Key characters in Aquire’s stealth adventure
RIKIMARU
QRikimaru is an agile fellow – as you’d expect for a ninja. He
can perform a useful power jump, some fleet-footed dodging
and sports a narrow rectangular sword, or ninjaken, that can
be used for three different kill moves. These moves, each of
which results in a cinematic, var y according to which direction
the ninja is facing at the moment of attack. Of the two heroes
of Tenchu, Rikimaru is the strongest and has more health.AYAME
QIt’s easy for enemies to underestimate this waifish ninja.
Packing three different kill moves to Rikimaru, Ayame moves
quicker than her comrade, although the trade-off is her
relative weakness and reduced health. Instead of the ninjaken,
Ayame sports a dual set of razor-sharp swords known as
wakizashi. Both she and Rikimaru come equipped with a
grappling hook to traverse rooftops.ONIKAGE
QOnikage is the brutal enforcer of the evil Lord Mei-oh.
Originally an honourable ninja, his continual undead
resurrection by Mei-oh has resulted in a perverse and
corrupt disposition, as he constantly torments and baits his
opponents before delivering a fatal blow with flying kicks.
Utilising a cheat mode, Onikage can be unlocked as a playable
character in Tenchu.DEVELOPER
HIGHLIGHTS
GAME: TENCHU 2: BIRTH OF
THE STEALTH ASSASSINS
PICTURED
SYSTEM: PL AYS TATION
YEAR: 2000
GAME: WAY OF THE
SAMURAI
SYSTEM: PL AYS TATION 2
YEAR: 2002
GAME: OCTOPATH
TRAVELLER
SYSTEM: SWITCH
YEAR: 2018useful item. Ground level situation getting a
little hot? Then take to the sky with the grappling
hook – but did ninjas really use them? “Yes, they
did,” nods Endo. “Although while the hook that
ninjas used is somewhat similar, it doesn’t stretch
out like a rubber band as it does in the game.” The
free-flowing nature of the hook, and the ability to
use it anywhere was a function that the developer
struggled to implement in Tenchu, but they
persevered, buoyed by how cool and helpful the
mechanic was.A
nother challenge faced by the team was the
draw distance that the PlayStation could
realistically handle. Recalls David, “It was a
new platform at that time and everything
was new in terms of 3D asset development and
engine architecture. For a stealth game in which
a ninja like Rikimaru needs to be able to spot
enemies from a long distance, there was always a
trade-off between engine performance, framerateand gameplay.” Given the nature of the game,
setting the whole story at night seemed a logical
decision. “Computer specs at the time were not
high enough to show a number of objects under
daylight, and yes, the night setting suited the
image of ninja,” Endo adds.
The team achieved a look that perfectly
showcased the abilities of both the PlayStation
and the developers. “In the end, I think Acquire
found a good balance,” says David. “The game
looks dated today, but in 1998, it was beautiful and
looked like nothing else on the market.” Takuma
Endo, at the business end of wrestling with the
game’s engine, feels more pained upon recalling
these issues. “We had some severe graphics
problems, such as framerates dropping when a
number of enemies appear on-screen. We had to
arrange enemies at the right places to avoid it. It
was also challenging to include five languages on
a CD-ROM, with each one containing 40 minutes
of voice acting data.”
And Tenchu didn’t just look different;
it played different, too. Each level
varies in objective, from crossing a
checkpoint to locating a rare medicinal
flower. It’s possible, if hazardous, to
stride through each mission, taking on
enemies face-to-face. But a safer and
more rewarding method is to sneak
around walls and roofs butchering
enemies silently using a combination
of the ninja’s Ki meter and a selection
of bloody kill moves. “The Ki meter
works simply by distance, and was
my idea to represent the skill of a
ninja, the ability to detect danger,”
explains Endo. “I thought giving all the
information within a minimap would
make the game unrealistic.” Rikimaru
and Ayame must trust their senses if
they are to remain undetected – sight,
sound and the Ki meter are essential.» [PlayStation] The Manji Cult ’s decor doesn’t exactly
scream, ‘We’re nice people, honest!’From The Shadows
86 | RETRO GAMER