Each movement you or your enemies make creates a visual onscreen circle that indicates the reach of the sound – a feature that smart players can use to their advantage, but one that can spell doom for those without the patience to move with care. Darkness provides a veil as you agilely slide from one shadow to the next. Tension is provided through the smart use of light, shadow, and sound. Most stealth games unfold in a 3D space, but Mark of the Ninja instead opts for a side-scrolling 2D presentation. In between the cut-scenes, the richly illustrated game world walks that fine line necessary to provide detail in a game shrouded in darkness, and the brutal character animations further accentuate the ninja vibe.
The story unfolds through beautiful animated cutscenes that are clearly inspired by the heyday of Saturday morning cartoons, albeit with a significantly more mature and bloody spin. With your clan in danger, you must accept the mark that provides superhuman ninja prowess, but at the cost of your own madness and eventual death. Mark of the Ninja casts the player as a ninja that’s part of an ancient clan. And if you like it, the game’s enormous replay value will have you coming back for lots more.
#HOW LONG TO BEAT MARK OF THE NINJA FULL#
A full run at the story can be completed in about a single day. No matter your course through the game, Mark of the Ninja unfolds its many layers in just a few hours. And while stealth is usually the goal, the designers go out of their way to provide numerous paths to game completion, allowing players to choose their own path.
Klei Entertainment’s game revitalized my love of deep stealth mechanics, and introduced new elements that capitalized on the 2D landscape. One of my favorite games of 2012 was Mark of the Ninja, and it remains a top pick for several reasons.