Codename Tenka

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a game by Psygnosis
Genre: Shooting Games
Platforms: Playstation, PSX
Editor Rating: 6.8/10, based on 8 reviews, 9 reviews are shown
User Rating: 8.0/10 - 4 votes
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See also: First Person Shooter Games

Dark and Doomlike, Tenka (working title) takes place in a completely 3D polygonal environment. In 20 levels, you hunt down mutants, robots, and other weird humanoids in hotels, sewers, and prisons. Your gun, complete with a laser sight, morphs into nine weapons, and you can power-up with a motion-tracker device. Very intense.

Download Codename Tenka

Playstation

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
PSX

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP

Game Reviews

Overview

In the past, fans of first-person shooters would take whatever scraps the developers would throw them and swallow every last piece, loving every tasty bite. Nowadays, the scraps have turned to a full menu of choices. In other words, there are enough first-person games out there that people can now afford to be more choosy and more critical. This means that the developers had better bring something new or better to the party, or suffer an early trip to the bargain bin.

Codename: Tenka definitely does add some new flavor to this market, but also sticks out some of the traditional aspects. All your favorite killing machines are here, with some new ones to boot. Tons of very creative enemies and an incredibly cool feature that gives you laser sighting on your guns makes Tenka good, but the overwhelming darkness and levels that all look similar keep it from being great.

Gameplay

Codename: Tenka is a first-person shooter that follows most of the cliches. For example, you spend a majority of your time in dark corridors. Then you run into a door. Some doors require a colored key, while others open automatically. If you don't have the correct color key, turn around and go find it. When you do finally open the door, you may find a room full of enemies or more corridors. I am oversimplifying things a bit, but the point I am try to make is that the basics are the same as most other games of this type on the market.

As I said above, a game has to bring something new to the party. Tenka has some pretty cool features that make it more than just a walk-and-blast-athon. For example, you are not limited to just walking. You can run, jump, crouch and strafe. Each of these attributes opens up a new dimension for the first-person shooter. One of the things that sticks out is the crouching. This means that you must now study walls down low for secret passageways that can only be entered from a crouch. Also, grates can be blown away to access other areas that would not be accessible in an upright position. This gives the developer a whole new dimension to work with.

Another thing that gives the game a breath of fresh air is the effects. Talk about realistic explosions. I would have to say that the explosions in this game rank up there as some of the best around. Another very cool effect that the game has is the laser sighting on your gun. There is no more guesswork on your aim. Just point your laser sights at the enemy and start blasting. If that is not enough help, you will have a targeting box that appears around enemies when they are in range and in your sights. I'm sure some of you are thinking that there would be no challenge left. Don't worry, it is still plenty challenging.

The final thing that makes Tenka unique is the puzzle solving. It is not always a "shoot to the end of each level" situation. Well, there are the blast-your-way-through missions, but there are also times where you have to do some thinking. At first, this just made me mad. I remember thinking that since I had already killed all the freaking enemies, I should get to advance to the next level. I hated the fact that I had to figure something out. I don't want to mislead you into thinking that the puzzles are unsolvable, though. If you pay attention to the little intro video, it pretty much tells you what you need to do to go on. I think this is just a nice touch that gives the game something different.

After reading everything above, you are probably wondering why this game didn't get a higher score. Well, not everything is perfect. For one, the levels all pretty much look and feel the same. This wouldn't be bad if I really liked the way the levels look and feel. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The levels are all way too dark. I don't mind the occasional venture into the unknown, but this goes a bit too far. Also, since it is so dark, it is difficult to locate some of the items necessary to finish levels. For example, at one point I was stuck in a room with an obvious exit door. I was unable to figure out how to open the door, until I finally resorted to scanning every inch of the walls and ceiling, waiting for the targeting box to flash to show that I had a target in my sights. I don't think the box that needs to be destroyed to open the door was intended to be that difficult to locate. The game was just so dark it was almost impossible to see.

Graphics

The graphics are too dark. I think that the developers did themselves a disservice by doing this. The reason a lot of these games are dark is to hide graphical shortcomings. On occasions when the lighting is good enough, the graphics are quite impressive. There is almost no break-up, even when you are right on top of a wall or enemy. The 3D levels do look good most of the time, and I think the sloping ramps give a great feeling of depth. I know that lighting, and lack thereof, is used to create an atmosphere. I will concede that you do have a very creepy atmosphere, but I just wish someone would hit a light switch every so often and let us see what we are up against.

Bottom Line

Codename: Tenka is a pretty decent game. If you are a fan of this type of game, you could definitely do worse. I think that the developers have shortchanged themselves by making everything so dark all the time. I don't mind mood lighting, but this went a bit too far. I like some of the unique aspects this game did have to offer and did find myself getting a bit addicted. One word of advice: do not play this game if your television gets any amount of glare from lights. Trust me.

