An interesting new direction for the Tenchu franchise that doesn't quite deliver on everything it should.
Wrath of Heaven was a great game. Fatal Shadows was decent, if not a little stripped. And while I enjoyed Z, it wasn't really up to snuff with what a sequel should have been.
So enter Shadow Assassins for the Wii; the reinvention of the franchise that has more hits than misses but misses in some truly painful ways.
First, the good: The graphics are wonderful for the Wii. Character models are crisp, move with nice detail, and are designed believably, rather than more anime inspired character designs witnessed in Fatal Shadows and Z.
The music is often good, with a stand out track in a rainy mountain level. Though from time to time the music can distract.
Most importantly, the game has been redesigned to be a hefty challenge for those who do not think outside the box. You are punished for being seen, and fighting is frantic. Often you'll find yourself on the wrong end of a samurai's katana. Certain enemies can only be defeated by observing and superior position; it's a refreshing detour from the Tenchu formula that we have seen since 1998.
Stealth kills return, and are a nice, visceral, and more than brutal exclamation point to stalking samurai prey.
THE BAD:
The game is honestly not suited for the Wii controls. There are certain actions the Wii-mote did not register, meaning my character would not dispatch the enemy and I was forced into a duel. Dueling itself is hit or miss, and the Wii again fails here to register motions correctly, leading to a lot of frustrating deaths.
Variety...aside from level design, there is very little variety. Enemies are generally the same from level to level, and boss fights are duels that strangely are often easier than fighting typical enemies.
And then...the lack of the Japanese voice track. The American actors do a decent job, however I always prefer the Japanese voices to the American.
So, yes, that is a nit-pick from a pick-nitter who carefully picks his nits. (Say that five times fast...)
Overall, if you own a Wii and are a fan of Tenchu or like games set in Feudal Japan, Shadow Assassins is your game. Mainly because this generation is really thin in this sub-genre, which really is a shame.