Metascore
87 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 14
  2. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. Just plain fantastic... One the best Japanese ports ever.
  2. The simplicity of the controller functions, along with a decent soundtrack, combine to make a great game for a low price.
  3. A hard, gritty adventure that should be enough to hold off the "MGS" cravings until the domestic release.
  4. The game rivets you to your seat with challenging gameplay, a thought provoking storyline and non-stop suspense as you sneak your way through level after level of action and intriguing twists.
  5. The heart and soul of this game lies in stealth, which is splendidly conveyed through the visuals.
  6. 90
    The kind of game that'll steal days of your life without you even noticing. It's absorbing, puzzling, and it's absolutely the quintessential PlayStation game. Hard-core, smart, bloody, and fun as hell.
  7. 90
    If you're a gamer who isn't' into twitch action, but you want something a little more intense than an RPG, step into Tenchu's dojo.
  8. When games such as this are developed with such style and elegance as Tenchu, this relatively new style of gameplay can be incredibly effective and enjoyable.
  9. A brilliant and unique game that features lots of cool ninja weapons, such as throwing stars and the grappling hook, realistic Japanese scenery, stealth and patience tactics, etc. Players who like their games to be linear and planned out beforehand won't like this game; neither will the players with no patience.
  10. It’s a generation above "Nightmare Creatures" and a half generation below "MGS".
  11. Excels in every way that counts, provides a lot of fun, and is well worth the price of admission.
  12. One thing that really needed attention in the Japanese version of Tenchu was the over active camera that follows your character. Skipping around with stomach-turning irregularity during fights and wandering off to give a confusing partial view of you or your opponent because it couldn't deal with nearby walls, this spoiled an otherwise very enjoyable game.
  13. Realism in games has always been a hot issue, but Tenchu achieved the perfect mixture of realistic ninja action with accompanying elements of the fantastic.
  14. A few more months spent tweaking the camera, improving the AI, and correcting the inventory scheme would have resulted in a much more enjoyable experience.
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Ground breaking game in its day, great control, wonderful soundtrack and voice acting , Great level design and story just the simple concept of enemies that didn't re spawn out of no where and stayed dead added realism that games today seem to miss.Classic Full Review »
  2. A true classic of the PS1, diverse selection of levels, ground breaking soundtrack great art style. Well worth dusting off and jamming in the disc tray Full Review »
  3. EverinN.
    9
    Even though the controls, gameplay and sound, other than ambience, were good, more levels and enemies could have been added. The game could've featured different uniforms,and "build up" stats to diversify the player's persona. Overall, I loved double jumping acroos the screen w/o touching the ground. Yes, it's possible. Full Review »