More Articles on The Mark of Kri
The Mark of KriThe Mark of Kri - Video FootageThe Mark of KriE3 2002: The Mark of KriThe Mark of Kri ScreenshotsLatest Previews
Tom Clancy's EndWar - Ears OnMidnight Club: LA - MultiplayerFar Cry 2 - MultiplayerGears of War 2 - Hands OnNeed For Speed UndercoverUser Reviews
There are currently 0 User Reviews for The Mark of KriWrite your own review for this game today and you will receive 100 Gamer Points.
Click here to register
The Mark of Kri Preview
Chris Leyton
00/12/0000
The Mark of Kri looks set to shake up the tired action/adventure genre, and its about time...
The recently announced PS2 title, The Mark of Kri, has been in development at Sonyâs San Diego Studio for the last two years. Originally conceived as a PSOne title, the game is the studios first title and looks like it could be something to keep an eye out for.
The game is an action/adventure title with emphasis placed on combat, now before you dismiss this as another button-bashing no-brainer, carry on reading and youâll realise that the game should leap miles ahead of the mindless clones in the tired genre. Firstly the gameâs looks are very important, rather then straying down the realistic path taken by most, The Mark of Kri has a very distinct animated feel to it without using the clichéd cell-shading technique. The look is of a high quality animated film, akin to Disneyâs Tarzan or Mulan, shown off wonderfully in the games opening sequence.
Players take the role of Rau, a warrior who relies mainly on his brute strength and trusty sword rather then the powers of persuasion. The story tells of an ancient, dark spell that has been split into six pieces to keep the evil from returning. A millennium later, an evil minion ominously named The Dark One has discovered the spell and sets out to find the six families that hide the secret. The story is told through the use of hand drawn animated sketches, which are drawn as the narrator speaks. The last picture freezes, turns into colour and blends seamlessly into the actual game, itâs a wonderful effect that presents a new vision in merging art, movies, animation and gaming into one complete package.
So itâs up to Rau to traverse the 10 different locations spanning across six different worlds, ranging from frozen winter-lands to lush green forests, dispatching the denizens of the dark world that are present in each level. Joining Rau on his quest is his loyal and trusted spirit guide, Kuzo, a large black bird that plays an integral role in the quest. Kuzo has the ability to scout ahead to perches for a better view of impending danger, retrieve items and distract the enemy.
A neat touch, however itâs the unique combat-system that is causing the most interest in the game, a technique that Sony has patented. Innovative, intuitive yet initially daunting, players use the right thumbstick to highlight surrounding enemies, each targeted enemy will then correspond to a button on the controller, allowing the player to seamlessly blend visually amazing comboâs together. Using four different weapons, including a broadsword, bow, battleaxe and the sacred Taiaha a Maori weapon from New Zealand, insures that each and every battle is engrossing and more importantly looks awesome. By performing certain combos players can also access a number of gratuitous death kills, decapitations, cutting off limbs and twisting necks are just a few youâll have control over, highlighting that whilst the game has a kiddie appearance, itâs content is definitely for the mature market.
The game is also set to offer more depth then the typical action title, through the use of a stealth feature that takes a respectful nod to Metal Gear Solid. By putting away your sword the camera will swoop in, the music will cut out allowing you to sneak up behind your opponents and snap their necks. Rather then being a feature attached on the side, this is set to be an essential element to some of the games levels. Clever players will use Kuzo to scout out an area, and then use stealth to gain the advantage.
The games environments are all interactive; if you get too close to a flock of birds theyâll take flight and notify the enemy to your presence. Conversely this can be used to your advantage, picking up a stone and chucking it next to a group of birds will distract the enemy giving you the upper hand.
Finishing things off the game will have a huge number of extras and bonuses to improve the longevity of a genre not noted for it. New costumes, easter eggs and a variety of other bonuses can all be found.
