Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven update

Activision recently dropped by the GameSpot offices to show off a new build of Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven for the PlayStation 2, and while most of what we saw had already been revealed in our initial look at the game, we did have an opportunity to check out more of the game's multiplayer component, which features six cooperative maps and six deathmatch maps.

In cooperative mode, players can choose from either Rikimaru or his female ninja counterpart, Ayame. Both characters will have to work together to avoid detection and take out enemy guards. Rikimaru and Ayame can use all the same attacks from the single-player game to deal with enemies, but they can also perform a dual stealth kill. This maneuver--in which Ayame jumps onto an enemy's head and snaps his neck while Rikimaru thrusts his sword into the enemy's stomach--features some amazing animation. However, not all the missions in the cooperative mode require significant amounts of stealth. One of the later maps essentially becomes a boss battle mode in which both players have to fight it out with two bosses at the same time. What makes this part of the cooperative mode particularly fun is that Rikimaru and Ayame can either work together or fight the bosses individually.

The deathmatch mode is a little more straightforward than the cooperative levels, since it's just a one-on-one fight to the death. It also offers more characters to choose from than the cooperative mode. You can select from up to 14 different characters, including enemies found throughout the game, as well as a scarf-wearing ninja dog that can use a grappling hook.