Patience. If there is a single thing you must possess in order to appreciate Tenchu, it is patience. No number of throwing stars, blowpipes, or fancy-assed back flips will compensate you if you lack the fundamental capacity to sit still on long journeys and not take toilet breaks during movies. Wise man, he not fidget.

And that, for as long as it has been in existence, is the whole point of Tenchu. It's about choosing your moves wisely and about jumping on opportunities when you get the chance. You must be still, you must strike from the darkness and, without wanting to sound like a Carry On movie, you must, ahem, 'do people from behind'. Learn these principles and you'll be chortling quietly to yourself (remember, wise man not guffaw loudly over vanquished foe in case he spotted and strung up by goolies.)

Return From Darkness is essentially a beefed-up Wrath Of Heaven (PS2), only with spangly Xbox knobs on. There are a couple of extra single-player levels thrown in as tasty exclusives, along with a great multiplayer option and Xbox Live capabilities, but if you already own Wrath then differentiating the two comes down to the extras you get with Xbox. The visuals have only had a meagre spit 'n' polish applied, and you can easily spot hefty remnants of the old code lurking within the game. But, before you start contemplating falling on your own sword, this is far more than a straight port. The Xbox has added its own gruesome twist.

Like previous Tenchus, Return From Darkness strongly rewards the element of stealth, but carefully strikes a balance between snooping and neck slicing. There's a palpable feeling of anticipation as the game pad rumbles and you hear enemies drawing closer. The sense of dread before every kill is made even more tangible because no save points are included to rescue you if everything goes tits up and you find a length of sword rammed through your gut.

At first this seems like a huge mistake but that's far from the case. Being forced to retread a level allows you the chance to refine your technique. It allows you to improvise just as it allows you to learn enemy routines and behaviours. Whereas you were once skewered within minutes, with practice you'll eventually find yourself nimbly racing through a level, moving onto your next victim before the previous one has even hit the floor. It's exceptionally rewarding when you complete a level without even breaking a sweat or being seen, especially as punishment for mistakes has now been given more gravity.

Enemy AI, while not quite up to the level of, say, your average microwave, has certainly improved from Wrath. You will now be pursued if spotted, and enemies are intensely aggressive, calling for help if necessary, and even disarming your traps if you place them in too obvious a place. Complete a level littered with the swines and you'll want to pop your collar and strut down the street to Stayin' Alive. That's how cool you'll feel. And, almost as a footnote, if you really insist on continue points, check out the Easy option as this has now been added to the Xbox version - you big sissy.

The Live multiplayer option is also a bonus. You either go head to head, stalking and hunting down a real person with real tactics and real intelligence, or go co-op with them and use the headset to interact and track down other Live players.

A little more effort, which was clearly applied to ramping up the AI and gameplay, should have also been applied to the smaller touches. In an age where developers are striving to create true virtual realities, you can still be sprayed with blood from a gushing artery and not smear it along every wall and corner you creep round. You can leave bodies and entrails lying everywhere and still get nothing more than a mere shrug of the shoulders from the guard who finds them. It's little things like this that would have added even further depth to the game, which, in spite of minor niggles, is still a cracking good laugh.

There's something in Tenchu that you wouldn't even find in Splinter Cell. A raw, desperate gameplay that relies more on wits and luck than night vision and Codecs. It has something of the lioness about it. When you're teetering high on a ledge a few inches from your death, or genuinely and passionately fighting to stay alive after coming so far without saving, you just appreciate how much fun the series is. It may not have the graphical sheen of Sam Fisher's death dealing, nor does it have quite the following, but for sheer, brutal throat cutting and animal instinct you can't go far wrong.

Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow exploded on Xbox with all the stealth of a car bomb, but true to form, it looks as though Tenchu is going to slip under the radar. Make sure this isn't the case. Turn on all the lights, send out the guards, and set loose the dogs. Like their

countless victims, you'd be a fool to overlook Rikimaru, Ayame and chums.

1. Exclusive levels
2. Very immersive
3. Makes you feel 'ard!

1. Bit rough around the edges
2. Not too different from Wrath
3. AI could have been even better!

Power
Good to see Live included, but otherwise its very similar to its lesser opponent Wrath Of Heaven.

Style
Bamboo shacks ahoy, it's got all the mysticism of the Far East, only without the smell of egg-fried rice.

Immersion
Will suck you in like a black hole. Although you are forced to retread levels you'll never resent them.

Lifespan
Ages. Two characters with different missions, plus an unlockable third character and bonus missions.

Summary
Stealth and honour with a touch of old skool grit, this is a slow-burning beauty that could have done with a little more gloss.