The Tenchu franchise first debuted on PlayStation in 1998 and hasn’t been updated in over a decade, but now the creator is talking about how the series will move forward. Endo, who is still at Acquire, reveals that he’d love to create a Tenchu successor from scratch on PlayStation 5. The question then becomes, will there be a Tenchu for PlayStation 4?

Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins

For fans of the first game, Tenchu 2 is a great upgrade to the original. The third-person action title emphasizes its compilation aspects. Players play as one of three different characters and must complete tasks based on silent elimination and infiltration of a particular location. A new mission editor allows players to customize the game’s missions by altering the map’s appearance and location, as well as the enemies’ appearance and abilities.

The game is a stealth action 3D game that rewards players for their efficiency in movement and stealth. As players level up, the difficulty increases, and their missions become increasingly challenging. The gameplay is addictive and the game’s mechanics are brilliant. A unique storyline keeps gamers interested and makes the game worth playing. Play as one of two ninjas or as a team and complete missions to earn better items.

Tenchu Z

While the original PlayStation 2 entry of the Tenchu franchise was a huge hit, the PlayStation 4 version is an entirely new game. Developed by Acquire, the action-adventure series takes place in 16th century Japan. The game’s title translates as “Divine Retribution.” The Chinese characters Tian and Zhu mean “heaven” and “death penalty.” The first PlayStation 2 entry was also titled Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven.

The game features action-packed gameplay, including third-person view combat, stealth, and co-op. As the titular ninja, you’ll be required to complete tasks in order to protect the world. There are numerous locations and items in which you can use your ninja to accomplish your mission. Detailed environments, superb gameplay mechanics, and a large variety of enemies make this a game that will keep you playing for hours!

Gladiux

The developers of Gladiux have announced that the game will be available in 2020. The game began as a remake of the popular Gladiator Begins but evolved into its own project. It will be published by Acquire in Japan and Starcaster Games for the rest of the world. The game will be available in Japan and PC as well, though plans for other consoles are still being considered. Let’s take a closer look at Gladiux’s gameplay.

Developers of the game, Starcaster Games, are based in Baltimore, Maryland. While their primary industry focus is based in Japan, their main development unit is located in Tokyo. Kaz Takeshita, the company’s CEO, is based in Tokyo. The company has partnered with many major studios on production support for Chinese games. The company’s development philosophy is east meets west. The game’s release date is unclear, though, so we’ll have to wait and see what it brings to the table.

Acquire’s new indies label

The PlayStation 4 version of Endo’s indie game label has a definite Japanese flavour, with the first image revealing a battle-type game based on the World of Final Fantasy universe. But it won’t be until 2021 before the first title is released under the new label. The developer hopes to have the new label up and running by the end of 2021.

As for the future of the Tenchu series, Acquire president Takuma Endo has revealed that the company is looking into reviving the series, with a new indies label by 2021. The company even registered the trademark “Stealth Assassin” in Japan back in August, although that expired in August 2018. Regardless, the trademark’s pending expiration means that Acquire plans to create a new Tenchu title by the end of the year.

As far as the future of the Tenchu franchise goes, the developer is considering developing a successor title, but that’s not yet confirmed. For now, however, the studio is focusing on the PS4 version of Labyrinth of Zangetsu, a 3D dungeon-crawling JRPG set in medieval Japan. It will also include elements of Japanese mythology and magic.