Millions of years ago, the age of the ninja came to a close when a meteor hit the Earth, altering the planet's climate. Unable to adapt to these changes, the ninjas gradually became extinct. No, wait…that was the dinosaurs. In any case, my point is that everything must evolve or eventually die off. Sadly, I'm afraid that the Tenchu franchise, which once helped define the stealth genre on the original PlayStation, has fallen desperately behind the times.Although Tenchu is once again in the hands of a new publisher (Sega) and new developer (From Software), the end product adheres strictly to the well-worn formula developed by the series. Body-dragging is back from Tenchu 2, and after pulling out our old copy of that game I'd say you'd be hard-pressed to find any major differences between the basic moveset of Tenchu 2 and Fatal Shadows.That's not to say that there isn't some fun to be had here. Being a ninja is just plain cool, and the thrill of grappling from rooftop to rooftop, using a host of ninja items, and pulling off nicely animated stealth kills (of which there are a ton to unlock) will always be there. However, I'm a little disappointed that Tenchu isn't pushing the genre forward like Splinter Cell and Metal Gear Solid have.Concept:Another entry in the long-running ninja stealth seriesGraphics:Better character models than the last iteration, but nothing spectacularSound:Nice, tasteful ambient score with a Japanese folk music flavorPlayability:The combat is simplistic, but effective – if you can overlook the terrible cameraEntertainment:Being a shadow warrior still has its charms, but Tenchu badly needs an overhaulReplay:ModerateRated:7 out of 10Editor:Matt HelgesonIssue:March 20052nd Opinion:Ever since the original Tenchu, I have been waiting patiently for this series to move forward, and unfortunately Fatal Shadows does little new and can be summed simply as just more of the same. Not that it's a bad thing. It's just the series could be so much more than navigating a simple environment, waiting for an opportune moment, and dealing out a stealth kill. Splinter Cell (among others) has moved the stealth genre forward, but Tenchu is still living in the past in both the gameplay and graphics departments. The environments are drab, and the AI is extremely poor at times. For example, in one level I would jump into the water when I was spotted, and the ninjas tracking me down would react by following me into the drink only to discover they couldn't swim and instantly drowned. Who knew? Ninjas can't swim. Fatal Shadows does manage to tread water, but that's about it.Rated:6.75 out of 10Editor:Andy McNamaraSubscribe to Game Informer--Amazon.com