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What's with all the blackness in the game!

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: August 01, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I can't see two feet in front of my character,it's too dark I keep running in to walls and cliffs and my brightness on the tv is turned all the way up. I don't know if there using that to make it scarier or what. The bird in this game seems to be a waste of time to mess with, takes to long to get to the tree limbs you want it to fly to. Just another average game, I wish these company's that make these games would come up with some original ideas. Hack n slash = Boring.

The truth

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 14
Date: August 01, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Too sum it all up the real title of this game should be The Kri of Mark because my friend mark started to cry due to the ambiguously happy characters in the game. The game is set in a small suburban chinese dojo. The main character "Max" has a dillema. He is forced to save his special friend "Gary" from feeling the wrath of his angry step-father. Must i say anymore. One of my friends did enjoy it "Lance". He is becoming really good at it too. The other day i noticed that he can now play the game one handed.

Amazing combat with realistic fatalities

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: August 01, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This game is even better than it looks. Combining the Disney-esque feel of this game with the mortal combat-like finishers, The Mark of Kri is superb. One of the best things about this game is the stealth abilites your character posseses. Don't take my word for it, get your own copy! A must have for any gamer!

Great graphics and gore!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 12 / 13
Date: August 02, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Because I like action adventure games I was intrigued by everything I had heard about Mark of Kri. First things first, the graphic landscapes are awesome. The battle system is pretty good, allowing multiple cool combo attacks. Also you are able to see through the eyes of your spirit guide, a bird companion, and look around corners to plan your attacks carefully. At first it seemed like an average game with cool graphics, but once I got to the second level(20 minutes), the game got much cooler. You get to sneak up on guards and cut off their heads off and/or smash their skulls. It earns it's "M" rating with honors. Lots of blood. Then you get the bow. With this you can kill from a distance, and quietly. You can fight up to 9 enemies at a time with excellent looking sword moves and blocking. Using your bird spirit guide, you can toggle back and forth between his vision and your vision on the ground for what is esentially alternate camera angles. This way, when you sneak up to kill guards, you can view the killing from a new angle. Very cool.
It is a bit linear though. You can't do too much exploring, but I think we've all become a bit spoiled with the flexibility of GTA3. Compared to that it has it's limits, but it's superb art and cool combat system makes it a solid action/adventure.

Good game but very short

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: August 02, 2002
Author: Amazon User

If Milius had created the screen version of 'Conan the Barbarian' using Disney-style animation instead of live action, I would have expected the result to look something like this. Don't let the harmless-cartoon appearance fool you though; this is an incredibly violent game full of animated bludgeonings, dismemberments, and impalements. Get it for yourself, but don't let your kids near it.

The visuals in this game are a joy to behold. During level load-times, different 2D sketches are either displayed or drawn in while you are waiting. When the sketch solidifies into the game environment you'll be knocked flat by how good the 3D version (that you play in) looks... The designers poured a lot of hard work into the art and it really shows. The levels are all very different from each other (temple ruins, Atlantis?, dungeons) and populated by different enemies, but each is beautifully drawn and animated.

The difficulty of the missions ramps up slowly and there are training opportunities between the missions so you can learn new moves and new weapons. The first few missions emphasize stealth; the later ones center on battles against large numbers of opponents. Puzzles are very, very simple so as not to distract you from the main task of killing lots and lots of enemies. Usually, all you must do is fight your way through to a switch that opens the exit for the next part of the level. No block puzzles, no Rube Goldberg contraptions, just big, barbarian-friendly levers to pull.

If you're a fan of the MGS style of stealth missions, there's a nice stone age twist to the whole radar thing that lets you know where your enemies are (and where they're looking). In Mark of Kri, your companion is a bird who acts as a second set of eyes. At different places in the game, you can send him forward to a vantage point and see the world from his eys. This lets you get the drop on baddies who may be hanging out just around the bend or patrolling the walls overhead. As a game device, this feature is very well done.

The combat system for this game has gotten a lot of press and it's fairly simple, and enjoyable, to use. The right stick is used to assign button presses to nearby enemies and pushing the appropriate button uncorks a weapon strike against that enemy. By leaving some of the buttons unassigned (i.e. targeting only 1 or 2 enemies), you can use them to modify the main strike to deliver more damaging combo attacks. The bigger weapons have larger targeting cones so you can group 2 or even 3 enemies to the same button. Terrain makes a difference as hitting stones or walls on a swing will interrupt your combos and hitting a tree or post can result in your weapon being stuck for a few seconds! This helps to keep the combat from devolving into pure button-mashing as you have to keep maneuvering to better positions or switch to a weapon better suited to confined spaces. The final battles pit you against a dozen or so opponents at once and by then you'll have the hang of one vs. many fighting so that you can sit back and enjoy watching body parts fly as you wade into the crowds with your battle axe. Did I mention this was a really, really violent game?