Wolfenstein 3D started a trend-a trend so big that it is still going strong today. First-person perspective action games are so popular that it seems like every company is putting one out. Not content to be left behind, Psygnosis makes their mark on the genre with the release of Codename: Tenka.

Tenka is a lone resistance fighter, who decides to take on an evil corporation that has been turning peaceful citizens into cold-blooded soldiers. Simple story, isn't it? Tenka embodies more than just simple hack-and-slash action.

The levels are split up into different missions, with some being just blasting your way through, and others having set objectives. In others, you'll find yourself scouring the floor for memory chips or other special items.

Codename: Tenka's graphics have a dark ambience that fits the game very well. Each level's graphics are meticulously crafted to look as realistic as possible. From smoke billowing through the halls to ice encrusted along the walls, every bit of the game feels like you're really there. The game's areas include an abandoned hotel being used as a genetics laboratory, a cold storage locker, sewers and a number of construction zones. To make the game even more realistic, the graphic elements are light-sourced and shaded.

Tenka can run, jump and crawl his way through each level, and strafe left and right On a circle too to shoot at enemies. The arsenal of weapons that can be picked up is huge. When fired, some of the more elaborate guns produce special graphical effects that are stunning to witness. When a weapon is fired, the hallways light up and you can see the enemies for a split second.

The enemies are an assortment of robots and mutants who are running loose around the levels or guarding the sinister corporation's evil deeds. There are three classes of enemies: Bionoids,

Robots and Genetics. Bionoids are mutated humans who have bionic alterations that make them very difficult to defeat. Robots wander the floors of the game looking for intruders, and when they find you, looks out for their firepower! Genetics are failed experiments that have an organic, gruesome appearance to them. The dark environment fits the designs of the enemies well in this kind of game.

A unique feature of the game is the laser sighting of Tenka's polymorphic gun. When you run into an enemy, you'll see the laser sighting follow its movements. This gives the player a realistic feel and makes targeting enemies a lot easier in the darkest of areas.

What Tenka will have to overcome with gamers is the feeling that first-person perspective games have grown old. Introducing a new game in the genre means having to come up with something new, something that gamers can't get anywhere else or on their PCs. Psygnosis has worked long and hard to make sure that Codename: Tenka is more than just your average Doom or Quake clone. With a huge amount of levels, Tenka is sure to keep gamers busy for a long time to come.

The only thing holding it back is that what made this genre so popular on the PC is the ability to deathmatch against a human opponent. The lack of this feature has somewhat hurt other similar games when they have made the move to the PS.

Tenka looks like a game that will hold its own against the best of them, but the final assessment will have to be made by gamers as to whether or not it is worth picking up the controller to play. The graphics look fantastic, so if the gameplay is there, Psygnosis will have another hit. The only question that remains is will it be seen as a clone or an original game.

  • MANUFACTURER - Psygnosis
  • THEME - Shooting
  • NUMBER OF PLAYERS - 1

People say:

6.0

There are two things that bug me about Codename: Tenka. First, it's a first-person game that doesn't have any memorable features that really set it apart from others. The graphic effects are incredible but sometimes almost too dark. It seems like there were only slight variations in gameplay in the different levels. The story line is strange in a good way but the voice-acting during the cinemas is very poor. The story line does go well with the progression of the levels. The enemies are well-animated and really weird (again in a good way). It's definitely one to rent but unfortunately it probably will get lost in the shuffle of Doomish games.

4.0

Codename: Tenka is one of the most uninspiring titles that I have played recently. I can't see a draw for this game at all. I did like the enemies; they are sly and swift. That gives Tenka the slight bit of excitement that Doom games need. But the problems are plentiful. First, the levels almost all look alike-dark and repetitive. You might find yourself retracing your steps often as you try to figure out where you are. Second, the wall textures aren't all properly connected. Nothing destroys the immersive feeling of a 3-D game quicker than seeing seams everywhere. And what's up with the bowling sound you get when you pick up icons?

7.0

Codename: Tenka earns points for being a true 3-D first-person shooter-and it's a pretty snazzy-looking one at that. But then it loses points for being a little on the dull side. As I wandered around the game's dark, stark hallways, I got kinda bored. Hie levels just don't pack the puzzles or personality of an Id-inspired shooter. They do look pretty dam nice, though-even better than Alien Trilogy's environments. Most objects and walls lack hard angles, so everything has a rounded, more natural look. The lighting effects are way-cool, too. It is the enemies, though, that truly stand out. The spider-head bad guys will give you nightmares.

5.5

When you take a look at the typical first-person shooter, you'll quickly notice the only games that truly provide a pleasurable and memorable experience are the ones that have many traps, puzzles and flocks of enemies swarming at you. Codename Tenka contains very little of any of these important features, and even the walls look synthetic. Nothing stands out as being important to the game but shoot, shoot, shoot. The cinemas, while cheesy, do stay consistent with the plot line, a small bonus for a small game. I do think, however, that this game is a good step for Psygnosis to stretch their 3-D muscles.

