Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins PlayStation
Metascore
77 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
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  1. Daily Radar
    100
    There are a few weaknesses with the collision detection, but on the whole "Tenchu 2" is gripping, sleek and cool.
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  2. Hot Games
    100
    A solid stealth ninja game that is a pleasure to play.
  3. PSX Nation
    92
    If you get into this one, it give you that same feeling you had from watching the cheesy 80's Ninja movies all over again, except for the embarrassing dubbing.
  4. IGN
    91
    Even with noticeable problems, "Tenchu II" is a rich ninja experience worth its weight in gold.
  5. GameSpot
    83
    It's still well worth your time (and it will cost you plenty of it), but expect it to provide you with no small degree of frustration along with its thrills.
  6. GamePro
    80
    It's a great game that makes you think before you act, a welcome change from all the fast action games of today.
  7. Game Fan
    72
    "Tenchu 2" remains something of a letdown, since it's missing too many of the elements that made the original so great, and doesn't fix any of the problems that plagued its predecessor.
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  8. Core Magazine
    67
    Excellent presentation and a well-implemented concept make the frequent frustration bearable, but a healthy dose of persistence is required to get the most out of this unique title.
  9. Game Revolution
    67
    If the Statue of Liberty could be driven like a car, it would be much easier to handle and control than the characters in "Tenchu 2."
  10. Gaming Age
    67
    A few of the niggling control and camera problems from the original game are still present, but if you were able to overlook them before, then you will absolutely love this sequel.
  11. Spank!
    65
    A great disappointment for PlayStation fans everywhere.
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  12. Happy Puppy
    60
    "Tenchu 2" is, when you get right down to it, a great game trying to escape from a mediocre shell.
  13. Maxim Online
    60
    Warning: Tenchu 2 requires a lot of patience and exploration, so if you’re looking for a mindless contest, maybe you should turn on a Presidential debate instead.
  14. CNET Gamecenter
    50
    While its predecessor broke new ground in the stealth-action arena, "Tenchu 2" hasn't improved much over the original, and has even taken a step back in some areas.
    All this publication's reviews

User Reviews

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User Score
9.4 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 8 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Caestus
    8
    Tenchu 2 is a fun stealth game with a cheesy but at least enterntaining story and good stealth gameplay. However graphics are poor. But still its worth a reccomendation.… Full Review »
  2. SimonB.
    8
    People had been rather stealthful on Tenchu 2 with me. I had barely heard of anything else than "awesome gore" and "great action". However, I was a teen then and like them, I was only attracted to gore and action. In 2006, I have just bought Tenchu 2 for this old PS1 that I have. I am not a graphics-hungry person and it shows when I decide to play games like Rise of the Triad (1993) on my computer that runs Doom 3 somewhat perfectly on medium levels of graphics. But as I played Tenchu 2 (2000), I was struck by something that somewhat disgusted me at first: Cubic, flat, constant textures. Most levels were mainly setting themselves around those very simple polygons that were meant to be houses or walls. I admit, it does the work of setting atmosphere in such a game as Tenchu 2. But God, does it make you feel like you're not really playing on a PS2 at all! I have to make a comment on the way water has been rendered: Imagine an invisible nape where small squares of "would-be sparkles" appear here and there, while your character floats on top of it. Not to mention that when you climb out of the water, whoever your character is, he/she will always climb from that invisible nape of water, instead of the wall he's using to climb up. At that, most animations in the game look poorly rendered and often gives the various ninja exposed in it a very clumsy look. Now, for the actual gameplay. You have various ways to put ends to the lives of your ennemies. At most, it will involve blade and flesh making contact. There are various ways of ending lives, as I've said. If you are the kind of bad boy to be tackling your ennemies with a shotgun, you will get slapped back to your little hole. In here, in the Tenchu neighbourhood, STEALH prevails. Points will be alotted to how stealthfully you perform. In certain missions, it will be highly important to not be seen, as that will usually result in instant defeat. Depending on your level of difficulty, ennemies will also be harder to kill if you refuse to use stealth. On easy, ennemies will have about 20 hp, while on hard, they will range from 40-110. That said, your character has 100 hp. What better reason to simply make a single clean cut instead of having to fight your way through ennemies that make as much damage as you do (if not more) to them? - On a side note, some stealth kills are somewhat impossible to produce on certain occasions. I often found myself needing to do a jump stealth kill but was unable to do so because of some whatever glitch that does not allow you to see below your character as you jump. That often resulted in getting seen by a few ennemies. Do not take me wrong, I am not a newbie at this game, ( Several maps have given me Expert Ninja, Grand Master as rating ) but I do complain that the camera angles sometimes kill the mood, as they make you get seen or fail a mission, sometimes. On a more positive side-note, you may also use ninja items during your quests. You have a maximum category of six items to choose for your mission, out of about 20 different items. The choices are really not hard to make: You'll usually want to take two healing potions, several shurikens and some other useful item you believe you might have to use. Last, but not least... The story. Every mission reveals a bit more of the story as you've begun or finished them. Every mission has its opening and ending cutscene. Though, with either characters, you end your missions with duels against bosses. Something that gave me quite a laugh there, not out of affection. Most boss fights look promising, as some of them have some 200-what hp. Means you'll have a hard time fighting them, but no. Most of the fights end when you've reached a number of their health. Then the boss flees, in most occasions, or is saved by something else. At that, all you have to do is face your enemy and parry their attacks and then reply after they've attempted a strike at you. Different levels of difficulty will make bosses toss things at you, but nothing particularly impossible to dodge. In fact, I found the ending boss as easy as any other boss in the game (aside from the fact the last boss blocks MUCH more of your hits than any other boss). Many downsides, but none that make this game something to fear as a waste. A fun game, if you're a fan of games like Splinter Cell.… Full Review »
  3. [Anonymous]
    10
    I think the game is cool. However i got a defective case. mine says it is 1 or 2 players and i belived it. so i am kinda pissed but it is still a cool game. oh yeah i beat the first 1 and that 1 has alot of blood shed. they can fill a pool with all the blood that comes out. well i gotta go now. good game. ps i got mine 4 $16.11 so that was pretty cool.......… Full Review »
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