| Tenchu: Dark Secret | |
|---|---|
| |
| Developer(s) | Polygon Magic |
| Publisher(s) | From Software Nintendo |
| Designer(s) | Tatsumi Sugiura |
| Writer(s) | Toshiyuki Kaziwara |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo DS |
| Release date(s) | JP April 6, 2006 NA August 21, 2006 EU November 24, 2006 |
| Genre(s) | Stealth action |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: T |
| Media | Nintendo DS Game Card |
| Input methods | Gamepad |
| Prev game (release) | Tenchu: Time of the Assassins |
| Next game (release) | Tenchu Z |
| Next game (canon) | Tenchu: Stealth Assassins |
Tenchu: Dark Shadow (天誅 DARK SHADOW?), (aka Tenchu DS) released as Tenchu: Dark Secret in North Amaerica, is an interquel in the Tenchu series. Dark Secret takes place after the events of Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins and before the events of Tenchu: Stealth Assassins.
Contents
Plot
Two years after the Burning Dawn crisis, Rikimaru and Ayame arrive to the village of Saiga. There they witness a noblewoman being wounded by an arrow during a bandit raid. After driving back the bandits, they learn form the village mayor she is Princess Shizu, wife of Kagemasa of Hakkaku. While Princess Shizu recovers, Rikimaru and Ayame protect the village from the bandits. Eventually, samurai join the bandits in their attacks, and they learn that Hakkaku has sent the samurai and the bandits after Princess Shizu after she escaped from his castle. Hakkaku's attempts escalate to include ninja and even ghouls. They learn from Princess Shizu that Hakkaku took her to inhuman rituals night after night until she tried to run away, striking at him in self-defense with a dagger and injuring his eye. After Rikimaru and Ayame defeat the bandit leader Akunosuke Murai and Kurokaze, the leader of Hakkaku ninja, they learn that Princess Shizu is pregnant. After confronting Hakkaku himself, they learn that his rituals were to resurrect the Lord of the Dead, and that it is in fact Shizu's child. After another raid of Hakkaku's forces, Princess Shizu becomes possessed and vanishes from the village. Rikimaru and Ayame search for her, finding her before a cliff, ready to throw herself to avoid the rebirth of the Lord of the Dead, but Kagemasa appears and reclaims her to complete the ritual. A dark castle appeared from the the night fog, Rikimaru and Ayame infiltrated it to rescue Princess Shizu and defeated Hakkaku without fail.
Gameplay
Tenchu DS is played from a top-view perspective, while the touch screen is used for managing items and for the map, which shows the movement and facing of nearby enemies. Combat is simplified compared to other games having only a simple slash, jump and block. In this installment, strategic use of traps and the enviroment will be vital to avoid detection and confronting enemy reinforcements. Traps can be set up so that an enemy will be struck by them in a sequence. This Combo Kills award photos of the attacks used in the sequence, including sword strikes, explosions, long falls and drowning, and a score at the end of a sucessful mission.
There's a variety of missions, including rescuing captured villagers, who will reward you with the recipes for several items. As you complete misssions, the village will be slowly reconstructed, but failure in mission results in damage to the village. Between missions, you can use materials gathered from the battlefields and from defeated enemies to makes items. You can also sell items, including the photos from Combo Kills, to purchase items from the village Shop.
Gallery
Concept Art
Renders
| Tenchu Series |
|
Main Series Stealth Assassins • Tenchu 2 • Tenchu 3 • Tenchu 4 Portable Games Time of the Assassins • Dark Secret Other Versions and Releases Dimensional Ninja Action Movie • Shinobi Gaisen • Shinobi Hyakusen • Return from Darkness • Fatal Shadows • Tenchu Z • Shadow Assault |
