Tenchu: A Ninja Experience

In my childhood, it was hard to tell which games were worldwide hits and which were just punching bags for critics. We simply did not have access to this information. There were upsides to this: many of the games that I and my friends loved were considered “bad.” And how dare we enjoy them? Well, what can you expect from a bunch of country bumpkins!

But sometimes, great games passed most of us by. They weren’t considered hits, no one was excited about them, and if you happened to love one of these games, you could only enjoy it in isolation because there was no one to share it with. This happened with many JRPGs that I absolutely adored, but my friends, mostly because they didn’t know English, completely ignored them. It also happened with games that had a high barrier to entry. After all, not everyone had a PSX at home, and most of my peers played short, multiplayer games in gaming clubs.

Once I discovered the Tenchu series. Almost no one knew about it. It seemed too complex and confusing. But after finishing Metal Gear Solid, I was looking for something serious and thought-provoking. Just beating up enemies and rushing through levels wasn’t enough anymore. I wanted realism...

Tenchu was built on showing what ninjas were really like. These weren’t the ninjas who could take on hundreds of enemies in open combat and destroy tanks and helicopters with their bare hands. Real ninjas were masters of stealth combat, ready to use any trick or dishonorable traps and devices to take a life. This is the philosophy the developers used when creating the game.

I remember being confused at first by the mission preparation menu. You had to choose the items you’d take with you. It took me a while to figure out how it all worked. But the freedom the game offered blew me away: grappling hooks, whistles to distract enemies, traps, and tons of different grenades. Just like in Metal Gear Solid, enemies had amazing detection abilities and would raise alarms if they found a dead comrade. What surprised me the most was how I was able to kill a boss by sneaking up behind him. I hadn’t experienced anything like that in any other game I played.

Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins seemed even better. It introduced new mechanics and even a level editor. It was the perfect sequel.

Even today, the game deserves your attention. Many of its elements are still unique, and although the idea of creating a spiritual successor has crossed the minds of many developers, neither Assassin's Creed, Hitman, nor Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice can replace Tenchu for me. And that’s fine, because it’s always with me.