The Mark of Kri
The Mark of Kriby Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: PlayStation2
ESRB Rating: Mature
ASIN: B000066JRQ
Check price @ amazon.com , amazon.ca , amazon.co.uk
Features:
• Realistically gory battles in a cartoon universe
• Arcade-style fighting, exploration, strategy and stealth
• Innovative battle system
• Easy management of multiple foes
• Deep gameplay, with good replay value
Amazon.com: Though by no means perfect, The Mark of Kri is an original and completely realized game experience. With an innovative fighting system, graphics that are better than you thought the PS2 could deliver, and lots of cool extra character abilities, the game offers a fresh take on the basic guy-with-a-sword scenario.
The Mark of Kri offers some kind of story about dark times coming and bad guys roaming the countryside, or some kind of yadda yadda like that, but the only important thing to know is that you must wander around collecting stuff and kill guys who attack you. There are several things that make this more interesting than it sounds, most prominently the amazing environments of moss-covered ruins. Reportedly former Disney animators were among the developers, and it shows, not only in the character designs and movements, but in the excellence of the sound and lighting effects that subtly deepen the game's lush, ominous atmosphere.
Then there's the fighting system, which lets you assign a button to each attacker, so you can attack enemies on all sides without worrying about which direction you're facing. This is a fairly simple matter at first, but requires more strategy and skill as the game progresses. The Mark of Kri includes a stealth mode, which allows you to sneak up and strike lethal blows before enemies can sound the alarm, and there's a bird you can send ahead to scout hostile territory before you enter it. These extra features keep the ol' killing-crowds-of-bad-guys routine from growing tedious.
We have only two serious complaints: one, the environments are not as seamless and interactive as they could be (if there's a cliff, shouldn't you be able to jump off it?), and two, there are too many things to keep straight, stuff like magic items and combo moves (but then again, the author is unusually lazy, and this probably won't bother most gamers). Overall, though, The Mark of Kri is rock solid, graphically beautiful, and thoroughly engaging. --David Stoesz
Pros:
Beautiful graphics and art direction
Innovative and fun fighting system
Extra character abilities
Edgy, atmospheric sound effects and music
Cons:
Convoluted system of items to collect
Environments are not interactive enough
Some cutscenes are lengthy and pointless
Amazon.com Product Description: An intense and exhilarating fighting adventure experience, The Mark of Kri delivers graphic and gory fighting in a stylish cartoon universe. The gameplay is varied and involves exploration, strategy, and stealth, among other elements. With an engaging story line filled with conflict, magic, and discovery, the game follows Rau, a heroic warrior unmatched in skill and strength, as he battles through richly detailed environments to discover the truth about his family's dark secret. Featuring a completely new and innovative combat system, detailed character design, and clever gameplay, The Mark of Kri aims to breathe new life into the action-adventure genre.
Customer Reviews:
Start of a Great Adventure!, December 5, 2002
Reviewer: A gamer from Detroit, MI USA
I was very pleasantly surprised with the action and variety of fighting moves the game offers. The graphics are great and the story line mixes well with the artistic presentation of the game. The game was short in length of play but is a great start if it is be a first of many series of adventures based on the main character. I rented the game and completed it over a 3 day playing time (about 12-15 hrs). The game does have replay value in the arena and challenge mode but not so much in replaying the story line. I highly recommend playing this game for its story and game fighting style. Buy it if you can.....at least rent it and have fun embarking on a high action packed adventure.
BEST ADVENTURE MAKE YET!!!, December 4, 2002
Reviewer: holdencaulfieldfrank from New York, Larchmonut
I love this game! I like slicing people's head-offs and cutting all of the bad-guys into nothing but limbs if you like that this is the game 4 U. I tell ya its like really going through wide-realistical scenes and events. Its a truely amazing game.
A GREAT BARBARIAN STYLE GAME !, December 3, 2002
Reviewer: rich jankowski from YONKERS, NEW YORK United States
WHEN I FIRST PLAYED THIS GAME , I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS OKAY. BUT AFTER PLAYING IT A BIT MORE , I REALIZED HOW GOOD IT REALLY IS. HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE A BARBARIAN GAME , THAT LETS YOU ANNIHILATE YOUR ENEMIES IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS . IT'S GREAT WHEN YOU CAN DISARM YOUR ENEMY AND GET TO USE THEIR WEAPONS AGAINST THEM . OR TAKE OUT ARCHERS WITH YOUR BOW AND ARROW , OR EVEN BETTER- SNEAK UP ON THEM AND KILL THEM BY SNAPPING A NECK , BEHEADING THEM WITH YOUR SWORD , OR SMASHING THEIR SKULLS INTO A WALL !!MY ONLY COMPLAINTS ARE THAT THERE ARE NOT MANY SAVE SCROLLS IN THE LEVELS , WHICH WOULD BE GOOD SINCE THEY ARE LONG LEVELS.OR THAT THERE ARE NOT MANY HEALTH POWERUPS EITHER. BUT BEYOND THAT , THE GAME IS ORIGINAL AND LOTS OF FUN!SO IF YOU WANNA PLAY A NEAT GAME THAT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE '' CONAN '' THAN THIS IS IT ! GET IT NOW AND ENJOY ! BUT GET THE GUIDE , AS IT HELPS A LOT...