OK. The big downer. The game is very, very short. The timestamp on my completed game reads a little over 8 hours. I haven't completed all the mini-games or unlocked all the artwork/costumes/movies, but it only took 2 days to finish the main story. On the other hand, Mark of Kri is at a lower price point than the typical PS2 game, so it's balanced out somewhat by that.

Bottom line: Too short, but very, very satisfying to play and full of creative, well-executed ideas and artwork. It definitely deserves a spot on your shelf.

Good Game With Good Gore

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: August 02, 2002
Author: Amazon User

At first I really didn't know what to think about this game. I read reviews in magazines and on the web and people rather loved it or hated it, but I knew I had to get this game if just for the sure gore wrapped in a Disney package. Now that I've been playing it for two days I can say..... I love it. And the first time you sneak up to someone that looks alittle like Aladdin from the Disney movie and lop him in half with your trusty ax I swear you'll be saying "OH ..."
The story is absolutely great. It's your usual story of good vs evil but it's told to you like your in front of a campfire with pictures of the story being drawn right before your eyes. You play as the character Rau who basically wants to fight the good fight but more importantly he just wants to fight... I kind of like the aspect of telling the story based on a warrior needing to be a warrior.
I can see why this had mixed reviews. The game really is as good as you want it to be. You can go threw a level doing nothing but the usual button mashing but I bet you get bored after about an hour. If you take the time to learn what the game has to offer I bet you enjoy it for months to come. Creatively enough the fighting is based on moving the character with the left analog stick and assigning a button to one or more of your enemies. This helps out so much when you have guys behind you and turning around would just be too much of a hassle... besides it looks great when you swing the sword behind you to wap someone in the head. The button system they use has never been used by any other game before (at least from what I know) and once you get the hang of it you start to wonder why it's never been used before. Stealth is a great part of this game but not a must. It adds alot to the game to have more than one way to kill an enemy. It also looks great when you pin someone to the wall and hang him there with your sword. It's alittle bit too easy to get caught while sneaking but this is easy to look past. You also get a trusty bird companion to help scope out an area and sometimes distract your foes for another sneaky kill.
Overall I say this game is very groundbreaking and a must have for anyone who like their games creative. I gave this a four just because even though the graphics are great I thought they could have used some work and the cut scenes kind look like they were made for the PS1. Buy this now for 5 reasons . 1: the graphics 2: the story 3: the fighting 4: the gore ...and 5: the gore.

TRULY THIS IS GROUNDBREAKING

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: August 02, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I had mixed feelings before this game came out mainly because of what I was reading on the internet and in magazines. People rather loved it or hated it, either way I was going to get it just for shear originality and the fact that it had Disney graphics with a ton of gore. I've been playing the game for 2 days now and I have to say I love it to death. The animation is very Disney and the first time you cut a man in half with your trusty ax I bet you say "OH SH#!T" The story is very engrossing n told like a campfire tale with great artwork being drawn to discribe what's going on right before your eyes.... it's a sight to behold. This is the usual good vs evil but it's told more to the manner of a warrior needing to fight and I admire that kind of honest storytelling.
I can see why this game had mixed reviews. It's really as good as you want it to be. If your looking to just brawl your way threw a level you can and I bet you get bored doing so after an hour or so. The way to play is to utilize all it has to offer. Stealth is a main part of gameplay and it's too easy to get caught but the special kill moves you get for that are just outstanding. The bird you have as an ally is a nice touch to see what your in for and the view you get from the bird is much like Beastmaster series. When you draw your weapon it's easy to just button mash, but if you keep a cool head and go for the special moves I swear you'll feel like a seasoned warrior with how fluid the graphics are.
Dare I say this one will be a hit. Buy it and you'll be impressed with 1: the controls 2:the graphics 3: the story 4: the gore and 5:....the gore.

An Excelent Hack and Slash Stealth Game?

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: August 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I just picked up my copy of THE MARK OF KRI today and at first I have to say I was disappointed in some ways. I just wasn't grasping the gameplay mechanics. About two hours later I thought to myself "give it another chance...". So I poped it back in and prepared for another round of fighting. This time I turned up the brightness on my television and that made it a lot easier to see.

Well two hours later I was still playing. I figured it out within a half hour. And once I found out how fun it was to play I was hooked. There is zero frustration to me. I die a few times but I keep going. It is so much fun to slash these Disney-like characters.

BUT it isnt perfect. They are some SMALL glitches in the graphics. Sometimes the gameplay causes you to get hit but several enemies at once. The AI is fairly challenging and doing stealth attacks will become second-nature to you within an hour. And the death animations are sick in a good way. The sound is fairly good along with the grpahics but the best part is its like a violent Disney cartoon with voices to match that format.

