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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.

One of the best games this summer!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 12
Date: August 06, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This is the sleeper that made it through the cracks of the video game industry and came out on top. This game offers so much and puts out much more.

Animation/Graphics::: Think Jak and Daxter animation and flow, think Onimisha action (but with it's own unique fighting system), think Metal Gear Solid 2 stealth; mix those games triple the fun factor and you have Mark of Kri. The look of the game reminds me of Mulan and the Emperor's New Groove, but with a more mature presentation. It seems to have become that American animation is best familiarized with Disney or Don Bluth animation. Just as Japan has their animation style, it seems we do as well. The difference is that most Japanese animation is pretty violent (okay, sometimes they can be very violent). So, think of this as our American version of that. It's American style animation (i.e. Disney style) that is violent.

Rau (the main character) can kill/battle his enemies many different ways. For instance, you can sneak up behind an enemy and either break his neck, cut his head off, use your sword to staple him to the wall, cut him from bottom up, on and on). Rau has so much animation to him.

Control/movement of characters::: The controls and fighting sytle may seem difficult at first, but once you do it a couple of times it becomes cake (training is recommended at the beginning and when you get a new weapon). The fighting system is unique as in I have never seen this way used before in a game. You use your right analog stick to target an enemy or enemies. Then a button icon appears above their heads (square, X or circle). When attacking you can press the button that corrisponds to the enemy you want to hit with the selected icon over their head. There is a lot more to it, but like I said, once you get it, it is actually easy.

The sound::: the sound fits the game well

Fun factor::: I can't stess the fun factor of this game. I didn't think anything of this game when I first saw a preview, but after reading a few reviews and seeing how everyone rated this game high (check on gamezone.com). I was convinced there must be something to this game. You have a number of attacks, a number of weapons, you have your faithful sidekick Kuzo (a bird that can be used to seek out enemies, help out puzzles, help with ladders and switches....like Beastmaster. You can see through the eyes of Kuzo whenever you want).

In closing, I am not good at writing reviews in text. I can sit there and tell you all about it in person, better than my review. What it comes down to, is that I highly recommend this game.

I am a 20-something long time console video gamer. I own and highly recommend the other following games for the PS2 ((also gives you an idea of what type of games I go for)):::

Grand Theft Auto 3
Medal Of Honor: Frontline
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
MLB Slugfest 2003
Red Faction
Spider-Man
Dynasty Warrior 3
SSX Tricky
Max Payne
Jak And Daxter
NCAA College Football
Frequency
and now::: Mark of Kri

... go and buy it

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.

now that I've finished it, SPOILER

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: August 29, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I'm an older game-player so it takes me a bit longer to finish games...I just don't have the free time I used to. Now having finished THE MARK OF KRI, I'm dropping my rating down to 4, from 5.

The game is a lot of fun...lots of action, no stupid puzzles, lots of blood and gore and slo mo. The fighting system is also really creative.

SPOILER:

The ending of this game is REALLY anti-climactic, however. Your little sister is kidnapped, there's an evil menance collecting the Marks, and there's this tease of a waitress who always gets in your way in the tavern....well, the rescue is COMPLETELY uneventful, there's no special boss fight with the bad guy (and there SHOULD BE, since he shoots lightning out of his hands when you're killing his undead henchmen), and there's no mention of the destroyed tavern, the people who were in it, or that waitress who kept rubbing against you.

The lose ends should really have been tied together better, to give the game a sense of completion. There should have been a difficult boss fight at the end. There should have been a cinematic showing Rau and his little sister going back to town, with the waitress waiting for him. And all those Marks should have played a bigger role. Heck, I only collected 5 of the 6 and still managed to finish the game...they almost seemed irrelevant.

It's not a bad game. It's a great game with a bad ending.

Cartoons aren't just for kids anymore...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: August 06, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This game is a visual masterpiece. I love the opening movie and the deep story, the visuals are "drawn" on the screen as you watch a scenario setting up the tone of the level/game. A dark and deadly spell that was seperated into six portions, given to six families for safekeeping has been found once again by the demons of legend.
You must battle your way through legions of bandits and other nasties to find the truth about the happenings in your world. To aide you on your quest is your faithful and intelligent spirit companion, Kuzo. Use his bird-sight to help you look ahead and spy on enemies. Infiltrate their ranks with stealth or brute force. Either way, Rau is a massive warrior and a force to be reckoned with.
With many objectives to complete and items to find, this game is deep and involved. You can unlock extra outfits, arenas and cheats as you progress through the game.
While the unique targeting and battle system may take some time to get used to, the game provides an excellent training module designed to help you familiarize yourself with the controls and basics of combat.
The load times between levels can get irritating, but the lush artwork and compelling story quickly make up for any grumblings and misgivings that one may have. A popular magazine rated this game as "flawed" and a "nice try, but falls short." I am happy that I disregarded this advice and purchased this well-done piece of software. Blurring the line between animated movies and video games, The Mark of Kri does an excellent job on both ends.
The gameplay is fluid and easily mastered, and the addition of the new battle system and the "bird-sight" only assist in pulling you further and further into the game. While it looks like a kiddie cartoon, this one is aimed at mature audiences, the combat and blood and gore arent meant for children. It isnt over-the-top, but it does definatley show that current trend in video games: adult audiences.
As the gamers of the world get older, and the hardware becomes more powerful and advanced, so do the games. This is one game that manages to keep pace and stay with the flow. With its rich and involving storyline, vivid graphical presentation and ease of control, The Mark of Kri has secured itself a place in many a gamers library.

