Tenchu: Shadow Assassins

All credit to FromSoftware for cramming Acquire’s Wii version onto the PSP, but the slowdown can be a real drag in intense situations, and sometimes the conversion just feels a little sloppy.

Tenchu: Shadow Assassins is back on the verge with an adaptation that has nothing to envy its his eldest brother. It's very much the same game that we saw with the Wii version, with a funny story mode and a fair gameplay system that offers lots of stealth and a little bit of action. If you liked the original one, take your chances, but bear in mind that there isn't anything new to be considered if you owned the Wii edition.

Tenchu is a fun PSP effort so long as you think of it as an all-new take on the franchise. The levels you play through are self- contained puzzles and not wide-open ninja-filled action-fests. If you prefer stealth to pure swordplay, you'll surely appreciate this approach.

It's limited, but what's here is well-executed and very playable, even on PSP. [May 2009, p.84]

Tenchu: Shadow Assassins may not be suited for long time fans, who will find a different gameplay, more puzzle oriented. The game is fun, anyway, even if it lacks the action typical of the franchise.

It's painstaking but satisfying. [June 2009, p.103]

The inflexible camera and the annoying trial&error gameplay will freak you out after a while.

Tenchu's in a dire need to go back to its roots. [June 2009, p.70]

Tenchu: Shadow Assassins delivers lots of stealth action, but it gives you absolutely no choice on how you beat each mission: if someone sees you, it's over. You can't go on rooftops anymore, and the first person combat system is poor and frustrating. The game comes with some good graphics, but the gameplay suffers from several flaws.

An occasionally satisfying, but often frustrating experience. [June 2009, p.76]