I know what you’re thinking. The mark of what now? Exactly. This one came out of nowhere, and will (sadly) probably never be recognized for how great it really is. With it’s Disney-esque graphics mixed with Conan-like violence, The Mark of Kri offers solid gameplay with a unique and engrossing presentation.
As I just stated, the presentation of this game is just flat-out brilliant. Don’t be fooled by it’s almost kiddie-game like graphics, the game has enough gore for any Mortal Kombat fan out there. The good, (albeit a bit predictable) story is shown through hand-drawn cinemas, and cutscenes featuring superb voice acting and unique character designs. The whole atmosphere of the game enhances the game to a whole new level.
At first site, the word that pops in mind after seeing these graphics are "Disney." It really does look like you are playing a really good, and brutally graphic Disney animated film, if that makes any sense. Character designs are incredible, and the environments feature lifelike touches such as birds that flutter when you get too close, grass blowing in the wind, and violently gorgeous killing animations round out a great graphical package. It does have some slight slowdown and repeating enemies, however, this doesn’t take away too much from the overall package.
The sound is above average. Good sound effects and a little bit of well made music, but enemies tend to repeat the same things again and again, and while the music is good, there’s a major lack of it. Good, but could have been better. This is really the only flaw of the game, but most players will be too engrossed to even notice.
Mark of Kri uses an ingenious new way of locking onto enemies. Using the right analog stick, you point the beam of light in the direction of one enemy, or sweep it around to target multiple enemies. Some weapons have a longer range, and therefore let you target more, and hit more people with one attack. Once you are locked on, an icon of x, square, or triangle appears above the enemies head. This indicates which button you press to attack that specific enemy. This leads to some really cool combos and strategic battling of enemies. You can attack an enemy in front of you, then link that to a back attack, thrusting your sword behind you to hit another, and then hitting the front enemy again, leading to a 3 hit combo. When a button is not assigned to an enemy, it can be used with the locked on button to supply more combos, some with finishing maneuvers. It sounds a little complicated, but it’s really so simple I’m surprised another game hasn’t done it already. There is also some stealth action to be had, a bit reminiscent of Tenchu, to take out enemies in advance. It all leads to a great action adventure game that you’ll play for hours on end. There aren’t many puzzles to figure out, this game is pretty much based around combat or stealth killing, depending on your style. This can be a drawback for some gamers, however. If you’re not that much into combat, you might find the game too repetetive for your liking. Another innovative addition to gameplay is the main character’s spiritual guide, Kuzo the bird. You can send Kuzo off to different perches, and then see through his eyes. This allows the player to see what enemies are ahead, and even leads to some secrets or finding hard to reach switches. Kuzo can also distract enemies on some occasions, leaving them open for a stealth kill. As if that wasn’t enough, there are also optional challenges to be accomplished, which leads to mini games and rewards, which include new outfits and concept art. This helps add to the replay value that most games of this genre lack. The game does a good job of teaching you how to fully utilize all your weapons, however, the whole game can feel like one huge training mission at times, seeing as you acquire new weapons frequently, and the next stage is usually dependent on that weapon being used to its full potential.
The few flaws this game does have, however, does not take away from the overall package, which is truly a must-buy for all fans of action games and maybe even some newcomers. This is definitely the sleeper hit of the year.