Great Game but.., November 13, 2002
Reviewer: epitaph000 from Baltimore, MD USA
The mark of kri is a one of a kind game. you haven't seen anything like this, its graphics are amazing and the mix of a cartoon type look and fairly graphic violence. obvisouly the best part of this game is the fighting. the main problem with this is the story line is not good at all. I completed the game in about 9 hours and was just getting ready to get involved in the true story of the game "the wrath of kri" and was shocked at its ending, should be at least twice as long as it is. ..., the levels are pretty fun to replay but the real replay value of this game comes from the arenas you unlock but completing all objectives. these are great and will take a long to get all these are very interesting for all the people watching the game too. no mulitplayer.
great game finghting is awesome and graphic. great graphics
short story line
A Must Have, November 6, 2002
Reviewer: piercedbigd from Chicago IL
First off let me say how great this game is. Don't let the disney type, graphics fool you, not that the graphics are bad, but at first glance it looks like a game geared for kids. it is not in any way. The gameplay is aboutsolutely amazing and nothing but fun, you get to cleave enemies in half, disarm them and kill them with thier own weapon. The controls are excelent and where they should be, the sound is a little lacking, but all in all this is a good choice, and a wise investment for hours of entertainment
must have, September 29, 2002
Reviewer: A gamer from los angeles, CA
this game has been getting excellent reviews and i definitely have to agree. There are some camera problems and the view can get very messed up at times but what makes this game so special is the way it combines stealth moves and fighting sequences. The graphics are awesome and this game will keep you interested even after you have completed it.
an awesome, bloody game!, September 19, 2002
Reviewer: A 12-year old gamer
When I first played this game, I had my doubts about it. I thought it was going to be a super in-depth RPG(personally, I don't really like those types of games). But, man was I wrong. This game has elements of both genres, acton/adventue and RPG. With an involving story, and excellent control, "The Mark of Kri" would be a great addition to anyone's PS2 library.
Great game but a little short, September 18, 2002
Reviewer: tank650 from San Fransisco Bay area
WOW what a pleasure it was to play this game. The fighting in this game is great you can do so much more when you can lock onto your enemy. The only down fall is it seems a little short or maybe I was just so into the game I didn't realize how long I played it for.
The Mark Of Kri, September 2, 2002
Reviewer: A 10-year old gamer
This game is da bomb it is so cool!I got a game demo from my friend and it happened to have the mark of kri on it,so I started it up and from the second I saw the sword and cartoony animation I knew I would love this game!I mean this game has everthing!Sword fights,bow and arrows,axes,stealth,a great combat sytem,and even a even a spirt guide(bird)!in the game you start with a sword and later on I think you get a bow and arrow and two other things,like I said before I only played the demo.I am begging my dad to get this game for me!Hope I helped
Hack and slash action was never this much fun., September 2, 2002
Reviewer: James from Maryland, USA
There's something to be said for games that combine strong atmosphere with a simple, playable mechanic. TENCHU, a sleeper PSOne hit for Activision from several years ago, did this by melding a dark, brooding vision of feudal Japan with effective controls and addictive game play. Now Sony's in-house developers bring a similar delight to the PS2 with THE MARK OF KRI, a game no one really talked about before its release, but one that no one can stop playing now that it's out.
Combining sword- and axe-swinging action with stealth elements, THE MARK OF KRI follows the story of a young warrior named Rau, who finds himself unwittingly caught up in an ages-old battle between the forces of light and darkness, with only his spirit guide, the bird named Kuzo, to help him. During the course of the game, the tale is told in startlingly well-acted voice segments, and accompanied by lush, hand-drawn artwork that's reminiscent of animator Don Bluth's (THE SECRET OF NIMH) Disney-style work. Between installments of the story, the players navigate Rau through huge (and we're talking HUGE) and beautifully rendered levels, eliminating bad guys and generally wreaking havoc.
The characters in THE MARK OF KRI are animated by hand, not motion captured, and this has the unexpected effect of making everything seem much more smooth and lifelike than it might otherwise have been. Even though Rau and his enemies are somewhat cartoonish in that same Bluth style, soon the player won't notice, as the level of verisimilitude draws one right in and keeps one there.
But the game isn't all pretty landscapes and excellent character designs. Oh, no. There's also a heaping helping of violence, which more than earns the game's M rating. Rau breaks necks, runs men through, and lops off heads with abandon. When in the heat of combat, he severs limbs and can even cut a man in two. Blood spills aplenty, with wild variety in the forms and methods of killing.
The game truly shines when Rau is subtler, however. Many times our hero finds himself opposing impossible odds. Silently eliminating the threat, man by man, is the only way to move forward. To assist Rau in this, Kuzo can fly ahead and scout out the situation. Rau can see through Kuzo's eyes, and this supernatural ability proves invaluable time and again.
If story mode -- which is expansive, and will require hours of play to complete -- isn't enough, THE MARK OF KRI also features special challenges that can be unlocked, and which must be defeated in order to earn extras such as new outfits and concept artwork. Some of these challenges are so extreme that they'll have the player howling at the screen in frustration, but the feeling of accomplishment once the trial is defeated will make the time spent more than worth it.
THE MARK OF KRI is the genuine article, a game with almost no hype that explodes with all the elements gamers could want in their entertainment: rock-solid play, incredible action, and dazzling graphics. One step inside Rau's world and there's no escape; the game is simply that good.
| PS2 Games |
| Action & Adventure |
| Fighting |
| Racing & Flying |
| Role Playing |
| Sports & Outdoors |
| Strategy |