TGS 2002: Tenchu 3 impressions

Activision was showing a more complete build of Tenchu 3 behind closed doors at the Tokyo Game Show, and it looked vastly improved over some of the video and screenshots we've seen over the past few months. At the beginning of the game, you'll have the option to choose either Rikimaru (from the original Tenchu) or Ayame, his speedy partner. After choosing Rikimaru, you'll see the ninja emerge from the cave where he supposedly died and walk past a stream to the very top of a waterfall before he leaps off headfirst. This scene is entirely playable because K2, the development team behind the game, wanted to have a playable level with no enemies (similar to the one in Devil May Cry) so that you're eased into the game.

Before Rikimaru starts his mission, he'll be able to stock up on different ninja items, ranging from rice balls, which can be used to lure guards or various types of animals into a position where Rikimaru can kill them stealthfully, to sticky bombs that explode with the simple press of the right analog stick. There are even fireworks that, when fired, cause guards to look up into the sky, but you can only carry up to six different items, and some items have specific limits, so you have to choose wisely.

The first Rikimaru level we saw had him running through a cemetery, equipped with a sword that slowly drained his life. However, this particular blade is the only one that can kill the undead creatures within the level, and you will regain some energy every time an enemy is killed. Another mission had Rikimaru sitting on a perch overlooking a town with two guards located right beneath him. To get the guards' attention, you can throw a rice ball down, and they will go over to inspect it (and in this case the two guards will even fight over it).

When they have their backs turned, you can jump down and quickly kill one and try to kill the other at the same time, or you can leap away and take out the second one a few moments later. Once this is completed, you can pretty much move around the town, and since you don't want to be detected, it would be best to use Rikimaru's disguise, which transforms him into a local. If you go over to a small room on the other side of the town, you'll see a cutscene showing drunk guards partying inside, but as ninjas are known to do, you get to go in and break it up.

Each enemy in Tenchu 3 will have different AI depending on the weapon they have. For example, enemies carrying spears will do their best to stay within range so they can make contact, but they'll try to stay out of the range of your weapon. Likewise, enemies using bows and arrows will stay as far away as possible from Rikimaru and Ayame.

But fighting enemies in general shouldn't pose much of a problem since there's a lock-on feature in the game that lets you focus your attacks on one enemy instead of widely flailing your weapons around. In addition, the controls have been adjusted so that they mimic the Metal Gear Solid style as opposed to the Tomb Raider style, and movement is based on your position to the screen. There's also much more camera manipulation in Tenchu 3 than in previous Tenchu games. When you put your back up against the wall, you can move the camera into incredibly useful positions that let you look around corners and generally just give you a better indication of what's up ahead.

The two-player cooperative mode won't use the single-player maps but instead will feature custom-built levels that are a little smaller for the purposes of keeping the frame rate high. The cooperative mode is particularly cool because you can perform dual stealth kills where Ayame will jump up and break a guard's neck while Rikimaru will stab him in the gut. It looks painful, but at the same time, the animation is so smooth that it also looks quite graceful.

We'll have more on Tenchu 3: Wrath of Heaven soon. It's currently scheduled for release in North America in spring 2003.