User Rating: 8.4 | The Mark of Kri PS2
By RCC1140 | Review Date:
Overview: In The Mark of Kri, you play as Rau, an ancient warrior who is as graceful in swordplay as he is strong. The game is a very unique game and packs as much blood and gore as it does cool moments. You can find MoK for $30 or under in most stores, and at that price it is a bargain. Why? Well read on to find out. Game Play: The game play in Mark of Kri is fairly simplistic enough, and is easy for the newbie to understand and play while still having enough things to keep hardcore gamers occupied. The game uses a lot of very interesting and new techniques. For example, when sneaking into an enemy fort filled with bandits, you can call on your bird Kudzu to fly ahead and scout the area out for baddies. Kudzu will fly to specially marked tree branches and then let you take control of the camera and look around for bad guys. Another new feature that Mark of Kri introduced is the smart and almost genius-fighting mechanic that lets you highlight the enemy you wish to attack. An example of this would be as follows, you find you’re self-surrounded by four bad guys and no way out. By using the right analog stick you will see a “focus” beam come out of Rau, using the beam you highlight all four enemies and after doing so a symbol that corresponds with a controller button will pop up over their heads. So, to the right you could have a guy with an X over him and another guy with a 0 and another with a square, etc. By pushing the corresponding button, you will attack that person. It has to really be seen to be fully understood, but needless to say it is a very cool addition that works well most of the time. The stealth kills in MoK are also a sight to behold. Ranging from a simple slit of the throat to a violent wall stabbing, they are gory yet fascinating to watch. Score: 9.5 Graphics: Mark of Kri’s graphics are a very mixed bag. The textures look like they are straight out of a PSOne game, yet the animation and other effects look like a very nice PS2 game. As I mentioned the animations in Mark of Kri are a very smooth and nice looking and really make the game look like a page from an ancient Chinese drawing. The water effects are nothing to special and the trees look a little two-dimensional. However, when you walk up next to a waterfall or a flame, the effects surrounding them are astounding. Don’t be fooled by the games “kiddie” looks though. While it may look like a Disney film, this game is not for the weak of heart. The gore is some of the most grotesque I have ever seen, and with such great animations, it is almost eerie. In some ways, even GTA3 is put to shame by this games violence and gore. Score: 6.5 Sound: The sound in MoK is nothing special, the music is rather forgettable and the environment noises are barley noticeable. There are some bone chilling sounds effects though, like when you perform a stealth kill and you hear a neck crack, it is bone chilling. If you thought Dead to Rights neck breaking sound was eerie, you have not heard anything yet. Other effects such as swords clashing are fair, but nothing you have not heard before. The one place that sounds somewhat cool and interesting is the games narrator. There is something cool to me about his voice, it sounds like an ancient Chinese warrior reliving his battle days through someone else. Score: 6.5 Fun Factor: Overall Mark of Kri was a very enjoyable (if a bit gross) experience. I have seen the game used at some stores for $20, and if you are looking for a twist on the action/adventure genre, that is a great bargain. Even if you have played other games like it, this game is still worth a buy. If you are in doubt, rent it first to see if you like it. Overall: 8.6 (Not an Average)

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