Shinobido: Way of the Ninja - PS2

In Japan, toward the end of the 16th century, the Muromachi period saw the decline of the Ashikaga government, with widespread civil unrest rolling unchecked across the lands. In the small province of Utakata, the people have been shielded from the chaos by the combined protection of the House of Ichilo and the feared Asuka Ninja Clan. In the space of a single night, almost the entire clan is slaughtered and a terrible battle for power unfolds as rival warlords and ninja clans attempt to take the province.

In Shinobido: Way of the Ninja, you take on the role of a ninja trying to survive in the increasingly unstable world. You must cling to the shadows, master the art of stealth and learn the Way of the Ninja, utilising your superhuman reflexes and skills as a bloody struggle unfolds in the shadows.

On first glance, the game could be easily be mistaken for stealth hit series Tenchu: both are set in feudal Japan, share a third-person viewpoint, and involve creeping around rooftops and assassinating the enemy in spectacular instant kills. Separating Shinobido from Tenchu is the interactive environment, not only can doors and screens be destroyed with your katana or a stout kick, but you can move them to create a better hiding place - or open them slightly to spy into the next room. From the rooftops, you can see far across the towns, where you can plan one of many routes to your goal, whether by jump, wall running or using the grapple.

To any fan of the stealth genre, Shinobido: Way of the Ninja is definitely one to consider. more