Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins
Tenchu 2 is a prequel to Tenchu and tells a story that takes place before the events of the previous game. Once again you'll be able to take on the role of Ayame or Rikimaru, two loyal and honorable ninja whose lord is a gentle man in an age of wars. After almost completing your training, you must help your lord fight a civil war in his kingdom. However, all is not as it seems, and you'll soon discover that your greatest threat was forged just like you. Just like its predecessor, Tenchu 2 is a 3D stealth action game in the third person. This time you'll not only be rewarded for your sneaking skills, but also for the efficiency of your movements. This additional feature increases the difficulty level to get the better items, since you'll not only have to be silent, but also direct and almost perfect.
Story
The game is intended as a prequel to the game Tenchu: Stealth Assassins and features the heroes of the series, Rikimaru and Ayame, as teenagers being taught by their older master Shiunsai and another Azuma ninja named Tatsumaru. The game reveals how Rikumaru got the famous scar over his right eye (which is not shown on the game's cover). The Azuma ninja have served the House of Gohda for countless generations. Now the three young ninja Rikimaru, Ayame and Tatsumaru must protect Lord Gohda Matsunoshin from an attempted coup and a mysterious ninja group that calls itself the Burning Dawn. After the three ninja are accepted into the Azuma clan, they are summoned to Gohda Castle, which is under attack by Motohide, Lord Gohda's uncle. After a bloody battle in which Lady Kei, Lord Gohda's wife, is killed and Princess Kiku, Lord Gohda's daughter, is kidnapped, Rikimaru stops Motohide from killing Lord Gohda, but cannot prevent Motohide from escaping. It turns out that Motohide was working for a rival lord, Lord Toda. Toda kills Motohide, only to be killed and beheaded himself by Lady Kagami, the leader of Lord Toda's ninja. She leads a group of rebel ninja who call themselves the Burning Dawn. It consists of Suzaku, Genbu, Seiryu and Byakko, the four lords of the Burning Dawn, and is led by Lady Kagami. To make matters worse, the recently appointed leader of the Azuma Ninja, Tatsumaru, has also disappeared. It later turns out that Tatsumaru has lost his memory and is now part of the Burning Dawn. Rikimaru and Ayame must now rescue Lord Gohda and prevent a ninja uprising that will plunge the country back into civil war. The Burning Dawn was formed when Lord Gohda's uncle Motohide allied with a warlord named Toda Yoshisada to take control of his kingdom. Toda launched an attack on Gohda Castle, killing Lord Gohda's wife Lady Kei and kidnapping his daughter Princess Kiku. Motohide is later betrayed and killed by Toda, only to be betrayed and killed himself by his main assassin Lady Kagami: the founder of the Burning Dawn. Over an unknown period of time after Lord Toda's death, the Burning Dawn engage in a series of underground criminal activities including kidnapping, theft, forced labor, smuggling, and murder. This, in turn, attracts the attention of Lord Gohda and the Azuma Ninja, who seek to put an end to the organization's illegal activities. The end finally comes when the Burning Dawn hierarchy and its flagship, Fire Demon, are destroyed by the combined efforts of Rikimaru and Ayame, as well as the naval units of the Gohda Army.