Publisher: Microsoft Games
Developer: FROM Software
System: Xbox 360
Genre: Action-Stealth
Release date: Available now
Review by: Michele White

Goda is a small country, and Ogawara is determined to destroy it. Travel back in time to 16th century feudal Japan, where honor and the code of Bushido are still revered. Immerse yourself in the world of the ninja and act as a weapon for that honor. Tenchu Z, the first stealth action ninja title to come exclusively to the X-Box 360 has arrived. Players try to become the ultimate ninja as they complete missions using the art of stealth. You can even grab your friends to team up for more fun in multiplayer mode over Xbox Live or a system link that permits four-player offline action.

Tenchu Z offers more than 50 stealth ninja missions where gamers can slash up unsuspecting guards with a wide array of ninja weaponry on their way to slaying the big boss. True ninja mastery comes with the keen use of sound, sight and smell as players learn new moves and obtain new weapons. Patience and strategy with the use of the stealth kill system is rewarded over a run-and-gun style of hand-to-hand combat.

Creating a character is a breeze, and there are many options available to achieve just the right look. Skill points are awarded, and you can allot them to three character attributes as you wish, but once this is done, those are the ability scores with which you’re stuck for the duration. You don’t get more points as you advance. You also get to create a “partner”, but this is purely for show, as he/she is never around when you really need them. The life of a ninja is a lonely one.

You’ve arrived in medieval feudal Japan and have been selected to be a mighty weapon of your people. Your first step is to master your art by completing a series of tasks your master set before you. While these tasks are not designed to kill, the only way to achieve success is to act as if they were. A true ninja remains always unseen, even if it means clinging to that wall instead of killing that guy right in front of you.