Strengths: Good graphics, co-op multiplayer and deathmatch are good additions, good stealth action, ninja fun, XBox Live capable
Weakness: Camera is a little funny, sound is only so-so
Stealth ninja action makes it way to the XBox in Tenchu, and it does a good job of doing well in the genre.
In providing good, stealth action, this game does well. One-on-one against an enemy, when it's from behind, makes it no challenge, but when spotted, it's time to hide and strike from the shadows. More than one enemy, more of the same. Climb walls, use smoke bombs, use all of the ninja tools to survive.
XBox Live support allows for co-op multiplayer and "deathmatch" games, where people can go head to head in combat. All of the multiplayer options add some nice fun to the game and add to the replay value of it.
Overall, it does a good job of ninja action, with some nice added in multiplayer through XBox Live. For action fans, it's worth taking a look, though the issues with it are minor, and shouldn't detract much from gameplay.
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Tenchu Return from Darkness is a third person Ninja stealth game for the X box. If you played Tenchu Wrath of Heaven for the PS2, then you will be very familiar with this game because it is an exact conversion of it, but with two new levels and a few more added Ninja techniques and abilities. One much-needed feature is the new ability to drag and hide the bodies of the guards that you kill. You get to choose the three characters, Rikimaru the male ninja, Ayame the female Ninja who is quicker, and a third hidden character. What is great about this game is that you're able to go anywhere in each stage and silently kill the patrolling guards in any order. It is also very satisfying to quietly sneaked up and assassinate the unwary guards in a brutal manner. The game also has high replay value because it has a total of 72 missions with three sub- stages each. But what really ruins this game for me is the horrendous camera which is extremely difficult to manage. A stealth game requires that you are completely aware of your surroundings and the path ahead of you. Unfortunately, it is sometimes hard to see even 10 ft. ahead of you because of the bad camera angle. Lucky for you, the enemy intelligence is pretty low and they can't even see you in broad daylight as long as you are far enough away. Graphics are also just average for this game and it does not take full advantage of the massive X box graphics engine. Overall, it is still fun to play, so I would buy it.
This is the same game as the Playstation 2 version, with the addition of more detailed characters and effects. I enjoyed the game, but I did not expect too much from it. The story is very good and I really like the character designs, probably the stealth kills is the coolest move in the game. However I had problems with controlling the camera and the enemy AI is very basic and predictable, and the graphics are not as good as other Xbox titles, as many of the texture are blurry.
This game was really considered a pretty descent game when it was released, but this game has aged horribly. Everything in this game has been done much better by newer games that you can still get at comprable prices. The graphics are PS1 quality and the stealth action is very limited. The offline multiplayer is very limited with the tiny stages. Overall, I suggest going for a Splinter Cell game if your looking for a good stealth game.
Tenchu: Return From Darkness is a different style of Ninja game than Ninja Gaiden (which in my humble opinion is a superior game) as it focuses on the stealth rather than the action. The game rewards you for sneaking up on your opponents with single attack deaths and punishes you with sometimes difficult head to head matches if you confront face on. There is a wide variety of weapons for your killing pleasure as well. The storyline is weak and don't even bother with the multi-player as you'll never find any action on Xbox Live for this game. If you like this ninja style of game its not a bad game if you can find it on the cheap, but tough to recommend at any more than $10.
Strengths: Online play, 3 different characters to play as, added content from Playstation 2 version
Weakness: Camera, enemy AI
Tenchu: Return From Darkness is a port of Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven on The Playstation 2 which came out about a year earlier than the Xbox version.
Tenchu: Return from Darkness is at its core a stealth-based game with action and platforming elements also added into the mix & is not as much focused on the action as say Ninja Gaiden. You can still use the Stealth kill which as been in all the Tenchu games in the series. If you can manage to sneak up on an enemy from behind without him detecting you & hit the attack button you will kill him in one hit, also if you can manage to get 10 stealth kill in a level it'll open up new items for you to use. The AI in the game is pretty bad as with other Tenchu games for example if you have a guy with his back turned to you it's still possible to run up to him & stealth kill as he won't hear your footsteps, kind of reminds me of professional wrestling when a guy gets hit with a vicious chair shot while the referee has his back turned yet he counts the guys shoulders down as if he didn't suspect a thing even though it made a loud thud :) You can also play though the game multiple times with 3 different characters telling a different story depending on who your playing as adding incentive to play though as all three of them. I would recommend renting Tenchu: RFD if you haven't played Tenchu before to see if it's for you or not as the stealth is the highlight of the game & the fighting isn't the best as stealth is what it's all about or if your a fan of Tenchu then RFD should be right up your alley.
