are difficult to get a hang of

7
- emphasis on secrecy is strong, especially given the fact that you fail instantly if you're being discovered
- The "sandox" feeling inevitably fades away because of the way the stages are defined.
- Duel Mode controls are difficult

8
- The fact that being discovered = instant failure makes the game thrilling
- Difficulty level has been raised
- It's easy to have fun playing given the way the stages are defined.

6
- You can easily pull off killing blows
- Development is monotonous, "old school".
- movement is sluggish
- the fact that the 3rd person point of view doesn't give you much freedom is also annoying.

FELIPE NO