93
The simplicity of the controller functions, along with a decent soundtrack, combine to make a great game for a low price.
93
A hard, gritty adventure that should be enough to hold off the "MGS" cravings until the domestic release.
92
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.
9
This game was incredible for the era. The most complex action game we played were stuff like pitfall, stealth was not really a thing, and then tenchu comes and youre a ninja that can zip up in 3D. It blew our minds.
5
Maybe I'm the anomaly, here. I didn't like this game at all. I love stealth games where I'm required to kill my enemies without alerting others. But this was just too slow and punishing for me. Maybe it requires more time and skill to really enjoy this, but I can't say this is for me.
10
Wonderful game, especially for the time it was released, so perfectly crafted. The soundtrack is in my top 5 game OST's, it's magical, and it deeply enhances the experience of each level. I love the way a story is interwoven with levels, each mission feels like a compact short story, and with each successive mission you uncover more of Tenchu's creative a richly packed world. Fantasy is masterfully interwoven with era accurate sociopolitical drama, without overdoing it like many modern games being tacky copies of generic Hollywood drab. Gameplay is mostly of it's time, veterans won't have a problem because everything works well, but newcomers may struggle getting to grips with them, and nothing is explained, i remember finding out the full arsenal of moves via pure trial and error, but there are some really neat abilities to use in combat once you've mastered them, from sidesteps to acrobatic aerial flips over your opponent to the stab their back. However, the best thing about this game for me is the stealth elements, plotting your path forward, needing to think, observe, have patience, wait for the right time to either assassinate or go past quietly without being noticed. I like the blocky ps1 graphics, full of charm and character. I love the homage to feudal Japan and it's honour system, mixed with subterfuge and the mystical. A truly unique game from a very special time in gaming history.
Tenchu: Stealth Assassins
PlayStation
Released On:
Aug 31, 1998
Metascore
Generally Favorable
87
User score
Generally Favorable
8.5
My Score
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All Platforms
Metascore
Generally Favorable
87
93% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
7% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
Just plain fantastic... One the best Japanese ports ever.
93
The simplicity of the controller functions, along with a decent soundtrack, combine to make a great game for a low price.
User score
Generally Favorable
8.5
78% Positive
116 Ratings
116 Ratings
18% Mixed
27 Ratings
27 Ratings
4% Negative
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
Nov 20, 2023
10
Wonderful game, especially for the time it was released, so perfectly crafted. The soundtrack is in my top 5 game OST's, it's magical, and it deeply enhances the experience of each level. I love the way a story is interwoven with levels, each mission feels like a compact short story, and with each successive mission you uncover more of Tenchu's creative a richly packed world. Fantasy is masterfully interwoven with era accurate sociopolitical drama, without overdoing it like many modern games being tacky copies of generic Hollywood drab. Gameplay is mostly of it's time, veterans won't have a problem because everything works well, but newcomers may struggle getting to grips with them, and nothing is explained, i remember finding out the full arsenal of moves via pure trial and error, but there are some really neat abilities to use in combat once you've mastered them, from sidesteps to acrobatic aerial flips over your opponent to the stab their back. However, the best thing about this game for me is the stealth elements, plotting your path forward, needing to think, observe, have patience, wait for the right time to either assassinate or go past quietly without being noticed. I like the blocky ps1 graphics, full of charm and character. I love the homage to feudal Japan and it's honour system, mixed with subterfuge and the mystical. A truly unique game from a very special time in gaming history.
May 21, 2025
10
One of the games that defined the stealth genre. Played it in the late 90s and recently played it again and it's still a classic
91
The heart and soul of this game lies in stealth, which is splendidly conveyed through the visuals.
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.
85
It’s a generation above "Nightmare Creatures" and a half generation below "MGS".
77
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.
60
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.
May 21, 2025
10
This game set the standard for ninja stealth games. Innovative for its time, it laid the groundwork for today’s stealth genre with atmosphere, strategy, and silent kills.
May 21, 2025
10
El mejor juego de Ninjas de todos los tiempos, y uno de mis favoritos en general de todo el catálogo de Playstation. Definitivamente un juego del cuál valdría la pena tener un Remake y que definitivamente compraría el día de su lanzamiento. The best ninja game of all time, and one of my favorites in the entire Playstation catalog. Definitely a game worth a remake, and one I'd definitely buy on release day.
Aug 23, 2023
7
I dont even remember in what situation i played this game, probably at some childhood friend house. I loved the style, but it was too hard to really try to beat it.
Jul 15, 2025
5
Maybe I'm the anomaly, here. I didn't like this game at all. I love stealth games where I'm required to kill my enemies without alerting others. But this was just too slow and punishing for me. Maybe it requires more time and skill to really enjoy this, but I can't say this is for me.
Oct 6, 2023
2
Tenchu es un juego que aspiró a ser el que evolucionara el gameplay en 3d de los juegos de sigilo, penosamente toma malas decisiones, una tras otra en cada apartado. La música no va de acuerdo a lo que hacemos, el protagonista nunca suelta su llamativa espada, jefes finales con combate cuerpo a cuarpo que no vienen al caso, historia simplona, inteligencia artificial ridícula (si nos agachamos después de ser detectados seremos invisibles o en ocaciones se ponen a vigilar paredes), y cuando el juego si funciona su diseño de nivel hace que la experiencia sea aburrida.
SummaryProwl and strike with lethal precision as ninja assassins Rikimaru or Ayame in the shadowy world of feudal Japan. Armed with mystical weapons and sheer cunning, you must shed blood with discretion and move without detection. For only the unseen survive. Master dozens of motion-captured ninja moves as you disembowel fearsome samurai, wild... Read More
Rated Mfor Mature
