Tenchu is a stealthy action and adventure video game series created by the Japanese company FromSoftware. Players take on the role of a ninja in 16th-century Japan. The first game, called Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, was made by another Japanese company named Acquire and released in 1998. Later games in the series were developed by K2 and FromSoftware. FromSoftware is now the owner of the Tenchu series, having purchased the rights from Activision in 2004.
The Japanese title of the series means "Divine Retribution" in English. The word 天 (ten) means "heaven," and 誅 (chū) means "death penalty." Another English translation of this phrase is "Wrath of Heaven," which was the title of the first game in the series released for the PlayStation 2.
Gameplay
The game is viewed from a third-person perspective. Players can obtain special items if they earn a "Grand Master" rating by being very stealthy. While items and controls may differ between games, the gameplay is mostly the same except in Tenchu: Shadow Assassins. Stealth is a key part of the game. Players must duck, crouch, and hide behind walls to avoid being seen. Enemies can be defeated quickly with Stealth Kills. Players can also use the Ki meter to stay hidden. A higher number on the Ki meter means the player is closer to an enemy. If the player is seen, the Ki meter turns red. Enemies will alert others in the area, and the player must fight in close combat or hide until enemies stop searching and return to their patrols.
Synopsis
The main characters in the Tenchu series are Rikimaru, Ayame, Tesshu, and Rin. Rikimaru is a tall shinobi with white hair, a single sword called "Izayoi," and a scar on his right eye. He is stronger than Ayame and Rin but moves more slowly. Ayame is a female ninja who wears black or dark purple clothing, including long pants, a loose belt, arm armor covering part of her arms and shoulders, and a ring around her neck. Her midriff is exposed, and she carries two short swords called kodachi. She moves faster and can perform more fighting combinations than Rikimaru and Tesshu but is weaker than them. Tesshu is a vigilante who wears blue doctor’s clothing and fights using acupuncture needles. He is as strong as Rikimaru but slower than Ayame and Rin. His appearance is inspired by the character "Baian Fujieda." Rin is a young female ninja who carries a large sword named Natsume. Even though she has a sword, she prefers to fight with her hands and uses quick moves similar to Ayame.
The series is set in 16th-century feudal Japan. The original story, called Stealth Assassins, follows two ninjas, Rikimaru and Ayame, who were raised in the Azuma Ninja Clan since childhood. They work for Lord Gohda, a kind ruler, as secret spies to stop corruption and gather information in his province. However, a powerful evil sorcerer named Lord Mei-Oh tried to destroy Lord Gohda. Using his demon warrior, Onikage, Lord Mei-Oh caused chaos in the province. Although Lord Mei-Oh was defeated in the first game, Onikage appeared in all later games except Fatal Shadows and Tenchu Z as the main enemy of the two ninjas, especially Rikimaru. Another important character who appears often is Princess Kiku, Lord Gohda’s daughter, who frequently needs to be rescued.
Development
Tenchu: Stealth Assassins (1998) and Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins (2000) were created by Acquire. Activision bought the rights to publish the games outside Japan from Sony Music Entertainment, which originally released the first game in Japan. The third game, Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven (2003), was developed by K2 and published in Japan by FromSoftware and internationally by Activision. In 2004, Activision sold the rights to make and sell the games (except the first two) to FromSoftware. FromSoftware worked with K2 to create six new games from 2004 to 2008, which were released internationally by different publishers.
A special version of Tenchu: Stealth Assassins was released only in Japan for the PlayStation. This version included 100 levels created using the level editor from Tenchu: Shinobi Gaisen, which was an expanded version of Tenchu re-released in Japan. These levels formed a separate expansion set called Tenchu: Shinobi Hyakusen, which did not include a story. The game’s basic design and engine remained the same. Shinobi Hyakusen is known for its very difficult levels, especially because of short time limits and limited items, except for caltrops and throwing stars. No versions were released in North America or Europe.
Some Tenchu games were adapted for mobile phones with changes to the graphics. These include Tenchu: Ayame's Tale 3D, which was released for Sony Ericsson phones, and Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, which was made for mobile phones in 2005 by TKO-Software and Digital Bridges but used two-dimensional graphics. A version of the game for the Game Boy Advance was planned by Classified Games in 2000, but it was canceled because of problems with the publisher.
The video game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, created by FromSoftware and published by Activision in 2019, was first planned as a new Tenchu game.
Related media
A stage play called Tenchu Butai was performed in 2014. The games DotA and its sequel Dota 2 feature a playable character named "Riki, the Stealth Assassin."