Here's our exclusive! While our editors were cruising through ECTS in London, they stumbled into an ultra highly rendered PlayStation version of a new Doom-type game from Psygnosis. This is so hush-hush that the U.S. guys won't talk about it and the Brits just kind of smiled as we snapped a few pictures. Based on their reputation for making the most exciting PSX games around, this could be the one to watch in '96!

  • PUBLISHER - Psygnosis England
  • THEME - Doom
  • NUMBER OF PLAYERS - 1

This first-person 3-D Doom-ish game looks to be more than just a violence-filled walk through different levels. Tenka has some major objectives. This title, with over 15 levels in four missions, has specific mission tasks instead of just finding an exit or triggering a switch. This, according to Mark Day, PR manager for Psygnosis, is what sets Tenka apart from being a simple Doom clone. Details are still early but from inside info we received on Tenka, it looks like your character is part of an underground resistance group. You have an array of weapons that morph on screen when changed. Keep an eye out.

Hold on to your hats kids, there is another first-person perspective shooter coming to the PlayStation. While that's nothing new, this one is by Psygnosis, so you know it's bound to be good.

You play Tenka, who is out to stop a giant corporation from producing an army of evil bionoids. Your only weapons are a prototype warfare package named ZENITH and a "self-generating polymorphic gun." Sure it sounds funny, but it's quite powerful.

Instead of having multiple weapons, you now have one gun that can be upgraded into nine different forms.

Tenka features 20 different environments with motion-captured polygon enemies running at 30 FPS.

This should be one of the better first-person games available.

Another Doom clone? Yep, but this one kicks butt! Codename: Tenka is a stylish, rendered Doom alternative with more firepower than a Marine, and the attitude to match!

The Top Tenka List

This early version showcases very clean graphics which are fascinating and disturbing at the same time. Human heads with spider legs (reminiscent of John Carpenter's movie The Thing) and stubby demons are horrific--and they react to gunshots! In a nice touch, if you shoot off their legs, they walk in circles.

Flay Per View

The controls give you the ability to reach many areas. For instance, you can crouch and crawl into sewers and floor grates, or you can jump up and enter air ventilation shafts. Along the way you have to fulfill certain objectives, like triggering doors, blowing up machinery, and committing other acts of general vandalism.

Tons of Guns

Tenka also has an impressive array of weaponry. You have an arsenal bigger than the Montana Freemen's, with everything from bomb-blasting mortar guns to crackling lasers. You also have a cool laser sight on your weapon, which makes tracking enemies in dark rooms much easier. Tenka's impressive-looking enemies, stunning arsenal, and moody environments make this one Doomer to keep an eye out for.

You're trapped in a desolate space colony, mutants and robots hunting you, a brain-splitting voice in your head...and your name is Tenka. What you need is a powerful gun!

Codename: Tenka arms you nicely for a first-person shootout that's solidly in line with Doom, Disruptor, and Alien Trilogy. Set in a violent future, Tenka's 31 levels pit workman-like gunplay against aggressive enemies. Blasting monsters and figuring out which devices to shut down to escape the levels eventually arms you with three weapons that power up into nine selectable forms of firepower.

The controls are stressful at first. Learning to aim up and down using LI and L2 can be frustrating; you'll take more hits and waste more ammo than you should.

But just when you feel like swearing, some ugly mutant charges you, and the ensuing adrenaline rush reminds you why you play video games. Tenka is trigger-happy fun.

ProTips:

  • Control panels are not apparent. When the Object Detection alarm sounds, look for a switch and press R1.
  • When radar reveals a tough enemy lurking around a comer, aim at the wall or structure. The auto-targeting gun-sight may enable you to shoot through it.
  • The auto-targeting gunsight reveals objects that need shooting, even if they don't look like it.
  • Lasers or missiles are best for destroying automated defense systems.
  • Since aiming up and down can take time, heed radar warnings and set up shots ahead of time. Press L1 and 12 to guess the height of your enemies before you face them.
  • Explosions from your own missiles, grenades, and mines can damage you.

Graphics

Tenka's dark laboratory-like interiors are first-rate, the creepy creatures (like the spiders with human faces) are horrific, and the jerky animation as your gun pumps rapid fire is sweet.

Sound

Aggressive enemies,cool-looking firepower, impressively detailed 3D settings, and 31 levels make Tenka a gunfight worth fighting.

Control

The controls are an acquired taste. It takes two button presses to strafe in one direction, and using L1 and L2 to aim up and down can be painfully time-consuming.

Fun Factor

Aggressive enemies, cool-looking firepower, impressively detailed 3D settings, and 31 levels make Tenka a gunfight worth fighting.

Snapshots and Media

Playstation Screenshots

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