One of the Best Stealth Action Series on PS1 & PS2 Needs a Comeback Now More Than Ever

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I’ve always loved stealth games, and the ones from the late 90s and early 2000s were particularly special. They focused on building tension through careful timing and requiring a lot of patience. Before games became huge, open-world adventures with acrobatic heroes, there was a series I really enjoyed that made you focus on becoming truly invisible. It meant moving silently, studying enemy patterns, and making the most of limited resources. In today’s world of massive stealth games, that older, more focused style of gameplay feels surprisingly fresh and important.

Games like Dishonored and the new Assassin’s Creed Shadows, as well as Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima, have recently brought stealth games back into the spotlight. However, the Tenchu series laid the groundwork for many of the things we love about those games, and it’s due for a return. I particularly enjoyed the earlier Tenchu titles on PlayStation and PlayStation 2, before the series unfortunately faded away.

Tenchu Perfected the Art of Silent Death Before Assassin’s Creed and Ghost of Tsushima

Released on the original PlayStation in 1998, Tenchu: Stealth Assassins truly changed how stealth games were played. Instead of futuristic technology, it immersed players in feudal Japan, challenging them to eliminate targets using skill, patience, and the cover of darkness. Success depended on learning guard routes, climbing across rooftops, and perfectly timing every move. Successfully taking down a target was incredibly rewarding, especially with the game’s dramatic and often over-the-top stealth kill animations – from brutal beheadings to Rin’s signature, and surprisingly funny, leg sweeps.

The gameplay really evolved in Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassin. Better-designed missions, the option to build your own levels, and more complex stories for the two main characters, Rikimaru and Ayame, made the game much more engaging. It still emphasized careful, quiet play over brute force, and it taught me to be cautious – a single mistake meant getting spotted and failing. Each mission felt like a challenge that rewarded careful observation and planning.

By the time Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven came out for the PS2, the Tenchu series had become something truly unique. It wasn’t just a stealth game; the graphics, controls, and overall mood created a beautiful experience focused on fluid movement and skillful gameplay. Tenchu: Fatal Shadows followed, and it’s widely considered the last peak of the series. It perfected the gameplay and added a more cinematic feel, feeling like the natural result of everything the series had been striving for. You can still see its impact on modern games like Ghost of Tsushima and Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

From PS1 Legend to Forgotten Assassin

Following Fatal Shadows, the Tenchu series started to decline in quality. The Nintendo DS game was difficult to play due to awkward controls and overly simple gameplay, which removed much of what made the series unique. Then came Tenchu Z, a game only available on Xbox 360, which replaced the established characters Rikimaru and Ayame with a silent, customizable ninja. While character customization can be fun, it didn’t fit this game; it diminished the game’s atmosphere and made it hard to feel invested. Without the familiar protagonists, I quickly lost interest.

The series continued to struggle with a few disappointing spin-offs, an arcade game, and a release on the Wii, none of which were particularly good. It felt like the stealth series I used to enjoy was fading away, and after these games, it essentially vanished. Sadly, you can’t even play the original, and arguably best, games without the older consoles they were made for.

While Tenchu was fading, other stealth games like Assassin’s Creed, Dishonored, and Mark of the Ninja gained popularity and helped define the genre. More recently, Ghost of Tsushima and its upcoming sequel, Ghost of Yotei, have really refined the formula on today’s consoles, even exploring themes of honor and responsibility. Despite all these improvements, I still fondly remember the intense, nerve-wracking feeling of carefully sneaking through shadowy castles, where a single torchlight could mean the difference between success and failure.

Tenchu’s Rikimaru and Ayame Need a Return

Rikimaru and Ayame weren’t just the main characters in the Tenchu games—they embodied the core ideas of the ninja world. Rikimaru was calm and thoughtful, a quiet and precise warrior. Ayame, on the other hand, was passionate and quick to act, fueled by strong emotions and a desire for revenge. Together, they gave the series its heart. Their relationship continued throughout the games, making the fantastical elements feel real through relatable human feelings and connections. Even Rin, who joined the story later in Fatal Shadows, quickly became a likable character.

Bringing back the classic Tenchu games could be fantastic if done right, combining the fond memories of the originals with modern gameplay. Imagine a remake or reboot using today’s technology, building on the excellent stealth mechanics of games like Ghost of Tsushima. Because Tenchu doesn’t rely on samurai themes, a revival could easily become one of the best stealth games available. Honestly, I’d even be happy with a simple re-release of the original four games – just being able to play Tenchu again would be great.

Since the last Tenchu game, no other title has quite captured what made it special. While games like Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Ghost of Tsushima have come close, I really miss the focus on true stealth gameplay. Other ninja games offer some of what I’m looking for, but I doubt anything will fully satisfy me until the characters Rikimaru and Ayame make a comeback. Too many games include stealth as just one option, which weakens the suspense and unique problem-solving that made Tenchu so great. It’s time for a return to classic, silent, deadly gameplay, and Tenchu should be the one to bring it back.

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2025-10-23 18:13