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.

One of the Best Action Games Ever Made

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: October 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Most people have never heard of this game....pity, because the perfect and very original action/stealth package it offers makes many more popular games pale in comparison. In each level, the main character is given a new weapon or skill. By the end of the game, you will have access to 3 VERY different weapons, very sweet stealth moves, your bird (who provides different vantage points to decide how to approach a situation), and your bow. The rare detail here is that these are all VERY well-implemented, giving you choices on how you want to approach the level. The combat is very addictive- you can map certain enemies to the four buttons on the controller by sweeping the right analog stick. That, combined with a handy block button provide for some very strategic combat. Or, you can take on one enemy at a time with some truly brutal combos. The brutality, both in combat and in stealth kills, is truly something to watch- your character looks like he walked out a Disney movie, but his moves DEFINITELY betray this notion. The art actually was provided by former Disney animators, so the game looks very good. Just watch one of the load scenes morph into actual gameplay- you won't believe your eyes! Meanwhile, the story, though short, is told by a very talented voice actor and entertaining cut-scenes. Once you finish the game, it offers plenty of replay value- there are extra arenas and goals to get through, and you can unlock extra costumes for Rau (which actually look very cool, I might add). Anyway, this is one of my absolute favorites, and I can't wait for the sequel!

Oni meets Conan (The Mogolian Warrior)

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: August 08, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game because it sounded interesting. When I got it and first started playing it I thought it was going to be like Half-Life. Another adventure type game that was out of its time (Half Life was good when it first came out. But it doesn't compare to Deus Ex). Nevertheless, after about 30 minutes playing the game I was shocked that it was a very complex fighting game! You really need to "learn some skills" to get good at this game. It's not a first-person slasher where you just go around hacking people up. If you tried that you'd get hacked up yourself in no time. No, you need to learn how to *master* your sword fighting skills, stealth mode, and bow. When I looked at the box I thought it was a Japanese samurai type game. It's not. Think Mongolian. Think Huns. 400 AD - 1400 AD time frame.

Rau, your character, has the body of a barbarian, but the skills of a Hun/Mongolian swords man. He has bow skills too and is no way just a big muscle-bound guy. You also have a black crow that you have trained to help you during your jobs. You can make the crow fly to predetermined perches so that you can get a birds-eye view of what's around the bend. You can also have your crow fetch items for you that are out of your reach.

I've only played this game for about 3-4 hours so far and I can tell you this. It's not going to be easy. You have missions. And each one gets harder and harder. Since you need skills to master the sword, you better have strong hands since this game requires that you are constantly pressing the button to fight off your would be attackers. There is a nice feature that lets you attack multiple foes at once. You can take on three enemies at one time! It's quite a nice setup how easy it is once you master the controls. But that doesn't mean that the mission will be easy to finish. If anyone remembers Deus Ex; just like that game, you could play it using different methods. One, you play it head-on (fight everyone). Or two, you can be a sneaky (stealth type mode). You can use your sneak attack, or you can use your bow from afar. It's your choice. The AI seems very smart too. The enemies aren't dumb. Once they see you they will look for you. But, some times they might just hear you and think it was just an animal or something. Then, they go about their business. And sometimes if they hear you (but don't come after you) they will just keep waiting for you until you come around the corner (Basically, they know you are hiding. But they wont come and get you. They just wait for you.).

Right now, I'm only using the sword and bow. But it looks like there are 5 weapons. But, it's NOT about the weapons that makes this game good (Quake or Unreal). It's the mastering of the weapons that makes the game! There are some nice side games (Arena style) where you can hone your skills for prizes. There's also a tutorial that you can play that is called "training." In the Arena practice you can take on 15 guys at the same time. Once you get good at that you'd be surprise how much that helps you during real combat. But, remember. That doesn't mean that you can just start hacking away. Sometimes it's better to just sneak around a corner and grab someone and take them out silently (if your in that mode).

So, if you liked Oni (from Bungie) and Deus Ex. You should like this game. They should have called this game The Mongolian Warrior.

P.S. The Sage is a funny old bag!

Hack and slash action was never this much fun.

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

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.

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.

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