Mark of The Ninja Review.

This will be the first time I've played a game by Klei Entertainment. After pretty much skipping Shank and Shank 2 due to the presentation I am starting to regret that choice. Mark of the Ninja is a 2D platformer which mixes some of the best elements from it's peers. This is probably one of the most well designed stealth games next to Metal Gear. 

Level design pretty much follows the tried and tested Metroid style but slims it down to keep the objectives clear and turning the game into a stage based game as opposed to one giant map. This works in the games favour as each little perch, vase or tunnel gives you so many options to proceed.

Like most Metal Gear games, you do not have to kill a single guard to continue the game and this is a big bonus for doing so. However some challenges will be impossible down this route. Metal Gear is easily more well designed in this sense but all the same, it works incredibly well.

Challenges on each mission give an extra layer to stages. They can vary from killing two guards with a single chandelier, or passing through a section undetected. Each of these completed bonus objectives will net you a point to spend on upgrading your ninja. You also can collect through scrolls on each stage which will each also give you a point, and finally your rank can earn you up to three points to spend.

The upgrades you can buy are overall, very good and practical. You can learn new methods of assassination, such as killing while hanging above a target. Or you can learn new combat skills, though more often than not, you will not be fighting toe to toe with an enemy. You can also buy or upgrade your ninja tools. Want smoke bombs to also choke the enemy? (if they do not wear gas-masks) or perhaps you want to drop caltrops behind you while escaping? Better than all of these, you can hide in a cardboard box.

There are also several costumes you can unlock which dramatically change the way you approach a level. One costume will make your footsteps silent but the trade-off is that you forfeit your sword. Another will make assassinations also succeed without a button prompt but you can only take one kind of tool into a mission instead of two. All of these features lend to make the game so free but without sacrificing structure.

The game is reasonably challenging and you will rarely die by accidentally hooking onto a ledge that you did not mean to or screwing up an assassination that was well planned. The game is very clear on the consequences of your actions. When you stop time to throw a dart at a light, it will give you a ring around the target to show the noise you will be creating and weather it'll be within earshot of them. Features like this means that you will rarely do something wrong without a lapse in judgement. As long as you stay in the dark, the field of vision for guards is very low and they have to be within assassination distance to notice you. This makes the stalking around you do, very much like Tenchu but without very tight controls.

The weakest point in the game is easily the story. It's very cliché and serves little purpose but to throw you into your next mission. This is little to complain about as this game was always about the gameplay but you essentially are given the task of stopping an evil mega corporation from making dangerous weapons to stamp out your ninja clan. Other than the story itself, the art and animation is a little sub-par but not really bad for an XBLA game. It very much reminds me of Samurai Jack and various other cartoon network shows of the time. I don't normally mind stuff like Samurai Jack but it does feel a little off this time.

My Score: Stealth games are more often a large battle with the controller than careful planning and execution. Mark of the Ninja does what it's trying to do perfectly. Other than being a little short and the story being a little weak. It would be one of the best games out there. 9/10

The People: I don't see many complaining about the art or story much but perhaps the length of the game will bother some. 8/10