Strengths: Techu: Wrath of Heaven upgraded for Xbox, new missions, cutscenes and online mode
Weakness: Basic gameplay flaws from original still present, updated port of an old PS2 game
Tenchu: Return From Darkness came out around the same time as Ninja Gaiden, a much better game where ninja action was concerned, and because PS2 owners had already enjoyed essentially the same Tenchu game a year earlier, Return From Darkness didn't receive the commercial success it probably deserved. Unlike Ninja Gaiden, the Tenchu series has always focused more on stealth than action. Return from Darkness offers the same ninja-based stealth action that PS2's Wrath of Heaven did while adding cleaner visuals, new cutscenes, a handful of new missions and an online co-op mode. You still have to fight the camera on occasion, and the enemy AI remains weak. However, you simply don't have a lot of stealth ninja gaming options on Xbox, so you might want consider this upgraded version of a game that did sell very well on PS2.
Strengths: Graphics are good, deathmatches are incredibly fun
Weakness: BAD Camera angles
Good game overall, stealth kills feel very fulfilling when you can get them. Graphics are really nice, no pixels can be seen. Game is very dark most of the time. The best part about this game is split screen deathmatches with a friend. My roommate and I put many hours into those deathmatches--they are extremely fun and well done.
Strengths: Nice mix of stealth and action. Story mode is lengthy and well-written.
Weakness: Multiplayer modes don't add all that much. Camera issues.
Tenchu finally makes its way to the Xbox. Essentially a port of a PS2 game with better graphics, Tenchu just doesn't live up to its pedigree.
The controls and camera hinder the gameplay more than they help. While the story is good, and the action and stealth elements work well together, separately they have been done better elsewhere.
The multiplayer modes are new, but they don't add a whole lot to the game, if you can find one to play on Live. The lobby is a ghost town now. If you can find a friend to play with, it may be worth your while to try it out.
Tenchu's potential is overshadowed by a few glaring flaws. It's not a bad game really. It's just not great.
Strengths: Steller Graphic Compare to Playstation 2 Version, HD TV surpport, Most like style Ninja game out! XBOX Live 2 Person CO-OP.
Weakness: Wacky Camera Angle, Very Bad enemy A.I., Same game as on the Playstation 2, but with extra.
XBOX Tenchu Return from darkness is a port of the Playstation 2 Tenchu Wrath of Heaven. It's a great game that I spent a good 80 Hours of my life on. But this series is bugged with the Camera angle problems, which by now you think they will by fixed! Guess not?
XBOX version is the better one in the two, so if you have both system pick up the xbox. It's loaded with improved graphic, new moves, weapons, & a few extra stage. The extra I liked the most was the XBOX Live support 2 person CO-OP. it feature many different challenge, that requires alot of strategy. So if you have a friend with the same game. This will be lots of fun
Tenchu: Return From Darkness receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS rating of 2.88 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #3,275 game of all time, #90 game of 2004 for the Xbox and #433 Xbox game of all time. The rating and ranking is based on an average of 97 critic scores, awards and other criteria. To see a breakdown of the game ranking, read individual critic reviews, or see how other games ranked, click...
I was one of the biggest fans of the Tenchu series on the original PlayStation, and I also loved Wrath of Heaven on PS2. In my view, the best representation of ninja in video games is portraying their sneakier, stealthy exploits. No other games captured that element like Tenchu and its protagonists, Rikimaru and Ayame.
A burst of speed and Ayame closes on the target. She leaps in the air, landing on the guards shoulders, then twists. Bone snap and crackle. A gasp of air escapes and the guard slumps to the ground in a kneeling position. He would almost look serene kneeling there, if his head was not rotated 180 degrees and staring upward at the sky with lifeless eyes. Activision, K2 and ProSoft have teamed up...
The Xbox loves ports. That's often seen as a negative thing because oftentimes games aren't optimized for the console, and sometimes turn out worse than the original. But on a brighter note, sometimes the ports feature upgraded graphics, features, etc. Such is the case with Tenchu: Return from Darkness.
Tenchu: Return from Darkness brings the acclaimed Tenchu stealth ninja series to the Xbox video game system from Microsoft -- delivering the most realistic ninja action-adventure game ever. Based on Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Tenchu: Return from Darkness offers several new enhancements including two exclusive single-player maps, improved gameplay...
Tenchu: Return From Darkness
Strengths: Good graphics, co-op multiplayer and deathmatch are good additions, good stealth action, ninja fun, XBox Live capable
Weakness: Camera is a little funny, sound is only so-so
Stealth ninja action makes it way to the XBox in Tenchu, and it does a good job of doing well in the genre.
In providing good, stealth action, this game does well. One-on-one against an enemy, when it's from behind, makes it no challenge, but when spotted, it's time to hide and strike from the shadows. More than one enemy, more of the same. Climb walls, use smoke bombs, use all of the ninja tools to survive.
XBox Live support allows for co-op multiplayer and "deathmatch" games, where people can go head to head in combat. All of the multiplayer options add some nice fun to the game and add to the replay value of it.
Overall, it does a good job of ninja action, with some nice added in multiplayer through XBox Live. For action fans, it's worth taking a look, though the issues with it are minor, and shouldn't detract much from gameplay.
100% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?