But as in any video game the bottom line is in the value. Is THE MARK OF KRI worth getting? Yes it is. The attacks will get teadious and using your bird Kuzo will eventually become a little tiresome. In the long run though you will get hooked on this game. Its worthy of some of the attention its been getting because its something new.

I wont bore you with the story details except saying you control a huge swordsman named Rau and his bird Kuzo. And you will be happy to know that you can unlock a few items such as new costumes for Rau by beatting levels. And there are only four weapons to chose from not including your fists.
Heres a rundown of the weapons:
FISTS:
Only good for sneek attacks and disarming enemies but the only thing is if you use disarm to much in a battle your enemies will become wary of it.

BROAD SWORD:

Your main weapon in the game but its length causes you to get hit more then if you use the....

TAIAHA which is a long spear or the BATTLE AXE.

When it all comes down to it playing games are all about having fun and this game is fun so I recomend it to any PS2 owners who dont mind a little blood and gore.

Tenchu -- Stand Back, Rau Is in Your Village...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: August 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This game is the closest game to tribal Tenchu that I've seen. The graphics are excellent, and the character modeling is spectacular, even the bird Kuzo. This game is very much melee-oriented; however, stealth is involved somewhat. Unlike other games, such as Metal Gear Solid 2, there are limited save points; however, you can choose when to save once you collect these save points ("save" scrolls). The controls admittedly are not the best, but you can adjust after an hour or so. Unlike Tenchu, however, you have a bird Kuzo to scout out the situation before you choose to attack. For example, you can choose to stealthily attack some and blatantly attack others. The focusing feature of Rau when he attacks is very innovative, and you can adjust to fight different characters simultaneously. The environments in this game resemble Metal Gear Solid, in that you do have limited space to move, but you can move freely. My favorite things about the game are several. First, the use of Kuzo as your eyes in the sky is cool. You can examine enemy movements from a distance. Next, the stealth animations are absolutely brutal. They make Tenchu look like child's play. For example, in a double stealth skill, he breaks the neck of one enemy and beheads the other LITERALLY. Even worse, in a single enemy stealth kill, Rau picks up the enemy and swings the enemy's head into the wall 3 times (!), smashing his head and neck with blood spewing everywhere. Tenchu never got this brutal; and Metal Gear Solid 2 never saw blood spatter like this. Lastly, the plotline via Disney characters and sketches makes this game incredible, and at this price of [$$], it is definitely worth it.

Sony made a valuable and unforgettable game. This game surpasses Tenchu (presently), Spiderman: The Movie and Batman: Vengeance in its gameplay, concept and stealth and the respective stealth animations.

One note: When you buy this game, this game has a Mature rating for a reason. Rau is absolutely and assuredly brutal and unforgiving, and blood will spill -- everywhere. Although the characters are very cartoonish, resembling Disney characters, the incredible brutality of Rau ups the rating into Mature.

This game for all action/adventure fans, especially Metal Gear Solid or Tenchu fans.

Disney + Conan + Gore = ?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: August 04, 2002
Author: Amazon User

The Mark of Kri is not a game for kids. Its lush animation, and soft, almost painterly graphics may at first appear to be geared towards a younger audience, but the first time the main character, a barbarian named Rau, cuts an enemy's arm off, then turns around and cleaves a foe in two, it becomes obvious that the style is no indication of the target age.

That said, The Mark of Kri is a beautiful game, whose presentation is second to none. The innovative combat system allows for both interesting one-on-one battles, and more chaotic multi-person battles. Essentially, using the right analog stick to target an enemy will cause an icon corresponding to one of the PS2 controller's buttons to appear over an enemy's head. Until you either "stop focus", or kill the enemy, hitting that button will target that enemy. If fewer than three enemies are targetted (the triangle button serves a different purpose, as do the shoulder buttons), the unused buttons become attack modifiers, allowing you to do different combo attacks, providing some much-needed variety.

The game isn't strictly about combat, however. Rau is able to sneak about, and kill his enemies stealthily, and he is able to snipe enemies using a bow he is given. The variety in combat techniques gives the player a number of ways to approach problems in the game, giving it a bit of nonlinearity that's not standard in an action game of this sort.

Rau's "sprit guide", a bird named Kuzo, provides yet another gameplay element. Rau can see through Kuzo's eyes, and as such, can send the bird ahead of him, so he can plan how to best attack the enemies that lie in wait.

The Mark of Kri is an interesting, varied action game. It's not tremendously long, but doesn't lose your interest, with lots of options to unlock, and a good amount of replay value. The graphics and animation are reminiscent of a Disney film, the feel of the movie, and the narrator, are very Conan-esque, and the abundance of gore, as a result of the excellent and innovative combat engine provide a game that, at first blush, may look like an overly violent kid's game, but in execution, is a wonderfully differently stylized game, made for adults.

Great stuff.

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